Reiki was originally developed as a modern revision of some of the ancient Japanese healing secrets by Dr Makao Usui. Dr. Usui was a Christian and teacher who through study of ancient Buddhist and Hindu practices, meditation and research, developed the system of natural healing by the laying on of hands.

As Dr Usui's pioneering work caught the attention of lay people, he collected a cadre of followers, one of whom, Chujiro Hayashi was trained to take his place. True to the ancient traditions of Reiki master and students, Hayashi opened a Reiki training school in Tokyo where the next Reiki Master, this time Mrs. Hawayo Takata, was selected and trained. She emigrated to the U.S. and for 25 years until 1970 was the only Usui method Reiki Grand Master in the world. During the decade ending 1980 she trained a total of 21 Reiki Masters and her granddaughter Phyllis Lea Furumoto is the current Reiki Grand Master

Although there are other forms of Reiki today with other training methods accepted, the traditional Usui Reiki requires a direct lineage of student to Master all the way back to Hayashi.

Training for Usui Reiki is usually divided into three levels. Level I training requires one weekend to learn and is taught by a Reiki Master. The Reiki Master will help the students to become comfortable by discussing motivations for taking the class, chatting with classmates and drinking herbal tea. The definition of Reiki "universal life force" and an understanding of how it works are presented, followed by presentation of Attunements 1 and 2. Attunements are a ceremony of spirit. It follows a prescribed sequence of movements, chants, symbols and hand positions by the Reiki Master over the students. Attunements 3 and 4 in the training sequence follow the lunch break. During the morning, students are taught the 12 hand positions for a self-treatment, and in the afternoon, they proceed to use the same hand-movements to give others a treatment. The completion of this Level makes you a Reiki Level I.

Level II is completed in much the same manner; however, in order to take Level II, you must be invited to do so by the Master. There is a strong recommendation that you not continue with Level II until at least three weeks have elapsed since taking Level I, during which time you have practiced what you have learned and that you are sure you're ready to move on. Level II is taught in two 3 hour sessions, with at least a two hour break between sessions so that you have time to memorize the Reiki symbols which you will be taught during the first session. Two attunements are given, one during each session. You will be asked to draw and name each of the symbols and to correctly use them. Completion of this class means you are a Reiki II.

Level III Reiki is sometimes called Reiki Master. It may require a 8 hour class weekly for several weeks. It's important that those who aspire to reach the Reiki Master level are able to both give and teach others to give the attunements that are the key to successful practice of Reiki techniques. While other healing methods use hand positions to stimulate the life energy, only Reiki does it in coordination with self-attunement.