What is Reiki?
Reiki is a gentle, yet powerful, non-invasive healing method. During a Reiki session, the Reiki person simply puts her hands gently on herself - or someone else - and the Reiki energy is immediately available.
Reiki activates healing on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual - without any need for diagnosis, manipulation, beliefs or mental effort. Reiki enhances a person's natural healing ability without interfering with any other treatments or medications the person may be using.
The most common experience for people when they have Reiki hands on them is of deep relaxation and peace similar to a deep meditation, followed by increased clarity and vitality.
This wonderful healing art and discipline was brought to the world in the late 19th century by Mikao Usui, a Japanese man. Usui studied for many years, searching for a way to directly bring about healing. He eventually found the empowerment he was seeking during an extended meditation retreat near Kyoto, Japan.
He gave the name "Reiki" to what he discovered, by which it is now known outside Japan. The word Reiki describes both the energy and the practice of using it. The word can be interpreted as "universal life energy".
Reiki stands on its own as a therapy, but may be used as a process to complement but not replace other forms of healing - orthodox or complementary.
The Reiki form I practise and teach is known as Usui Shiki Ryoho. 
Roughly translated from the Japanese it means "the healing method Usui used". This is the form that Hawayo Takata learned from Chujiro Hayashi at his clinic in Japan. Hayashi was one of Usui's students. Takata brought Usui Shiki Ryoho from Japan to Hawaii in the 1930s. It is very simple, and in that simplicity is a great power for healing.
I am very fortunate to have learned Reiki from Klaudia Hochhuth, a Reiki Master who teaches as she was taught by Phyllis Furumoto. Furumoto is Takata's granddaughter and the lineage bearer for Usui Shiki Ryoho since Takata's death.
I am deeply grateful to and hold great respect for each person in my Reiki lineage:
Mikao Usui - Chujiro Hayashi - Hawayo Takata - Phyllis Furumoto - Klaudia Hochhuth
