Reiki History: Real Reiki from Japan to the Western World

Reiki History by Shoshana Shay ’82. Drawing on primary, contemporaneous sources, some never before published, this book explores the history of Reiki from 19th-century Hawaii to its practice today. Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American born in 1900 in Hawaii, learned Reiki in Japan and brought it to the Western world. Shay traces Takata's life, the growing popularity of Reiki, and the work of her successor, Dr. Barbara Ray, whose work made Real Reiki available throughout the Western world. (Radiance Associates, 2019)

At Bryn Mawr College, Shoshana studied both music and history (not music history). For 18 years she made her living as a classical singer, including opera. She is also a consultant in computer interfaces and stress management. She currently expresses her creativity in a variety of ways, including book design, e-book coding, information systems creation, and music-making of many kinds.