Reiki has been around for thousands of years. It is commonly referred to as palm healing or hands-on healing. Its current form was first developed during 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist called Mikao Usui, who reportedly taught 2,000 people the Reiki method, during his lifetime. The practice spread to the U.S. through Hawaii in the 1940s, and then to Europe in the 1980s. But after his death, one of his students — a lady named Mrs. Hawayo Takata — took over as president of the school.
Before she passed away, she trained 22 people from different countries and the legacy of Reiki further continued.