Reiki Is Not a Trend—It’s Sacred Medicine Rooted in Japanese Ancestral Wisdom

By: Laura Bonetzky


In today’s spiritual marketplace, Reiki is everywhere — offered in yoga studios, online trainings, and weekend certification courses. But what most people don’t realize is that Reiki is not simply a healing technique. It is a sacred, spiritual practice rooted in Indigenous Japanese wisdom—interwoven with the esoteric spiritual philosophies of Shintoism and Buddhism.

This isn’t just theory for me. It’s something I’ve lived and continue to walk—through healing trauma, chronic illness, and rediscovering spiritual integrity. This is about remembering what was lost, not to shame anyone, but to honor the depth of what was originally given.


My Journey: From Western Reiki to Returning Home

When I began my Reiki journey nearly two decades ago, I entered through the only doors available to many of us in the West—Western Reiki as it had been adapted and taught at the time. I was blessed with teachers who were kind, committed, and genuinely devoted to healing. They shared what they had been taught, with compassion and grace.

They are not to blame.

The version of Reiki many of us first encountered in the U.S. was already incomplete by the time it reached our shores, altered by war, trauma, translation, and time. And for me, that Western Reiki path was still a blessing. It helped me survive what felt un-survivable. It laid a foundation.

But as I healed deeper layers—surviving domestic abuse, losing my children, and reclaiming my spiritual identity—I began to feel a call toward something more. The system I had learned felt helpful, but fragmented. I started asking deeper questions:

  • What is Reiki really?
  • Who were the original teachers?
  • What cultural soil did this practice grow from?
These questions led me to Jikiden Reiki—which means “directly taught” in Japanese. Through this lineage, I began to feel a deeper resonance. I wasn’t just learning techniques—I was connecting with a tradition, a spiritual path, and a culture that carried thousands of years of wisdom.

It changed everything.


This Is Not Gatekeeping—It’s Cultural Integrity

Let me speak plainly: This is not a dismissal of Western Reiki or the people who teach it. Many of us would never have found Reiki at all if not for those early teachers and the partial transmission that made its way out of postwar Japan.

But as we evolve in consciousness and access, we are called to take deeper responsibility. We must ask:

  • Are we honoring the cultures these practices came from?
  • Are we carrying the medicine, or repackaging it for convenience?
  • Are we willing to unlearn, to listen, and to walk with humility?

This is not gatekeeping. This is stewardship.

It’s about preserving something sacred, not hoarding it.

It’s about respecting the people, the language, and the history, not excluding those who want to learn.


Where the founder of Reiki has his enlightenment experience at Mt Kurama, Kyoto Japan.

What Reiki Is—and What It’s Not

In its original Japanese form, Reiki is NOT:

  • Chakra balancing
  • Aura cleansing
  • Pendulum dowsing
  • Psychic readings
  • A quick title earned in a weekend

Those things may be meaningful in other systems, but they are not Reiki.  When we mix and match practices from different cultures and label it all “Reiki,” we distort its medicine and erase its origins.

Reiki as it was originally taught in Japan is:

  • A spiritual path of daily practice and self-refinement
  • A method of healing illness by restoring life force energy (ki) by addressing root issues and removing toxins from the body
  • Taught in-person through direct student-teacher transmission
  • Rooted in the Gokai (Five Reiki Principles – direct translation matters)
  • Deeply informed by Japanese language, worldview, and esoteric spirituality

Jikiden Reiki Practitioners gather at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA 2024

Why This Matters—Especially in the West

In a culture obsessed with speed, success, and status, we’ve turned sacred traditions into products. Reiki has become:

  • A spiritual commodity
  • A branding opportunity
  • A fast track to self-declared mastery

But healing isn’t instant.

Spiritual growth isn’t a race.

And sacred traditions are not ours to bend into personal gain.

The harm caused by spiritual appropriation and commodification is real. And in a time of collective trauma, disconnection, and reckoning, we are being asked to return—not to purity or perfection—but to truth, integrity, and right relationship.


The Invitation: A Return to the Source

If you’ve felt disconnected from the Reiki you’ve learned… if you’re craving something deeper, more rooted, more reverent… this is your invitation.

Come experience what Reiki feels like when it’s taught as it originally was—as a spiritual path, not a product.

Whether you’re new or experienced, all are welcome—especially those willing to approach this practice with openness and humility.


Upcoming Jikiden Reiki Trainings (In-Person Only)

Held at Healing With Spirit in Hingham, MA

  • Shoden (Level 1) | July 18–20, 2025
  • Okuden (Level 2) | July 27–28, 2025

Limited space available to maintain intimate, sacred space.

Also available:

The Secrets to Healing: An Invitation to Healing Trauma and Other Root Causes of Chronic Illness Using the Japanese Reiki Gokai

By Laura Bonetzky-Joseph

Available on Amazon + at Healing With Spirit, Hingham MA

Register or learn more, click here

Events www.LauraHealingWithSpirit.com

Explore more: https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people who want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, treat psychological problems, and give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.


For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Prerequisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday, 6:30pm – 9 pm
Saturday, 11:30 pm-5 pm

TO REGISTER: 

It is highly encouraged to contact the teacher to ensure this training is appropriate for you, your needs, and your commitment.

For more information, please contact Laura at https://laurahealingwithspirit.com/contact/

To register using a credit card, click here. Note: Eventbrite charges a fee to use this service

To Register using a check, JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM-1 Shoden 2024 (1)

TSM Season 3 Episode 38: Bridging Cultures, Yoga, Violence Prevention & Healing Of Generations

Welcome to Episode 38, Season 3 of “Triggers and Spiritual Medicine” with your host, Laura Bonetzky Joseph, and our Everlutionary guest, Hawah Kasat.

In this episode, Laura and Hawah engaged in a rich discussion on personal experiences, cultural identities, spiritual practices, and what it takes to be truly “Everlutionary”. They emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces and addressing global challenges with love, empathy, and cooperation.

Hawah shared stories of his upbringing in New Jersey and summers in India, which shaped his views on racism, xenophobia, and the need for healing. He discussed navigating cultural identities, founding the nonprofit One Common Unity, and becoming a UN delegate. Hawah highlighted the importance of expanding perspectives, finding joy in service, and the mental attitude necessary for spiritual growth.

Both Laura and Hawah discussed the challenges of translating spiritual practices like Reiki and yoga across cultures and spoke about the need for fostering belonging and redefining success.

We conclude with Hawah sharing 3 tips that emphasize the importance of creating safe spaces, fostering understanding, and addressing global challenges through love, empathy, and cooperation.

As always, please share, like, and support if you found this episode helpful.

 

About Hawah:

An award-winning author, educator, non-profit leader, TEDx speaker, poet, and yogi. For over 20 years, Hawah has been teaching violence prevention, social-emotional literacy, conflict transformation, the healing arts, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and yoga to all types of students, from diverse demographics, around the globe.

Since childhood, Hawah has been exposed to the living traditions, culture, philosophy, and practices of his ancestral homeland of India, and offers a rare perspective on Eastern and Western dichotomies.

Hawah is co-founder and former Executive Director of One Common Unity (OCU), an award-winning non-profit organization that has impacted the lives of over 40,000 youth and families.

In 2018, OCU was awarded the National SHIFT Award for its pioneering work in integrating the healing arts with environmental stewardship. In 2019, Hawah was honored to receive Georgetown University’s “Legacy Of A Dream” Award at the Kennedy Center. The University presents the award annually to an inspirational emerging leader whose work embodies the values and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In the years prior, Hawah worked as an Americorps community organizer and mentor in Washington, D.C.’s most under-resourced neighborhood.

After graduating from American University, he was awarded a fellowship with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation to work as a special representative to the United Nations and the World Conference Against Racism.

Hawah has made appearances on XM National Satellite Radio, BBC, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, and Al Jazeera.  He has also been a guest speaker at Yale University, George Washington University, U.C.L.A., University of Colorado, Rollins College, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Brown University, and many others.

Most recently, he helped launch Roots to Sky Sanctuary, a 125-acre BIPOC led regenerative farm and healing arts center situated in northern Appalachia where he serves as a Managing Partner. Over the years he has authored 4 books and produced 3 documentary films, including the widely acclaimed, “Fly By Light.”

Hawah Links

  • www.HawahKasat.com
  • Everlutionary Podcast on Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3yxTpXD
  • https://linktr.ee/everlutionary
  • IG & FB – @hawahkasat

TSM Episode 33: A Reiki Journey with Mari Okazaki

Welcome to Episode 33 of Triggers And Spiritual Medicine with Laura Bonetzky-Joseph, your host and special guest, Mari Okazaki talking about her Reiki journey.

In this episode, Mari shares her story of how she discovered Reiki in her life. As a Japanese woman living in Canada with a very sick infant, she talks about how Reiki changed her life and how she continues to share her journey and teachings now that she lives in Japan.

So, join us as Mari shares not only her wisdom but also three practical tips for bringing Reiki into your life. Let’s embark together on this journey of transformative healing energy!


About Mari

Mari is a full-time Reiki practitioner who has been offering Reiki sessions in her home studio on a daily basis since 2006. She also regularly teaches Jikiden Reiki® Shoden (Level 1) and Okuden (Level 2) Certification classes, as well as Shihankaku (assistant teacher) classes upon request.

Originally from Nagasaki, Japan, Mari now resides in both Chilliwack, BC, Canada, and Nagasaki, Goto, Japan.

She is one of the office staff at the Jikiden Reiki Institute and has been working as an organizer and translator for the Jikiden Reiki® Vancouver seminar since 2008, traveling to Halifax with Mr. Tadao Yamaguchi, the Co-founder of the Jikiden Reiki Institute. She continues to use Reiki to help her family, friends, and herself.

Since 2023, Mari has been living in Japan and helping to spread the teaching of Reiki in its birthplace.


To learn more about this podcast, Triggers and Spiritual Medicine, click here.

Triggers & Spiritual Medicine Episode #10: Trauma Informed Reiki Practices

Welcome to Episode 10 of Triggers and Spiritual Medicine podcast with host, Laura Bonetzky-Joseph and Trauma Informed Reiki Teacher, Michaela Daystar

TOPIC: Trauma Informed Reiki

Struggling with what is reiki?

Wanting to know how to find a trauma informed reiki teacher?

Want to know how to become a trauma informed reiki practitioner or teacher?

You are not going to want to miss this episode. In the end, we will share 3 things you can do to become a more trauma informed.

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Scroll below you will also find additional resources & information.

Listen to this episode here

or watch it on YouTube here:


ABOUT Michaela Daystar:

Michaela Daystar founded HeartScapes after 11 years of helping university students increase their capacity for social justice. At the intersection of self-reflection, spiritual practice, and social action, she teaches the system of Reiki as a pathway to understanding, healing, and expressing our true self, and adapts trauma-informed principles for Reiki practitioners. Michaela continues her studies of Reiki with the International House of Reiki and holds a master’s degree in Social Justice Leadership. www.heartscapesinsight.com


Additional Resource Links:


ABOUT TRIGGERS & SPIRITUAL MEDICINE:

Vision: To break the unrecognized endemic of unresolved unhealed trauma & create sustainable systems for recovery, healing & empowerment.

Mission: To help others rediscover the power that lies within and to find that treasure buried in the depths of the shadows. To help them become their own superhero.

We hope by addressing the intersectionality and connect the dots like a web of many of society’s challenges, we can help others understand the trauma infection that impacts all areas of life – addiction, domestic violence, racism, homelessness, sexual abuse, chronic health issues, cancer, environmental issues, climate change and more.

In this NEW collaborative program, we hope by highlighting these infected areas and what they share in common, a new perspective of solutions, healing, and resolutions can be birthed. Click here for more information:

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Pre requisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday,  7pm – 9pm
Saturday,  10:00am-5pm
Non-Refundable deposit required to hold your spot: $200
 

TO REGISTER: 

It is highly encouraged to contact the teacher to ensure this training is appropriate for you, your needs and commitment.

Please mail in the Registration Form complete with payment. JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM-1

To register using a credit card, click here.

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Pre requisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday,  6:30pm – 9pm
Saturday,  10:00am-5pm
Non-Refundable deposit required to hold your spot: $200
 

TO REGISTER: 

Please mail in the Registration Form complete with payment. JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Pre requisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday,  7pm – 9pm
Saturday,  10:00am-5pm
Non-Refundable deposit required to hold your spot: $200
 

TO REGISTER: 

Please mail in the Registration Form complete with payment. JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM

To register using a credit card, click here.

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Pre requisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday,  7pm – 9pm
Saturday,  10:00am-5pm
Non-Refundable deposit required to hold your spot: $200
 

TO REGISTER: 

Please mail in the Registration Form complete with payment. JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM

To register using a credit card, click here.

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar in Okuden (Level II)

Jikiden Reiki® Okuden (level 2 )training is recommended for people that want to learn more about Reiki and deepen their practice, be able to treat psychological problems, give treatments over any distance.

Curriculum:

  • Receive 2 more Reiju
  • How to use Reiki specifically for psychological issues
  • How to use Reiki for bad habits and/or addictions.
  • Distance Reiki Variations of distance Reiki method for easier self treatment including for psychological issues.
  • Practice sessions and practical demonstrations

You will be able to treat a greater variety of problems with more convenience to yourself and those you give Reiki to.

For more about Jikiden Reiki®Training and classes, click here.

*Pre requisite – Satisfactorily completed Jikiden Reiki® in Shoden

Class Times:

Friday,  6:30pm – 9pm
Saturday,  10:00am-5pm
Non-Refundable deposit required to hold your spot: $200
 

TO REGISTER: 

Please mail in the Registration Form complete with payment. JIKIDEN-SEMINAR-REGISTRATION-FORM