Story of a Reiki Master

There was once a young woman, Kate, whose father had just died suddenly.  She was suffering from shock and grief; it was the first loss of a close loved one.  A friend offered her a Reiki treatment and this changed the course of her life.  She found that Reiki lifted the sadness and distress.  It gave her peace of mind in a way she had not experienced since childhood.  She returned many times to receive this wonderful healing and re-discovered joy and love in her life.

Then one day a thought came to her: “I would like to be able to give this sort of experience to other people”.  She was surprised by this thought, as she was theatre director and had no plans to become a complementary therapist!

She was introduced to Reiki master Martha Sylvester and soon learned 1^st degree Reiki.  With joy at feeling Reiki in her own hands, she began giving Reiki healing to others within a few weeks.  When she received a phone call inviting her to join a 2^nd degree class a few months later she enthusiastically agreed and took the class.

Soon after she was invited to offer Reiki treatments at a complementary health clinic in Kings Heath, Birmingham.  She gladly agreed and experienced first hand many of the teachings she had learned about Reiki in the classes.  She also observed that many people would benefit from Reiki every day in their lives, rather than just weekly or monthly sessions.  But she didn't consider herself suitable to become a Reiki master.

Reiki had helped to bring her a new partner, her future husband Alec.  They had a home together in Cotteridge, Birmingham where they invited Martha to offer Reiki classes.  During one of these classes Martha invited them both to become Reiki masters.  Kate accepted immediately, seeing that this would enable her to teach those she gave healing to who needed to be able to treat themselves – or a member of their family.  Alec took a bit more persuasion, but after a night when he says “Reiki wouldn’t let me go to sleep until I’d changed my mind” he accepted.  Thus, they began their preparation to become Reiki masters together.

Their preparation took a few years, during which time they attended every class and workshop offered by their Reiki master.  “Reiki is preparing you” she told them.  Eventually she felt they were ready for
initiation and a 1^st degree class was arranged during which this would take place.  On 1^st November 1991 Alec and Kate were initiated as Reiki masters in their own home in Cotteridge.

The very next day they received a phone call from someone saying that she a group of friends wanted to learn Reiki.  So Alec and Kate taught their first 1^st degree Reiki class the following month.  They continued to teach together for several years at a time when there were few Reiki masters and many people wanting to learn.  It was an exciting time, involving travelling to new places and meeting many lovely people.

Kate became involved with The Reiki Association, which also began in 1991, and through this met Phyllis Furumoto, lineage bearer of Usui Shiki Ryoho.  When Kate heard Phyllis describe the Nine Elements and Four Aspects of Usui Shiki Ryoho she recognised them and realised the value of what she had been taught by Martha.

Kate and Phyllis got to know each other well over the years, with Kate working for Phyllis and also studying with her, which deepened her understanding of Usui Shiki Ryoho.  This deepening of her understanding and experience added to Kate’s joy of sharing Reiki through teaching and treatments.  Kate also experienced personally the healing power of Reiki.

Following a talk by Phyllis, Alec realised that his main focus was being a taiji teacher so he decided to stop teaching Reiki.  Kate began teaching alone and continued to teach regularly every year and has been honoured to initiate over a thousand people, in many parts of the UK, into 1^st and 2^nd degree Reiki, as well as leading various workshops and retreats to help them deepen their Reiki learning.

Kate’s involvement with The Reiki Association fostered her interest in Reiki treatment practice.  Knowing from her own experience of the value of receiving healing through Reiki, Kate hoped that people would have a good first experience when going for a Reiki session.  This led to her being involved over many years with The Reiki Association and other organisations in an exploration of what it means to be a professional Reiki practitioner.  She began teaching courses to enable practitioners to become confident and competent practitioners.  Kate continued to give Reiki healing as well as teaching, gaining valuable experience in what being a Reiki practitioner offers.

In 2017 Kate joined a pilgrimage to Japan with Phyllis, which helped her understanding of the cultural origins of Reiki, which was both confirming and deepening of her experience.

In 2021 Kate reached both her 60^th birthday and 30^th birthday as a Reiki master.  Having now been a Reiki master for half of her life she is preparing for the next era, one that also begins with a parent’s death – that of her mother.  What will come next?  Perhaps it is time for her to begin initiating masters of her own.

Thank You Wanja Twan

Last month Wanja Twan, who initated my Reiki master Martha Sylvester, died peacefully, surrounded by family and pets, after a long life dedicated to the teaching and practice of Reiki.  Wanja was born   This is how I heard the story of how she came to learn Reiki:

Kate and Wanja at Reiki Alliance Conference 2006

in Sweden in 1934 and emigrated to Canada in her 20s, settling in British Columbia.

Wanja heard about the 1^st degree reiki class, at a difficult time in her life.  Her second husband had unexpectedly left her (he said he was “too happy”!), leaving her with 6 children to raise and a farm to run on her own.  Searching for something to help her, she opened a book called “We Are All Healers” at random.  There she read about a woman named Hawayo Takata, who said she could teach people how to become healers.  Shortly after this Wanja heard that Takata was coming to the local area to teach 1^st degree Reiki.  

She wanted to attend the class, but there were various issues restraining her from making the decision to go.  Being able to afford the fee of 150 US dollars was one. However, when she went to the drawer where she kept the deposits for the weaving workshops she ran in her barn, she discovered that someone had sent her $150 in US dollars – exactly what she needed for the Reiki class.

She was still concerned about leaving the younger children, but one of the older children volunteered to care for them and encouraged her to go.  So at the last minute Wanja made up her mind and went.  As she entered the house where the class was being held, a small Japanese-looking lady dressed in a bright Hawaiian dress was coming down the stairs opposite the door.  She looked at Wanja and said “Aha, I knew you would come!”.  This lady was Hawayo Takata, who initiated Wanja into Reiki in 1978 and as a master in 1979. 

Wanja’s practice was often informal and completely integrated with daily life.  Reiki treatments might happen on the kitchen table, with the children and animals all around.  Reiki was also used for improving bread that was being baked and many other daily uses (including dispersing clouds on a dull day!).  Wanja had a deep connection with the unseen world and Nature.  She had an understanding of the spirituality implicit in Reiki.

Kate, Wanja and Martha in Leamington Spa!

I was fortunate to meet Wanja on a few occasions when the was in the UK and at a Reiki Alliance conference in the USA (she was a founder member of the Reiki Alliance).  We first met in London when I was a very young master full of questions.  I would ask her a question and she would respond: “Well I don’t know, but…” and then give a profound answer.  

One of her teachings was that Takata encouraged her students to be grateful for the healing gift of Reiki.  Wanja developed a ritual for the end of treatments to honour this.  She would encourage us to place our hands on our heart and repeat 3 times “Thank you for this healing”.  It is not part of the official Usui Shiki Ryoho form, but it is a something I maintain to this day in my own practice.

I am grateful to Wanja, without whom I might not have Reiki in my life!  Thank you Thank you Thank you Wanja, my Reiki ‘grandmother!

Thank You Martha

On 1st November 1991 Alec and I were initiated as Reiki masters by Martha Sylvester.  I'd like to tell  you Martha's Reiki story.

Martha came across Reiki while she was at a Siddha yoga ashram in India.  She was considering

Martha Sylvester

going home because the climate did not agree with her.  Then she found a leaflet about Reiki in the Ashram clinic.  One sentence jumped out at her: "The Healer will be healed by using this energy".  This appealed to Martha because she had found she became drained when giving massage.  So she began looking for the person who had put the leaflet there. 

The next day a friend of hers, who was also interested in learning Reiki, came up to her and said: "You'll never guess what: there's a Reiki master in my dormitory!".  This Reiki master turned out to be Wanja Twan, a master initiated by Hawayo Takata.  So Martha went up to her and asked to learn Reiki.

Unfortunately Wanja was coming to the end of her stay, so she told Martha that there was not enough time for her to teach her Reiki.  Looking at Martha she could tell that she was unwell, so asked her to wait in her room and she would come and give her some treatment.  She said she might not be able to come, but that Martha should wait for her anyway.

So at the time they had agreed Martha waited.  Wanja didn't come, but at the appointed time Martha felt a wave of energy go through her.  She slept very well that night and the next day felt much better.  When she saw Wanja that morning  Martha asked if she had sent her Reiki, which Wanja confirmed she had.

Martha was even more keen to learn, so it was agreed that if Martha had enough people for a class when Wanja was next travelling via London to visit her relatives in Sweden, she would stop over for a few days and teach 1st degree Reiki.  In fact Martha felt so much better she ended up staying even longer in India than she had first planned!  When she eventually returned to London she persuaded as many friends as possible to join the 1st degree class and later that year was initiated into 1st degree Reiki.

She subsequently took 2nd degree and then became a master in 1985.  She began teaching Reiki alongside her Monday to Friday job, but soon found she needed to give up her conventional work to devote her time to teaching Reiki.  She travelled a lot to teach in those years, including to Birmingham which is where I met her in 1989.  That same year she was told by Wanja to begin making her own masters, which may explain why Alec and I were invited to begin our master preparation in 1990. 

Martha is a founder member of The Reiki Association, established in 1991 and continued to be an active member of the community for many years.  However I think she felt that I could carry this on on her behalf and has always been very supportive of my community activities.

She still gives the occasional treatment and teaches a few people, but these days is happy exploring other creative pursuits such as painting and singing.

Martha has always been an inspiration to me with her grounded spirituality and I am deeply grateful to her for enabling me to be a Reiki master.  Thank you Martha: I am honoured to be your student!