Telling the Reiki Story

I'm currently a Reiki Master-in-Training. In my lineage (takata -> furumoto -> kaiser mardis -> murray -> me) we spend at least a year training with our RM. I've audited several classes and have now moved into teaching part of them. It's been a wonderful learning experience!

During the past few years, I've listened to a lot of Phyllis Furumoto's radio shows, as well as tried to read a lot of books within my lineage, so I'm pretty well steeped in Western Reiki.

My RM has attended a lecture or two with Mr Doi, and she brings the more "factual" parts of the Usui story into it. I'm not sure how I feel about this aspect, as I find such beauty and magic in the Western/Takata stories. Now that I'm teaching more of classes myself, I'm ruminating a bit on how to tell the history. To me, the more "factual" (which can be debated, I know) feels like a history lecture or a list of facts, and it doesn't feel magical to me. However, I'm also aware of many people feeling "duped" by the Takata story, and then when they "discover" the other versions of the story, they are unhappy. I don't want my students to leave feeling duped by me. I also don't want to bore them. But, most importantly to me, I really don't want to take the magic and energy out of the story itself.

As the Takata-Usui-Story has been debated for a decade or more, I'm not asking any of you go over it again. I've read a lot on both sides, and I still tend to feel that Takata told what she was taught with a spin for the ears who were hearing it. I think it's likely truth hidden in parable, like many great teachings. But, I don't want to beat a dead horse.

However, I'm asking for help from you because I'm pondering how to tell The Story in a way which retains the energy and yet doesn't dissolve into a history lecture. One which keeps the magic of the Takata story while keeping to the teaching of my own RM who is also partial to the "facts" style.

When I am a RM, I realize I can teach it however I want. Now, as I'm the RMIT, I think I should abide by my RM's style - but I struggle with how to do it in a way that retains the mystery, magic, and energy.

Thank you for reading this far. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who would be interested in discussing this further with me. (For those of you sick of the topic, and I know it's wearying, feel free to skip on by.)  

Thank you in advance!

Lolo_Reiki wrote:I'm currently a Reiki Master-in-Training. In my lineage (takata -> furumoto -> kaiser mardis -> murray -> me) we spend at least a year training with our RM. I've audited several classes and have now moved into teaching part of them. It's been a wonderful learning experience!

During the past few years, I've listened to a lot of Phyllis Furumoto's radio shows, as well as tried to read a lot of books within my lineage, so I'm pretty well steeped in Western Reiki.

My RM has attended a lecture or two with Mr Doi, and she brings the more "factual" parts of the Usui story into it. I'm not sure how I feel about this aspect, as I find such beauty and magic in the Western/Takata stories. Now that I'm teaching more of classes myself, I'm ruminating a bit on how to tell the history. To me, the more "factual" (which can be debated, I know) feels like a history lecture or a list of facts, and it doesn't feel magical to me. However, I'm also aware of many people feeling "duped" by the Takata story, and then when they "discover" the other versions of the story, they are unhappy. I don't want my students to leave feeling duped by me. I also don't want to bore them. But, most importantly to me, I really don't want to take the magic and energy out of the story itself.

As the Takata-Usui-Story has been debated for a decade or more, I'm not asking any of you go over it again. I've read a lot on both sides, and I still tend to feel that Takata told what she was taught with a spin for the ears who were hearing it. I think it's likely truth hidden in parable, like many great teachings. But, I don't want to beat a dead horse.

However, I'm asking for help from you because I'm pondering how to tell The Story in a way which retains the energy and yet doesn't dissolve into a history lecture. One which keeps the magic of the Takata story while keeping to the teaching of my own RM who is also partial to the "facts" style.

When I am a RM, I realize I can teach it however I want. Now, as I'm the RMIT, I think I should abide by my RM's style - but I struggle with how to do it in a way that retains the mystery, magic, and energy.

Thank you for reading this far. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who would be interested in discussing this further with me. (For those of you sick of the topic, and I know it's wearying, feel free to skip on by.)  

Thank you in advance!

Lolo_Reiki
I'm sure you'll find many folks on the RLL
welcoming a discussion on the Reiki History.
~ Bridget

Lolo_Reiki wrote:I'm currently a Reiki Master-in-Training. In my lineage (takata -> furumoto -> kaiser mardis -> murray -> me) we spend at least a year training with our RM. I've audited several classes and have now moved into teaching part of them. It's been a wonderful learning experience!

During the past few years, I've listened to a lot of Phyllis Furumoto's radio shows, as well as tried to read a lot of books within my lineage, so I'm pretty well steeped in Western Reiki.

My RM has attended a lecture or two with Mr Doi, and she brings the more "factual" parts of the Usui story into it. I'm not sure how I feel about this aspect, as I find such beauty and magic in the Western/Takata stories. Now that I'm teaching more of classes myself, I'm ruminating a bit on how to tell the history. To me, the more "factual" (which can be debated, I know) feels like a history lecture or a list of facts, and it doesn't feel magical to me. However, I'm also aware of many people feeling "duped" by the Takata story, and then when they "discover" the other versions of the story, they are unhappy. I don't want my students to leave feeling duped by me. I also don't want to bore them. But, most importantly to me, I really don't want to take the magic and energy out of the story itself.

As the Takata-Usui-Story has been debated for a decade or more, I'm not asking any of you go over it again. I've read a lot on both sides, and I still tend to feel that Takata told what she was taught with a spin for the ears who were hearing it. I think it's likely truth hidden in parable, like many great teachings. But, I don't want to beat a dead horse.

However, I'm asking for help from you because I'm pondering how to tell The Story in a way which retains the energy and yet doesn't dissolve into a history lecture. One which keeps the magic of the Takata story while keeping to the teaching of my own RM who is also partial to the "facts" style.

When I am a RM, I realize I can teach it however I want. Now, as I'm the RMIT, I think I should abide by my RM's style - but I struggle with how to do it in a way that retains the mystery, magic, and energy.

Thank you for reading this far. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who would be interested in discussing this further with me. (For those of you sick of the topic, and I know it's wearying, feel free to skip on by.)  

Thank you in advance!

Hi Lolo

I am one of those members here who is very interested in Reiki History!

However, as far as telling the Reiki story to your students is concerned, I would say follow your heart and tell whichever version you can tell with passion and enthusiasm.

For me, that is the historical version with as many facts and as much documentary evidence I can find but I also mention the story as Takata told it.

For you it may be the other way round but the important thing is that you are able to inspire your students...and the history is not really that important as the actual practice of Reiki!

  

Hiya Lolo,

There's is many versions of what is 'historical', hehe. Pick a style and pick a flavour. Some with slight variations some with more.

warmest wishes

Wayne

Lolo_Reiki wrote:...Now that I'm teaching more of classes myself, I'm ruminating a bit on how to tell the history. To me, the more "factual" (which can be debated, I know) feels like a history lecture or a list of facts, and it doesn't feel magical to me. However, I'm also aware of many people feeling "duped" by the Takata story, and then when they "discover" the other versions of the story, they are unhappy. I don't want my students to leave feeling duped by me. I also don't want to bore them. But, most importantly to me, I really don't want to take the magic and energy out of the story itself.

I feel that the only real way to take the magic and energy out of the story is to simply repeat it... as I mentioned during the interview by Phyllis (Thursday, Oct. 10), I felt quite betrayed by the story for a very long time. After an even longer time, I realized that it wasn't the teller of the story or the story itself that betrayed me, but rather aspects of myself that needed healing.

Takata's story was magical and so powerful because it helped awaken the reiki within those who were ready to hear (and receive) it. Even now, after all those years of feelings of betrayal, I can listen to Takata tell her story of reiki and I feel even more reiki awaken within and emerge through me. It's not the words or historical details of the story that makes that happen, it's Takata's magic of reiki.

Lolo_Reiki wrote:However, I'm asking for help from you because I'm pondering how to tell The Story in a way which retains the energy and yet doesn't dissolve into a history lecture. One which keeps the magic of the Takata story while keeping to the teaching of my own RM who is also partial to the "facts" style.

Perhaps you can add to the story... not embellish it with (additional?) fictions, but expand it by creatively weaving your story into it.

Since you are keeping to contemporary Takata traditions, something powerful inside you connects you to it... find that something, explore your past, make note of the significant events in your life that reiki helped you through, and then explore how those events were related to Takata's story. That little (or not so little) exercise will help keep the story motivational, and it will help keep the story true, and keeping the story true will help the reiki flow to and through all who listen to it.

Lolo_Reiki wrote:When I am a RM, I realize I can teach it however I want. Now, as I'm the RMIT, I think I should abide by my RM's style - but I struggle with how to do it in a way that retains the mystery, magic, and energy.

In my early years I thought that I could teach reiki how I wanted to teach reiki, and boy was I wrong. I'm teaching reiki not the way I want to, but the way I have to. I've changed through the process of teaching reiki, and my life is a thousand times better for it.

i enjoy the magic and mystery too. i like the fairy tale

so i say "this is my favourite story about how reiki came into the world"
there are other versions.... if you like i'll tell you about them afterwards. but this is the one i learned first and connected to. ..."

Agree with all above hehehe


the only thing is when you dig into history and the e.g. Reiki-story has already been done prior to Usui reiki in great detail.... one gets to question what's what....

in question here - is of course Taireido vs Reiki - where the founding of Taireido is identical.... and the power that gave this to mankind is Reiki.... the history and myth gets complicated ....





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