by Margaret Gamez

Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was only one kind of Reiki. Tradition tells us, in the West, that Dr. Mikao Usui rediscovered Reiki, then subsequently passed along the knowledge to Chujiro Hayashi, who later passed it along to Hawayo Takata. That is one tradition. Usui surely taught others, as did Hayashi, but most of us only know of the tradition passed along by Takata.

Increased communication and widespread dissemination of Reiki have brought new blood and, with it, new ideas into Reiki, whether we like it or not. While traditionalists, such as the Reiki Masters (RMs) of the Reiki Alliance, prefer to adhere more or less strictly to the formulas passed along to us by Mrs. Takata, increasing numbers of Reiki practitioners are being trained by "non-traditional", or independent Reiki masters who have, in many cases, been responsible for lowering training fees, bringing new concepts and practices into Reiki training, and, often, shortening training time. (See The Right Length of Reiki Training)

With increasing numbers of Reiki practitioners in the world, the outlook, or focus on how to practice, and, consequently, what to teach, has become increasingly differentiated. Many RMs bring to Reiki practices, or techniques, which they have learned in other modalities and find valuable or useful. They may choose to teach these techniques to their trainees, either as an integral part of Reiki, or as adjunct practices, and may or may not clearly differentiate these added techniques from those handed down to us as traditional. Some of us present the traditional techniques as such, and then present additional techniques which may be of interest to the trainee, explaining, as I do, that these additional techniques are nottraditional, but may be of use to the trainee.

As Reiki has grown, particularly over the past ten years, the number of teaching RMs has increased, and, whether in the spirit of individualism, or that of capitalism, increasing numbers of RMs have sought ways to differentiate their programs from those of others, where, originally, the only considerations for choosing a RM were availability and personality.

Beginning with Phyllis Lei Furumoto and Barbara Ray Weber, there has been differentiation. As I was taught, Furumoto initially declined her grandmother`s offer of the role of leadership of the Reiki Alliance, and it was offered next to Weber. When Furumoto subsequently reconsidered and wished to take on the title of GrandMaster, Weber was understandably upset, and left the organization to create her own organization, and the first differentiation between Reikis was born.

Furumoto has created no minor disturbance among RMs through her efforts to trademark the name, Reiki. Meanwhile, certain RMs have quietly added additional words to the name, Reiki, and trademarked these "compound" names, along with the versions of Reiki which they teach under these trademarked names. The value in trademarks lies in the assumption that one will be able to expect and receive a particular, standardized version of a service or product regardless of the provider or outlet from which the product or service is obtained. Thus, for example, RM David Jarrell has trademarked his version of Reiki, as described in his books, as "Reiki PlusTM", in order to maintain a standardized, formalized modality which can only be taught by those trained and certified by him, or by his graduates, to do so. Similarly, one of the most vocal opponents of Furumoto`s drive to trademark Reiki, Willliam Lee Rand, apparently views his own efforts in a vastly different light, having trademarked his cobbled together version of the "advanced Reiki" which he calls (and has trademarked as) "Karuna ReikiTM". Another value inherent in trademarking is the ability to set, enforce, and maintain, one`s own pricing schedules, as there is no competition; those of one`s graduates wishing to teach the trademarked version must adhere to any regulations set out regarding pricing, and those who wish to learn the particular trademarked version must pay the going rate. Price wars and/or are effectively eliminated as the standardization, quality control, and value of the trademarked version are promoted.

Beyond standard traditional Reiki, other forms, or "schools" of Reiki have arisen over the past few years. One of the first was Seichim, or SKHM, which was initially brought forth by Patrick Ziegler. Over the years after its introduction, Seichim acquired a number of symbols and practices not originally in Ziegler`s version. Ziegler does not necessarily condemn the "growth" of the initially quite simple modality, while at the same time he continues to teach the original version. Variants are now being taught as Seichim, Seichem, SKHM, and Sekhem.

Kathleen Milner also brought forth a "new" version of Reiki, which went through a number of name changes, including Seichim, and Sai Baba Reiki, before Milner settled on the current trademarked name, "Tera MaiTM Reiki". It is interesting to note that Milner learned Seichim from one of Ziegler`s early students before she brought forth her version of Seichim. (It is equally interesting that Rand has incorporated four symbols from Milner`s trademarked school of Reiki, which, at the time was called "Sai Baba Reiki", into his subsequently trademarked Karuna ReikiTM.)

The owners of trademarked Reiki versions jealously guard the names of their "schools", necessitating name changes when graduates of the trademarked versions elect to follow their own guidance regarding materials, teaching methods, and or pricing. I was, for example, taught "Karuna Ki" by someone who had studied "Karuna ReikiTM" under Rand, but later chose to disassociate himself from Rand and his policies. (Yes, you may use the name, Karuna Ki, when referring to non-Rand-certified versions of the particular "school",and no, you may not trademark it.)

The different"schools" of Reiki, or Reiki-like modalities, come from many different directions, under many different guises, with their origins described in a multitude of ways. Many originators describe their versions as channeled, i.e., the information is purported to have been imparted to them by another higher source of knowledge and information. Others inform us that they have been guided, either by spiritual guides, or higher sources, to cobble together elements of different traditional healing modalities from one or more cultures, to create their "schools". And there are those who simply discover something that works for them and decide to teach it alongside traditional Reiki techniques, under a new name.

As time goes on, more and more"Reikis" arrive. If we understand Reiki to mean Universal Life Energy, or Universal Life Force, another name for the Sanskrit prana, or the Polynesian mana, known by many words in many languages, then all these new systems must be using the same energy, simply repackaged and presented in some different way. Often we hear that the energy of a particular version feels different, more gentle, softer, or whatever. Some explain the differences as similar to those of radio waves which are accessed on different frequencies.. Such explanations occasion descriptions involving higher or lower frequencies, which can stimulate concern, based on the connotations attached, in English, to the words higher and lower as to which ones are more desirable, better, more effective, etc. Ultimately, the student-as-consumer must choose, based on her or his own understanding, desires, motives, and inner guidance, the programs to undertake, and the methods learn.

In my own experience, I have trained in a number of different healing modalities and Reiki schools. When I first chose to take Karuna Ki training, I was asked by a former classmate from my RM training why I needed to take Karuna Ki if Reiki was the be-all and end-all, as is taught. Having come to Reiki after learning pranic healing, crystal healing and herbology, which are also taught by some as the be-all and end-all, I was able to tell her that I simply wanted to learn more. I would liken such a desire to the undertaking of graduate-level university studies – not everyone feels the need to continue their studies into master`s or doctoral programs, but some do.

There have been many versions of Reiki which I have chosen not to study. I can only say that they somehow did not appeal to me. I might say that "my guides" did not think them necessary for me. Then there have been other "Reikis" which I have actively pursued until I could finally learn them all; I first learned of Jinlap Maitri and located the originator over a year before he finally decided to teach it. There have been all sorts of others in between, including some that I initially rejected, which have come to me later in a way that I could not refuse (When I originally heard of Magnified Healing, I was intrigued, yet when I spoke to a teacher I was put off and abandoned the idea; then, recently, I was invited to a Reiki circle in which the Magnified Healing was given to all attendees.) And, while I have trained in a number of different Reiki versions or schools, I have not chosen to teach every one of them, I have chosen (or, perhaps, "been guided") to combine some of them, and I have incorporated elements of some into yet others. Perhaps, at some time in the future, I may find myself teaching all that I know as one lengthy course (as one of my teachers attempted to do early in his career). Then again, in all likelihood, I may continue to offer individual trainings of each of the gschoolsh in which I have, myself, been certified individually. Will I trademark what I teach? I doubt it. In the end, it is all FAITHR (Fundamental Alternative Intuitive Therapeutic Healer) healing.

copyright, Margaret Gamez,1999