Reiki or Random

For some of us, the world is a place filled with awe, if not outright mystery. These photos of an Albatross, taken on an island of the Galapagos, and a New Zealand Pidgeon, taken on Kapiti Island, represent a sense of "connection" that exists, that we are not alone, and that we are able to connect to something greater than ourselves and something very beautiful. And, in saying this, we need not feel diminished, humanity need not be the center of the universe, simply being a part of it is a wonderful opportunity.

Reiki simply is a philosophy of life, a path, a way of approaching this world we are a part of. In sharing rather than conquering, in connecting rather than isolating, in focusing on the journey rather than the destination - the quality of our own lives change and we become happier. And Mikao Usui seems to teach, that in this process of connecting, and sharing, that we can both become happier and help to heal ourselves and others.

After learning about Reiki from Robin Hannon, i studied with Amy Rowland learning Shoden, Okuden, and Shinpiden levels from Amy (the Japanese versions of Level 1 and Level 2 and Level 3 Reiki). In the past month, i took additional training from Rick Rivard in Vancouver.

http://threshold.ca/reiki/home.html

Rick has a wonderful web site, Threshold Reiki - he is a fabulous source of Reiki wisdom, Reiki history and Reiki teaching.

In 1926, Mikao Usui, a teacher, healer and founder of Reiki passed away. By 1939, Mrs Takata, living as a Japanese American in Hawaii, thought she was the only living Reiki master, the sole inheritor of a precious teaching. At the time of her death, Dec 12, 1980, she had taught 22 Master's who had taught hundreds of thousands of students all over the world - by the mid 1990's Reiki had been reintroduced to Japan.

For those interested "Living Reiki Takata's Teachings" by Fran Brown is an invaluable biography of Mrs Takata, and Frank Arjava Petter's book, "Reiki the Legacy of Dr Usui" is a marvelous telling of the re finding of Reiki's orginal and truthful roots.

By 1999 Reiki was attempting to integrate a) the differences between Takata and original Usui techniques and b) Reiki and other forms of complementary healing into the constellation of healing and c) adapting the original Usui thoughts and Takata thoughts to a world heading toward Globalization and the 21st century. Takata, like Usui, was born into a world where a man had never run a mile in under 4 minutes, no man had climbed Mt Everest, no man had walked on the moon, penicillin and all other antibiotics had not yet been discovered and communication took days to weeks - there were no TV's (let alone no internet and no email)

In 1999 over 60 Reiki masters from all over the world gathered in Vancouver, Canada and, again in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 these meetings URRI or Usui Reiki Ryoho International occurred. While there is no "Grandmaster" like Dr Usui or Mrs Takata in Reiki today, Hiroshi Doi of Japan was widely acknowledged to be a wise Teacher, with a capacity to bring together methods from many lineages of Reiki.

Doi-Sensei founded taught Gendai Reiki, in a way, an effort to integrate Usui Reiki with the changes made by Takata and her students, but, as well, with a sense of modernity brought by Doi Sensei.

From 1999-2003, the English Speaker who had the most time with Doi-Sensei was Rick Rivard, and, although Rick was prior to meeting Doi-Sensei an established, intuitive talented Reiki master, much of his work is dedicated to teaching the techniques and philosophy learned in URRI (1999-2003)

http://threshold.ca/reiki/home.html

My own approaches to Reiki are heavily influenced by the Reiki teachings of Hiroshi Doi and Rick Rivard. I encourage that Rick's site be viewed as a "threshold" to Reiki.

This is not a religion, it is simply a journey and a method - we seek to Share and to Connect and to offer Compassion to other people.

This simple and spiritual approach is consistent with and part of the core being of Hospice. In listening to music, or in practicing compassionate health care, or in studying nature around the world - i cannot believe that what i am seeing is "Random." But - i know of no known "controlled study" with which to prove this belief. I am content to act upon belief.