MY REIKI LINEAGE

MY REIKI LINEAGE: The Butterfly Reiki System, is a traditional art in intent and content, but at the same time due to my background is a hybrid art...in this lineage I spell out the main influences/ teachers in written form, beginning with my reiki teachers first in order of learning (not importance), though I have been a student on the path my entire life and began learning taiji, qigong, and meditation formally over 35 years ago now:

- Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho: this is the lineage of my first reiki teachers, Cynthia Cinq Mars and John Dudkowski; John was Cynthia's student apprenticing under her and co-teaching as part of his Reiki Teacher training, he was the one that gave me my first reiki attunement which was utterly mind- blowing, I had fasted and meditated for 3 days to prepare and had been a serious student/ teacher of related arts for years- I will tell the story of this attunement at another time...Cynthia had learned from the famous reiki teachers Libby Barnett and Maggie Chambers, students of John Harvey Gray, the famous disciple of Rev. Takata and first reiki teacher in New England, USA...my second and third reiki teachers, Susane and Pat, were also originally old school Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho students, Pat going back to 1982 on the West Coast; though from them I learned different lineages...this was in 1996.

The late John Harvey Gray, disciple of Rev. Takata and hugely influential, especially here in New England.

After my first reiki class with my teachers Cynthia and John; Cynthia was the head teacher and John was n training as her apprentice teacher. They are in direct lineage of Mr. Gray via Cynthia’s teachers Libbe Barnett and Maggie Chambers. This class was beyond amazing and worthy of it’s own blog/book- stay tuned, and many thanks to you both and to Reiki Herself for changing my life.

- Usui/ Tibetan Reiki- I learned this style from my second reiki teacher Susane Grasso, daughter of the famous Gov. Ella T. Grasso, first female Gov. in the USA...Susane is a true powerful clairvoyant, very extremely gifted...in fact the reiki system she taught combined elements of Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho, Usui/ Tibetan Reiki, Karuna Reiki, and Angelic Reiki, we were taught elements of all of those...she was the one who trained me to be a reiki teacher.

-Karuna Reiki- I learned this style from Susane and self study with reiki friends.

My second reiki teacher, the inimitable Susane Grasso, daughter of the late, great CT Gov. Ella T. Grasso, first female Gov. in USA history. Both amazing ladies.

-Reiki Jin Kei Do/ Buddho EnerSense- I learned the first level of these awesome traditional and rare reiki methods from Reiki Shihan Pat Warren- an amazing lady with both feet on the ground, check her out online, and these great reiki arts.

My third reiki teacher, Pat Warren. She is another reiki pioneer, amongst her many achievements she was the first female teacher to teach reiki in Eastern European nations that achieved freedom after the fall of the Soviet Union, traveling and teaching many, many people there under quite challenging conditions.

-Essential Reiki- one of my tai chi students- the High Priestess of 2 Wiccan Covens (good witches) was a teacher of this style, we exchanged reiki knowledge, she sharing with me and I with her.

-Japanese Reiki Methods- given my background learning taiji, meditation, qigong, nei gong and the like from world renowned teachers for 35 years, when I became aware of this material I began self study, later in my studies with famous Grandmaster Dr. Maung Gyi I also learned many similar methods from his true Burmese and other lineages.

Amaterasu- O- Kami, Shinto Goddess.

-Burmese Reiki/ Min Zin- I learned this material directly from the grandmaster Dr. Maung Gyi, who is by far the most advanced and unusual teacher of reiki and spiritual healing arts I have ever met...essentially he is the human version of Yoda, complete with hand carved wooden pipe and cane (elder Dr. Gyi, even then a deadly martial artist)...Dr. Gyi inherited hundreds of lineages from his famous father and others from ancient Burmese lineages, speaks 10+ languages, is an acclaimed professor, former Chief Security Consultant in North America for H.H. Dalai Lama (and his student) among so many other accomplishments and experiences...he visited my school and area many times very generously sharing rare reiki methods from his lineages: reiki- ko, chiryo- ho, symbols, concepts/ theory, so much more...the only way I can repay him is to share with as many as possible.

-QiGong/NeiGong: Shaolin and Dao methods, numerous true lineage grandmasters (I myself am a lineage Sifu).

-Buddhist Empowerments and Teachings: via my Buddhist teacher Gen Kelsang Sherab, as well as Gen Kelsang Sangkyong and Gen Kelsang Khedrub (Medicine Buddha, Vajrasattva, Green Tara, Manjushri and Maitreya); and other compassionate teachings/ methods of the Buddha which relate to Usui Reiki Ryoho, such as the practices of “Taking and Giving” and “Metta Meditation.”

-Indian/ Hindu/ Sikh/ Interfaith Spiritual Leaders: Shri Anandi Ma, Sant Rajinder Singh ji Maharaj, Mirabai Devi, Namadeva Thomas Ashley- Farrand, Self Realization Fellowship/ Paramahansa Yogananda: each of these teachers and paths has influenced my understanding and teaching, giving it greater depth and enhancing my understanding...and yes I received initiation, shaktipat, darshan, empowerments and training directly from them and their designated teachers.

- The Journey Continues: there are several reiki teachers and others I very much look forward to meeting and training with, as all a "master" is, is a serious student. As wise old Bassho put it long ago in Japan, "seek not to follow in the footsteps of the ancient master's; rather, seek what they sought!"

- Profound high gassho to Usui Reiki Ryoho Founder, O-Sensei Mikao Usui..

L to R: Usui Reiki Ryoho Founder O-Sensei Mikao Usui; his successor Shihan Chujiro Hayashi; and his successor Rev. Hawayo Takata, who introduced the art to the world beginning in her native homeland, the Aloha State, Hawaii- MAHALO.

Having a laugh with Dr. Maung Gyi, from one of his seminars in Bando Healing Arts at Greater Hartford Bando in Glastonbury, CT, circa 2006.