Not all Reiki healing sessions are the same. However, Usui Reiki is, without question, the most well-known and broadly practiced form of Reiki, at least in the United States. But, it’s also divided into two main schools or lineages: Traditional (Eastern) and Western Usui Reiki. This blog describes how I experience Eastern or Traditional Usui Reiki.
For information on the other eight forms I practice, see my Mind Body Spirit Blog and search for Reiki or, more specifically, use the term “How I experience.” All the blogs will pop up.
One additional note. This blog is written from my perspective as a Reiki Master Teacher and Practitioner of ten styles of Reiki. The information is geared toward practitioners and students. However, Reiki clients will likely appreciate the description of the energy and techniques available with Eastern Usui Reiki.
History of Reiki – Why So Much Variation in the Practice of Reiki
In the late 19th century, Dr. Mikao Usui, a medical doctor and spiritual individual, discovered the universal life-force energy of Reiki (Usui Shiki Ryoho) while on a 21-day meditation retreat on sacred Mt Kurama in Kyoto, Japan. While Dr. Usui initiated the system practiced today, scholars find ample evidence to suggest he rediscovered a more ancient Buddhist practice.
Dr. Usui taught his new healing skill to others without the assistance of written material, which can partially explain the variation in Reiki practice and teaching.
Using Usui Reiki energy, several of Dr. Usui’s students developed their unique healing approach and techniques for conducting a Usui Reiki session and later teaching others. Some of these students made further modifications and taught more students.
Among the most influential and well-known descendants are Dr. Churigo Hayashi (developer of a protocol-based healing system and Western Usui Reiki), Mrs Hawayo Takata (a student of Dr. Hayashi, who modified the Hayashi system to suit Western culture and students), and Hiroshi Doi (a traditionalist, member of the Japanese Gakki, and creator of Gendai and Reiki Ryoho). Among these Usui descendants mentioned, he remains most closely aligned with Traditional or Eastern Usu Reiki.
Today, practitioners learn different styles of Reiki from Reiki Master Instructors, who have different lineages. Thus, they offer distinct approaches, possibly using additional and unique Reiki techniques. Others like myself blend the various forms of Reiki in a single session. However, each of my Reiki classes is limited to its specific lineage.
Comparing Eastern and Western Reiki Classes
It’s helpful to start with a brief note about the differences between Eastern and Western Usui approaches. Eastern Usui Reiki is aligned with tradition and the Japanese mentoring style. The approach emphasizes an individual’s commitment to healing and the personal development of an intuitive practice.
However, in the West, students learn Traditional Reiki by completing a series of three short structured weekend classes. In Japan, the same training is acquired over a much more prolonged, individualized, and unfolding process, and there is a greater focus on the mentoring relationship. Naturally, the outcome is quite different.
Western Usui reflects how Mrs. Takata taught Usui Reiki in the US. I say “reflects” because of the variation in the perception among individual Western Usui teachers and practitioners who learned from her. But all Western Usui relies more on structure and form.
Benefits of Traditional Reiki
The benefits of Traditional Reiki are similar to those of all Reiki styles. Treating the physical body and energy field, Reiki works on any issue at any level – physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Plus, it complements conventional and alternative healing modalities without side effects. For more on Reiki benefits, practices, and general information, see my page on Reiki Healing Energy.
The Sense of Traditional Usui
Western and Traditional Usui Reiki feel the same in my hands (see my blogs on Western Usui Reiki and Usui/Tibetan Reiki). That’s not surprising. After all, they derive from the same Reiki system and access the same energy or life-force frequencies. What’s different is they represent a different way to teach and practice with the same type of energy.
Usui Reiki – Traditional or Western – feels very light and much like air. The energy is like a soft breeze moving through my hands. Sometimes it’s a bit cool, sometimes it’s a bit warm. But, the sensation in my hands is always a subtle light breeze or movement. This can be compared to Sekhem Seichim Reiki (SSR) energy, which is denser, more animated, and much like cool water.
Traditional Reiki Symbols
Western and Eastern Reiki employ the same systems, although Reiki practitioners and students draw or envision them differently, following the tradition of their teacher and his/her lineage.
Traditional Usui Focus on Intuition and Intuitive Practices:
As a Traditional Reiki Master, what I appreciate most about the Eastern style is the inclusion of numerous intuitive healing practices (e.g., Boyson scanning, Reiji-ho). Each healing practice offers the Traditional Reiki practitioner a unique tool to gain a sharper awareness of how the energy wants to move and its intention throughout the healing process.
These and other Traditional Reiki techniques are sometimes taught in Western Usui classes. Still, they don’t belong in a Western Usui Reiki class.
The cultivation of and reliance on intuition and intuitive information tends to shift the Reiki healer’s mind or consciousness from thinking toward feeling and sensing. The process can feel more like a spiritual practice.
Depending on my intuition felt uncomfortable at first. But, I soon became accustomed and began to enjoy a greater sense of freedom and flow. I utilize my intuition more and I feel the sense of unspoken guidance.
Traditional Reiki Attunement
Like the entire Traditional Usui system, the attunements are more intuitive, relying more on intention than physical form. For example, the Reiki Master must learn to go beyond designated steps and dance with the energy.
To Conclude
There are many styles of Reiki to choose from, explore, and build into a unique healing practice. Upon attainment of the Master’s Level, those options open up further. All Reiki practitioners must choose what works best for them and suits their strengths and preferences.
For More On How Eastern or Traditional Usui Compares to Other Types of Usui Reiki, See:
Updated July 23, 2022
Updated October 1, 2024
