ABOUT REIKI WITH JOTARO
Welcome to the internet home of me, Jotaro Kashihara and my cleverly titled website, Reiki with Jotaro. Located in Rochester, Minnesota I provide reiki treatment sessions, Reiki practice opportunities and training seminars in Jikiden Reiki, the only known source for the original, unchanged style of Reiki as it was practiced by the founder - Mikao Usui, his prominent student Chujiro Hayashi and passed down to us through Chiyoko Yamaguchi.
Reiki with Jotaro is one of only a few locations in Minnesota to learn Jikiden Reiki. Aa a Shihan (full teacher) in Jikiden Reiki, I am authorized to conduct training seminars for the shoden (level one) and okuden (level two) of Jikiden Reiki. My seminars follow the curriculum that was established by the Jikiden Reiki Kenkyukai (Institute) and uphold the extremely high standards that the Institute is known for. Studying with me provides you with the exact same experience and information as if you would study at the Institute in Japan.
My own Jikiden Reiki training has been with both Frank Arjava Petter (Vice-Representative of the Institute) and Tadao Yamaguchi (Representative of the Institute). I regularly re-sit Jikiden Reiki seminars in an effort to ensure that I maintain a good relationship with the Institute, keep clarity on the teachings of Jikiden Reiki and stay up-to-date on the latest historical research coming from the Institute and other sources. I take great efforts to preserve the trust of my teachers and to honor the legacy of Chiyoko Yamaguchi by continuing to pass down the teachings of Jikiden Reiki as they were passed on to me.
I AM A PROUD STUDENT AND MEMBER
WHAT IS MEANT WHEN I SAY 'AUTHENTIC JAPANESE REIKI'
You might be curious about this. You may even be thinking something like - "Doesn't ALL Reiki come from Japan?" The simple answer is of course 'YES'. A deeper, more detailed explanation would be to point out that what is commonly referred to as simply 'Reiki' today does ORIGINATE from Japan. However it should be understood that since Reiki left Japan in the mid 1930s, the manner in how it is practiced has changed a great deal. Especially since the 1980s. Techniques, concepts and approaches were brought into the practice and the original ideas and attitudes - as practiced by the Founder, Mikao Usui and his early students - were discarded and lost. Some concepts that were poorly understood, or even mis-understood were completely dropped from practice or replaced with concepts from other traditions. The influence from different spiritual systems and other healing modalities also brought significant changes to how Reiki was practiced in the West and created even further misunderstandings and a sense of cultural disconnect. Today there are literally thousands of Reiki styles available. Originally there was just one. Many of these newer systems have some commonality with how Reiki was originally practiced but have also moved in other directions.
At Reiki with Jotaro, we practice JIKIDEN REIKI which is a style of practice that was founded to preserve the original teachings of 心身改善臼井靈氣療法 - Shinshin Kaizen Usui Reiki Ryoho (Usui Reiki Method For Improvement Of The Body & Mind) which is the original name used for Reiki by the Founder - Mikao Usui. Jikiden Reiki is 100% the original teachings, passed down completely unchanged and free from any non-Japanese influences. Unlike many other styles of practice, Jikiden Reiki did not leave Japan until the first foreign seminar was taught in 2003. This means that Jikiden Reiki has maintained a unique cultural connection to Japan that is considered an essential element to how we practice Reiki. This cultural connection offers a consistent clarity not found in most other styles of Reiki practice.
It is for that reason, that we say we teach and practice 'authentic Japanese Reiki'. This is not an issue of elitism. We do not say this to speak poorly of the other styles of Reiki that are being practiced. We are not in a competition with other teachers or practitioners. It is just a fact and is stated as such to inform others of how we practice and exactly what sets our practice apart from other systems of Reiki practice.
JOTARO KASHIHARA
JIKIDEN REIKI SHIHAN (TEACHER & PRACTITIONER)
My Reiki journey began in 1994 as a skeptic. I had severe carpal tunnel syndrome that I suffered with for many years. I wanted to avoid the surgery so I reluctantly tried Reiki after almost two years of strong suggestion form a few friends. The results I experienced impressed me and made me curious, so I decided to learn more about Reiki. I took my first Reiki seminar in November of 1996.
My original training was with a Western style of practice that was said to be traditional. What that style taught frequently did not match with my understanding of Japanese culture and history, which led me to investigate Reiki practice and origins. During the course of my investigations I would read the many books that were released during this time. This pointed me to learn from several teachers from many different lineages. By 2002, I was teaching Reiki. As I learned more information I would modify my courses, all while wishing I could find a teacher of Reiki as it was actually practiced by the Founder and his early students.
All of this eventually led me to Jikiden Reiki. In the learning of Jikiden Reiki, I found a purity to the teachings that properly reflect Japanese culture and ideals. I also found an Reiki origin story that actually makes sense and can be verified with substantial real evidence. Since learning Jikiden Reiki, I have stopped practicing the other styles of Reiki that I learned in the past. I do not regret my previous trainings, I just wish the path could have been more direct and maybe a bit shorter...
For me, the practice of Reiki is very much a lifestyle which promotes personal development and wellness through practice. Jikiden Reiki specifically has given me an authenticity while providing a 'woo-free' and practical approach to my practice. Reiki as a whole has brought much to my life. I regularly practice on myself, my family and those who allow me to share Reiki with them professionally either through reiki treatments or by teaching. When not 'doing Reiki', I practice traditional Japanese martial arts, and spend as much time as possible with my amazing wife and our incredible daughter.
MY REIKI TRAINING LINEAGE
The state of Minnesota likes me to inform people regarding the training that I have taken in Reiki. As I mentioned above I have trained with several teachers over the many years that I have been practicing Reiki. Before starting to learn Jikiden Reiki, I studied/practiced what is commonly called Western Reiki. That being said, today I only teach and practice Jikiden Reiki. I do so because it is where I feel at home and where I can find the verifiable authenticity that I searched years for. My Jikiden Reiki Lineage is as follows:
USUI Mikao | HAYASHI Chujiro | YAMAGUCHI Chiyoko | YAMAGUCHI Tadao | KASHIHARA Jotaro