Guest: Justin B. Stein, PhD | Author and Scholar

Have you ever wondered what hidden gems still lie waiting in Reiki’s past? This week on the Reiki Lifestyle podcast, we’re diving into discoveries that bring fresh light, and new excitement, to our understanding of Reiki’s origins.

We’re thrilled to explore Reiki and the Benevolent Art of Healing by Tomita Kaiji, a historic text recently edited by Dr. Justin Stein. This remarkable work offers rare insights into how early Tomita Kaiji saw healing as an art woven with kindness and compassion. His story shares his life experience with healing others with Reiki energy. 

Even more intriguing, we’ll talk about an incredible find by researcher Min Wang: the Usui Sensei CV and Resume uncovered in Taiwan. This document reveals new details about Mikao Usui’s life and career that many of us have never seen before. It’s a glimpse into the personal story of Reiki’s founder that could reshape how we understand our practice today.

Our guest, Dr. Justin Stein, brings unmatched expertise and enthusiasm to this conversation. Justin earned his PhD from the University of Toronto in the Study of Religion and is a leading scholar of Japanese spiritual and religious traditions. He serves as Chair of the Asian Studies Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. His book, Alternate Currents: Reiki’s Circulation in the Twentieth-Century North Pacific, now published by University of Hawaii Press, explores how Reiki evolved through transnational exchanges between Japan and the United States from the 1920s to the 1970s. His work has appeared in respected journals such as Japanese Religions and Asian Medicine, and he co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Religion, Medicine, and Health.

Justin’s depth of knowledge, paired with his genuine love for Reiki history, made this episode such a joy to record—and we can’t wait for you to hear it. Whether you’re an experienced Reiki practitioner or simply curious about where this beautiful practice began, you’ll come away inspired and fascinated by these new chapters in Reiki’s unfolding story.

Join us for this eye-opening conversation and discover the hidden treasures of Reiki’s past. Listen now!

Connect with Justin:

https://www.facebook.com/JBSReikiResearch/

https://justinstein.academia.edu/

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