Welcome to Roots of Life
About Roots of Life: the story behind my practice and how I came to this work.
My name is Bruce, and my life is devoted to the path of Reiki and holistic healing. I am a teacher and practitioner of traditional Japanese Usui Reiki Ryōhō, carrying forward a lineage that I continue to study at its source in Japan, where I practice each year with monks on Mt. Hiei, Mt. Kurama, and in the temples of Kyoto.
For many years, I worked as a secondary school teacher in Chicago and Hong Kong, but the long hours and stress eventually eroded my health. My blood pressure climbed, my body fell out of balance, and a cancer diagnosis became the wake-up call I could not ignore. That moment returned me to the practices I had carried quietly for much of my life: Reiki, meditation, and silence. Through them, I was able to slowly rebuild and redirect my trajectory.
About Roots of Life — why I teach
Today, my work is to share these practices with others. Whether guiding students toward becoming professional Reiki practitioners, leading retreats in Japan, or creating spaces for deep stillness and healing, I walk with my students as they discover not only the beauty of Reiki but also the larger path of wholeness and wellness.
This is my joy and my calling: to help others return to balance, presence, and the roots of life itself.
My Credentials & Focus
- Reiki Teacher & Practitioner – specializing in Usui Reiki Ryōhō, with additional training in Tibetan, Kundalini, Tummo, and other lineages.
- Ongoing study in Japan – return yearly to Kyoto, Mt. Kurama, and Mt. Hiei for practice and teaching, leading retreats and Reiki pilgrimages.
- Plant Medicine Guide & Teacher – focusing on ceremonial work with cannabis, mushrooms, and rapéh.
- Resident Reiki Practitioner – The Vitality Center, Hong Kong, one of the city’s oldest Chinese Medicine and wellness clinics).
- Global Reiki Teacher — offering training and mentorship worldwide, both online and in person.
- Holistic Wellness Coach & Mentor – guiding individuals in health, balance, and transformation.
- Sound Healing Practitioner & Teacher – working with vibration as a pathway to balance and presence.
- Retreat Leader – hosting international retreats on holistic wellness, Reiki, and conscious relationships.
- Yoga, Breathwork & Meditation Teacher – integrating movement, stillness, and breath into healing and daily practice.
My Reiki Lineage
I have been studying and practicing Reiki since 2006, completing training and courses in the USA, Hong Kong, India, and most recently in Kyoto, Japan. As my lineage chart shows, my commitment is to the preservation and practice of traditional Japanese Usui Reiki Ryōhō. Each year, I return to Japan for study and practice with my teachers, deepening my connection to Reiki at its source.
One of the guiding precepts of Reiki is:
Just for today, do your work honestly.
For me, this means remaining a lifelong student of the practice as well as a lifelong teacher and practitioner. My path is to walk both roles together, always refining my understanding while guiding others on their journey.
I strive to connect my students directly with the roots of Usui Reiki Ryōhō. This intention flows through my online courses, global retreats, and the Reiki pilgrimages I lead to Kyoto, the birthplace of the practice.
It is my joy and my honor to walk beside you on this path and to help you meet Reiki at its source.
In Gassho.
Inamoto Sensei & Bruce — Osugi Gongen, Mt. Kurama (birthplace of Reiki).
Doi Sensei & Bruce — Osaka, Japan.
Many Practices Converging at the Same Point
Like most of us, my journey back to myself has not been through a single practice. Meditation is very dear to me, and it has carried me since my earliest years. Perhaps it is the main trunk from which my other practices branch, or perhaps everything simply moves together. In either case, there is no denying the impact meditation has had on my life, both in the difficult moments and in the calm.
Meditation is not about silencing the mind. It is about the present moment, this very moment here and now. A deep realization of this has the power to reshape lives and redirect the course of one’s path.
It is my sincere honor to share this practice with others and to teach how to sit — whether through Zazen, breath awareness, or simply “meditation.” The method does not matter. What matters is the commitment to enter fully.
If meditation is the trunk of the tree, and Reiki the energy that gives the tree life, then my journey with sacred plants is the realization of the tree in its wholeness.
To say that working with plants can be profound is an understatement. It is not exaggeration to say that a single properly guided ceremony has the power to change a life forever.
When we gather in ceremony with the plants, we are asked to remain humble and to listen. The wisdom they offer is beyond the scope of the mind or ego, reaching directly into our complete self. Here lies the potential for a deep awakening — self-awareness freed from the fragility of ego and the weight of suffering.
I am honored to walk alongside these plant allies and to offer ceremonial work through both my guided plant sessions and Sacred Roots Pilgrimages.
If you’d like a better feel for me and what I teach – there are over 200 videos on Reiki and Wellness on Youtube:
Ready to begin? Let’s connect.
Share where you are on your path, and I’ll be in touch within 1–2 days.
Thanks for reading about Roots of Life. If you’d like to connect, I’m always happy to answer questions.
