About Amanda Jayne and Reiki | Learn Jikiden Reiki

Amanda is an experienced teacher and talks about the history of Reiki in a way that makes it really interesting, she explains to you how to make reiki become part of your life.

If you want to learn Reiki I can definitely recommend Amanda as the person who takes you into it and shows you the way to work with Jikiden Reiki. I love it! It's absolutely amazing! Nada

About Amanda Jayne

Background

I have been interested in health and the healing arts for a long time, and after finishing University I began to pursue a career in the field of psychology. It was only a couple of years later, after my dad died of cancer and my own health was not so great that I decided to leave my job to go and see the world. I wanted to explore the healing that could be found in the wonder of seeing and experiencing amazing, beautiful places and learning about other cultures firsthand.

I loved travelling! As I travelled in different countries, I looked out for a Reiki teacher. I'd heard of it back in England and felt interested, but didn't know a great deal about it. I met many lovely people and some strange people, but didn't feel a pull to learn with any of them, so eventually I stopped looking.

When I returned to England, I decided to study psychology further and was in the process of filling out large numbers of applications when I noticed a feeling nagging at me. When I stopped to feel into it, I realised that though it made sense to move towards a stable career in England, it wasn't what my heart wanted. That wanted to continue exploring new places, people and cultures. For no apparent reason, Japan popped into my head. I'd had a few friends who'd been there and loved it, and it felt like a good place to start. I made enquiries and within a month, had a job as an English teacher waiting for me as I boarded the plane from London to Osaka.

I fell in love with Japan, the place and the people immediately, and found I loved teaching too. I was so happy the first year, I forgot all about Reiki and the fact that it came from Japan.

Heading for Japan...

Nearly a year after arriving, I remembered how much I had wanted to learn Reiki and signed up to do a course with a Japanese man living in Kyoto. It still didn't feel right. Half-way through the course I stopped - this wasn't what I was looking for.

My first few years in Japan

Hanami with Chiyoko sensei

Finding Jikiden Reiki

Soon after, I was talking to a good friend and fellow teacher, Ikuko Hirota, who was worried about me doing such strange things as looking for Reiki (Reiki was not well known in Japan at this time. You can learn more about this in the history part of the training or in the books I've recommended). She decided to look herself and found Chiyoko and Tadao Yamaguchi's website. After careful investigation on her part, she announced that she felt it was safe and took me to their apartment in Kyoto.

On meeting Chiyoko sensei I knew that was it, with every fibre of my being. I had found the teacher I was looking for! She was down-to-earth, ordinary and yet emanated such warmth and love. I wanted to learn Reiki with her immediately.

Learning Jikiden Reiki

I took my first seminar and because I lived so close, was able to attend the seminars many times. I trained, did treatments and practiced to become Shihan Kaku the following year. At first I began to give Reiju (attunements) alongside the teachers and other assistant teachers, then started to help with the seminars held in English, teaching a couple of sections so they didn’t have to be translated. In all, I learned and taught with Chiyoko Yamaguchi and after her death, with Tadao Yamaguchi in Japan for nearly 4 years.

I finally left Japan in July 2006 after 5 years in Kyoto. Since then I have been travelling and teaching. In September 2016 I returned to Japan to become Dai-Shihan (Senior Teacher) which enables me to teach teachers.

Reiki books

Whilst living in Japan, I helped Ikuko Hirota with the translation of Jikiden Reiki texts, a great way to learn more. I also wrote a small section of Tadao Yamaguchi's book, Light on the Origins of Reiki and assisted with translation for Tadao Yamaguchi's part of The Hayashi Reiki Manual.

In 2016 I edited Masaki Nishina's book, Reiki and Japan and have recently published a book entitled, Women in Reiki - lifetimes of healing in 1930s Japan and today with Daishihan, Silke Kleemann.

After Japan

I eventually came back to psychology, though it was Spiritual Psychology I came to and attended the University of Santa Monica, CA to gain a Masters after I left Japan. I also became a Heart Circle facilitator, In 2020 I co-founded the Jikiden Reiki UK Association (JRUKA) with three other Jikiden Reiki teachers in the UK and am currently vice-chair of the association. These days I write books in addition to teaching the Jikiden Reiki I love so much. You can learn more about these at www.AmandaCJayne.com