This book is the first to focus on the women who practised in the early days of Reiki. Some are well known while others are yet to be discovered. Follow the stories of Chiyoko Yamaguchi, Hawayo Takata, Chie Hayashi, Kimiko Koyama and other women who used Reiki in their everyday lives and passed it down through the generations. What were their life circumstances? What challenges did they have to overcome? And what can we learn from them today? Reading this book will not only give you fresh insight into the roots of Reiki and what life in Japan was like when the first women were practising, it will enhance your understanding of what Reiki is through a deeper connection with the culture it comes from. In addition to learning about the traditional way of practising Reiki you will gain useful recommendations for living with Reiki today from the experiences of female teachers in Japan, Canada, Germany and the UK.