Released on = January 30, 2006, 7:32 pm

Press Release Author = Don Beckett / ReijuTree Publications

Industry =

Press Release Summary = A 5th Edition of \"An Exploration of Usui Reiki and Beyond\"
(ReijuTree Publications) is now available. The book marks a notable departure from
the prevailing worldwide perception of Reiki, and is based on teachings of Reiki
Masters in Japan who learned directly from Dr. Mikao Usui. The New edition can be
downloaded free of charge at http://new-reiki-books.johreiki.net/ .

Press Release Body = Hilo, HI
February 1, 2006 --

A 5th Edition of \"An Exploration of Usui Reiki and Beyond\" (ReijuTree Publications)
is now available. The book marks a notable departure from the prevailing worldwide
perception of Reiki, and is based on teachings of Reiki Masters in Japan who learned
directly from Dr. Mikao Usui. The New edition can be downloaded free of charge
(donations appreciated!) at http://new-reiki-books.johreiki.net/ .

All updates, in the new edition, can be accessed directly from the \"Notes\" page of
the book.

\"An Exploration of Usui Reiki and Beyond\" is the work of Don Beckett (who has been
practicing Reiki since 1991 and initiating others into Reiki since 1999). Much of
the book\'s material comes from Reiki Masters in Japan -- who learned from Mikao Usui
himself, in the early 1900s -- via Chris Marsh, Andrew Bowling, and Taggart King, 3
English Reiki Masters.

The Japanese material presents a very different picture of Reiki than what has
previously been taught throughout the world (via Chujiro Hayashi and Hawayo Takata
and the students in their lineage). For Hayashi (who was a medical doctor), Reiki
became a quasi-medical treatment, primarily for healing diseases. His student Hawayo
Takata passed this view of Reiki along to her students, as well as embellishing the
history of Reiki with certain elements which have since been revealed as untrue.
But, to Mikao Usui, the founder -- as shown in this book -- his \"method to achieve
personal perfection\" (which later came to be called Reiki) was primarily concerned
with one\'s own spiritual awakening, not the direct healing of others.

The other major difference, as detailed in the book, between the Hayashi/Takata
version of Reiki and Usui\'s original practice, is the difference between modern
Reiki \"attunements\" (usually given only once at each level of training) and Usui
Reiju empowerments (given regularly and often, e.g. weekly, during the entire span
of a student\'s spiritual practice).

Beckett said it was only through a series of fortunate events that he was in a
position to write this book; events including his attendance at the first Usui Reiki
Ryoho International workshop, in Vancouver B.C. (1999), which included training by
Hiroshi Doi, a member of the Usui Reiki Society in Tokyo. This was followed by a
workshop given by Frank Arjava Petter and Chetna Kobayashi. Then, in 2001, he was
contacted, \"out of the blue,\" by English Reiki Master Taggart King, who offered to
share his own newly acquired Reiki knowledge, received via Chris Marsh and the group
of Japanese Masters who had learned from Usui himself.

Another element, crucial to his understanding of Reiki history -- and particularly
the origins and meanings of the Reiki symbols -- was the knowledge gained through
correspondence with Reiki Master Dave King (no relation to Taggart), who had learned
many things from a different group of Usui\'s students. The information from Dave
King became the final strand in the tapestry, completing Beckett\'s composite view of
Usui Reiki.

The ebook can be downloaded at http://new-reiki-books.johreiki.net/ (donations are
very much appreciated!).



Web Site = http://new-reiki-books.johreiki.net/

Contact Details = Don Beckett
12 Machida Ln
Hilo HI 96720
808-935-0501