Dive Into Reiki with Rika Saruhashi

Rika Saruhashi is a Reiki master from the Gendai Reiki lineage. Of Japanese origin, she has lived for the last 30 years in Madrid, Spain. Besides teaching and offering sessions, Rika has been translating Hiroshi Doi's speeches and writings since 1999 and just published a beautiful Spanish translation of the 125 Emperor Meiji's poems selected by Mikao Usui, under her imprint Neko Editorial.

DIVE INTO REIKI: Rika, I am very grateful to have you on the podcast!
RIKA SARUHASHI: Thank you for the invitation; I am very excited.

DIR: As I do with every interview, I wanted to start with your first experience with Reiki practice.
RS: How did I discover Reiki? It's a very maybe typical story for Japanese citizens. We didn't know about the existence of Usui Reiki Ryoho. So, I discovered Reiki in Spain through my Spanish friends. Before that, I saw the words Reiki in some magazines, and I was like, "It sounds like a Japanese word, but it sounds a little bit strange. What can I understand from this? Is this some kind of Japanese sect?" And maybe that is the typical impression of a Japanese citizen who first hears the word Reiki for the first time. [Laughs]

Rika Saruhashi

I was very sick from kidney dysfunction. I wasn't leading a normal life anymore. My Spanish friends—two brothers—recommended me to do Reiki. Reiki always sounded very, very strange to me. The word Reiki. But something motivated me to take a plane and go to a city called Vigo, in the North of Spain, in Galicia. I took a Reiki course there. I just loved it!

The things that I heard about Reiki's history, about the life of Mikao Usui, all sounded a little bit strange for a Japanese person, but we just loved it. I had been treated by many alternative [and] complementary methods, and I was learning to heal myself. But never got to know something like Reiki, and it changed my life in two days.

I also started to feel a lot better. I could lead an almost normal life. I didn't understand what happened, but I knew something very important had happened. That was my beginning.

DIR: It is interesting to see how you started—through the physical side—given that your writings are more on the spiritual side. A lot of us go to Reiki because of stress release. What was the first lineage you were trained in?
RS: It's called Usui Tibetan Reiki. I didn't even know what lineage it was. It's a school of Reiki that is widely spread in Spain. It's an American system. At that time, it didn't matter what it was, because I felt such benefit myself, I didn't even question it. I just loved Reiki.

DIR: That's such a beautiful point of view. Sometimes we get hung up on lineages, styles, and names instead of the quality of the practice and its benefits. So, as a Japanese person, it felt strange to hear Mikao Usui's story in your Western training. How did you end up training with the Gendai lineage?
RS: I was very happy with Usui Tibetan Reiki. Some things were not very correct from the point of view of Japanese people. It didn't matter to me because there is something about this that it doesn't matter in what lineage you belong to, what kind of Reiki you practice; Reiki always touches you, and Reiki always works. I was very happy for three years.

But then my master gave me a book by Frank Arjava Petter. It was in English, but I can understand English perfectly. I was very surprised to discover that Reiki existed in Japan and exists today too.

So my master and friend who recommended me to do Reiki [and I] started to prepare for a trip to Japan in 1999. It was the reason I got to know Gendai Reiki. I was very happy with what I had, but as we found out there was Reiki in Japan and that maybe we could find out some interesting things. So, we prepared ourselves and went there in a few months.

DIR: When I heard about the history of Reiki at my Western training, I didn't even suspect that was something odd with it. It made complete sense with my cultural background. In your case, your roots made you wonder and want to explore.
RS: Yes, yes. Because there is something beyond human forces, it's cosmic energy, what we call in Japanese, Reiki.

Also, I got to Japan, and the first thing I participated in without knowing it would happen was a Reiki Congress of Reiki Oneness.

DIR: That is serendipity!
RS: So I always believe in Reiki as one, no matter what method you learn. Reiki does something very important to a person. But of course, when I went in 1999, I was the only Japanese person, and also I was accustomed to translation because that was my profession for many years. So I translated all the courses in this congress. Then I realized because my Spanish friends, of course, don't know Japanese. So [I felt] this must be my mission. I can understand this perfectly in Japanese. And I also have Japanese sensitivity because I am from Japan. If thought, I have to do something about it. And I am the kind of person who doesn't think at all when I start something; I just start.

So, the next year, the year 2000, I had a lot of economic difficulties because I left my job as a translator because I loved Reiki so much that I wanted to dedicate myself to Reiki. But even then, I had to go to Japan for a very important historical event called [URRI-Usui Reiki Ryoho International]. It doesn't exist anymore. URI was to connect people from many types of schools of Reiki via the Internet. It existed for years. URRI organized its first meeting in Kyoto in 2000. I had to go because I also wanted to learn more from [Hiroshi] Doi sensei [who led the Gendai school]. My teacher from the other school was there too. I jumped into all of this without thinking; it was my destiny. I found my place in this world.

DIR: Can you explain Gendai Reiki to people unfamiliar with this lineage?
RS: It is Usui Reiki Ryoho, Gendai style. Hiroshi Doi has a very big life and very profound knowledge of what is Usui Reiki Ryoho of Mikao Usui. And [Gendai is also] called an updated version of Usui Reiki Ryoho. It's adapted to the contemporary world and daily practice and is a very profound version too.

It is also a fusion of Western Reiki—because Hiroshi Doi started like me with Western Reiki. Like many Japanese masters, they started with Western Reiki taught by Western Reiki masters in Japan. So, Hiroshi Doi knew Western Reiki and got to know the Usui Reiki Gakkai, the association Mikao Usui created in 1922. This year is one hundred years. So Doi sensei belongs to Usui Reiki Gakkai and knows traditional Reiki. But he saw merits in both types of Reiki. He also updated some techniques that started from Mikao Usui.

DIR: And you are a Japanese who lived in the US and now Spain. So, in a way, Gendai's blend of Western and Eastern is a reflection of who you are. It's a perfect fit!
RS: Yes, it's like destiny. When I wanted in 1999, I started with four Japanese masters because two of them teach together as a pair, but Gendai Reiki Ho is what attracted me the most. That's why although I had economic difficulties, I had to go back to Japan in 2000.

DIR: One of the things you mentioned in our previous chat was the emphasis on meditations like Hatsurei Ho and the concept of gentle healing. Leaning toward a daily practice that gently brings true transformation and healing.
RS: It's a bit crazy this story. Because I am from Japan, and my parents are from Japan. I lived abroad for my father's job; he used to work for Japan airlines. And I was also, as a young person, very much against anything from Japanese culture. But now, after living abroad for a long time, I love my culture and my tradition.

To tell you the truth, it can be surprising for practitioners that Japan was very much contaminated by Western culture in the post-war. We also received a lot of influence from Western culture during the Meiji era. In Japan, Reiki is something quick. You take a four hours seminar or course sometimes, and a maximum of seven hours for each level. And then nothing.

Not many people want to deepen their practice or [be consistent] in their practice. That is where my origin said, "That is not right. I want this, and I want to grow as a person. I feel very comfortable doing Reiki, and each time I grow, I feel very comfortable with myself. And I am feeling better every year. We can get this only through practice."

But I am not a serious person, and I am crazy too. So I got to a constant practice in a very gradual way. Or sometimes, my practice is to just put my hands on my body, and that's it, and I fall asleep, and that's all.

Several times a week, [I meet] what I call my Reiki family. Sometimes we work very deep, sometimes [we just enjoy each other's company.] But there is a lot of consistency. For many of us, it is joy, a hobby, a part of our life.

I am not a person with a rigid mind, but since 1999 I have always asked questions to Doi sensei. Deepening my knowledge about Reiki and sometimes writing about it. For now, I just have translated books, and I am not ready to write a book yet. But sometimes, I write for my blog and website.

DIR: When I studied Reiki many years ago, there was not a lot of good material. There were mostly some manuals published as a book. And now there are so many! You translated this beautiful book of Hiroshi Doi called Traditional Reiki that collects some of his speeches. There is this need for material because we don't need our "head" to practice, but we need our understanding to guide our practice. It's not intellectual knowledge, and it's an understanding that opens the door to a more profound practice.
You mentioned the meditation Hatsurei Ho. Can you explain what Hatsiurei Ho is and its role in your practice?
RS: Hatsurei Ho is something Mikao Usui started when he founded Usui Reiki Ryoho. It is a series of energy cleansing work and also spiritual elevation work.

For the spiritual elevation, the first thing they use is Emperor Meiji's poem. Tanka is a short form of waka, a Japanese poem with 31 syllables, and Mikao Usui selected 125 of them. He used to make his students recite these poems.

So the first step of Hatsurei Ho is to recite one of these poems. Then we do energy cleansing through Kenyoku Ho or dry bathing. Then we have the Purifying Breath (Joshin Kokyu Ho). Through visualization, we use the white light of Reiki and a type of breathing to cleanse your inner energy. Because there must be good resonance [between] internal Reiki and external Reiki, the Reiki of the universe. Then we have Seishin Toitsu.

When we practice in groups, a Shihan guides these sessions. Each [participant] receives from the Shihan what we call a Reiju, an external purification from the master. Because Hatsurei Ho is more to cleanse ourselves.

Then another form of elevating our spiritual energy is to recite the Gokai, the five principles of Reiki.

It is very interesting. Because Usui Reiki Ryoho is really self-purification and self-development work, we always have to extend the light to the universe. So that step of Hatsurei Ho is what we call prayer. [Places hands in Gassho]. We ask for the happiness of the rest of the world or the universe, and that is Hatsurei Ho.

I think it's a great idea from Usui sensei for Reiki practitioners. It's something very pleasant to do, something that's easy to do, but very effective. You don't have to go to Mount Kurama to fast or do something very hard; you just have to do something [with presence] and then get very good effects.

DIR: I love what you just said. Sometimes we think spiritual development involves great sacrifices or feats, like climbing a high mountain. But, in reality, we just have to be present. We don't need to get training after training; we just need to practice consistently with presence. This makes it so accessible. And even though Hatsurei Ho is a series of techniques, it is not very complex. Every human can do it, and even a kid can do it.
I didn't know any wakas, so I used to recite the precepts at the beginning of Hatsurei Ho instead of a waka. But now I have your book, and I go through a waka weekly. They are beautifully translated into Spanish, and I can't wait for you to do it in English. You actually worked in partnership with a poet. I love you are also bringing these beautiful illustrations. Is there anything you want to explain about wakas?
RS: Of course, reading them but also reciting them would be very interesting because then you can use fully the power of what we call Kotodama, a Japanese term that is… to work with the power of words. The only thing you need to do is to emit the sound, and the vibration of the sounds is what is going to work. Also, these words come from a person with a pure heart… with a great wish to grow. That's Emperor Meiji. So these words also have a lot of strength. Very powerful.

DIR: And for those unaware of Japan's history, Emperor Meiji was the one who modernized Japan in 1965. He was supposed to have a deeply spiritual side. Did he write ten thousand poems?
RS: No, I think it was 100 thousand!

DIR: And these were all meant to share a teaching. I am so glad you are rescuing this practice. Beyond recitation, I like to use them for reflection.
RS: What I am also doing in Spanish is writing about Gyosei. [A waka is] called Gyosei when written by a Japanese emperor. I am also organizing workshops where people can read, recite, and share their interpretations of the poems. I also give them historical context and the classical interpretation by scholars of the Taisho era—the era after Meiji.

This is a very important part of the Usui Reiki Ryoho practice. When you comprehend them, you comprehend a lot of other things.

DIR: When I hear of wakas, Hatsurei Ho, and recitation—it feels like an invitation to train further. We often end a certification feeling like they include all we need to know. But we must keep a beginner's mind, no matter how long we have been practicing.
Because we may have a long-standing practice, but sometimes, being exposed to something different can spark an insight. Or at least lets us know that there are other ways to practice. We all have different practices, but the core is the same.
So, I ask every person I interview is an oops or what you could call a teachable lesson. What would be one for you?
RS: I definitely have one that is very big. I am still working on it. When I started Reiki, it was such an experience, very pure, from the heart. I got to know wonderful people, one after another, like a chain. I ended up being surrounded by a beautiful Reiki family. But I left my profession in which I used to earn money and from which I never had a problem receiving money. But when I got to know all these beautiful, wonderful people, I started having difficulty charging money on many occasions. That is very typical, I think, with spiritual practitioners. We fall into this kind of misunderstanding. Of course, I charge for my courses and things like that, but we have been doing many activities together… Even though many of them know, they tell me in a very nice way and with a sense of humor, "Rika, you are an idiot; why don't you charge us?" [Laughs]

DIR: When your students and people tell you, please charge us; you know something is going on!
RS: Yes! Sometimes I was so into helping others I forgot about myself. And that is a big trap when you are in this kind of work. I am working on this kind of blockage I have, and I have done so for many years. Do you call them blocks?

DIR: Emotional blockages, limiting beliefs, needs not met… But also, as women, we were raised to care for others, to serve and give. I believe younger generations are a bit more balanced, but I still feel we need to ensure everyone is happy and do so for free.
RS: I was so happy. It is the kind of trap that you fall into because you feel happy helping others, but you need to eat. You need to pay your rent. Of course, I learned a lot. For me, it's been one of the most positive lessons I am going through. When you have a challenge that is very difficult for you to overcome, it really makes you work on that. For me, it's like an adventure. I learned to also enjoy this kind of adventure. Sometimes they seem negative, but now I thank these things that happen to me as my life lessons, and after passing through these kinds of challenges, I always grow. And I am so happy. I think what makes me happy as a person is my personal growth.

Many people don't like or fear big challenges or difficulties in life. It may sound a bit weird, but I love them now. I love them because they make me grow a lot. And I also work a lot: I cleanse, I cleanse, I cleanse; to understand some things. Maybe I started cleansing a part of myself, but other aspects are also being purified without knowing. It's very fascinating.

DIR: I love what you are saying about purifying. Sometimes in Reiki practice, we struggle to become versus letting go of what we are not. So I think that is an interesting mental shift: we don't need to achieve; we just need to cleanse and see that it is already in us.
It is also more real about Reiki practice. When I started, I believed I would place my hands on people and things, and everything would go just peachy. But the reality is that you will still face challenges, and practice allows you to remain more centered and grow from them.

What is the one thing that helped you regarding the challenge of charging money?

RS: Reiki is a wonderful and effective tool; we can heal many things with Reiki. But we also have to be open-minded and not to listen to other people. Maybe people who are a coach or who are just wise and are sharing their point of view about this. What helped me most was to open my mind and not try to solve everything with Reiki. I tried that for many years. [And then] I had enough with Reiki. That is a big oops too! But I realized I wasn't solving too much.

When I started to open my eyes… and also the COVID crisis made us a little bit dependent on the Internet, but it helped me a lot because I started to see teachers in Japan and their spirituality, and I had never been looking to Japanese people, and I have always thought about the United States and that the best masters came from the United States. So it opened my eyes, and I think that is very important.

Reiki is not just laying on your hands or doing purification and things like that. It is life itself. How we live our lives, and how we grow and develop as a person. Also, in a certain way, we are preparing to go from this work in a peaceful way. Reiki is everything. We are living a human experience, and thanks to Reiki, we are living with a different perspective of this human experience. So everything converges to Reiki for many of us.

DIR: Thank you so much, Rika, for this beautiful interview.
RS: Thank you!

Drawing inspired by Reika’s Reiki journey.