Meditate, Meditate, Meditate with Reiki

I learned how to meditate when I was 8 years old. I know that meditation is my biggest tool in directing my life and connecting to my inner essence – my soul.  

In my years of teaching Reiki, I realized that some Reiki practitioners do not really understand the Reiki System of Meditation. Others thought that Reiki is all about hands-on-healing. Other practitioners have already taken advanced course on Reiki and yet have not practiced meditation on a regular basis.

I must admit that I also had my share of not emphasizing too much on the Reiki Meditations in my past classes. As my way of correcting my ways, I now hold my special classes and sessions on Reiki Meditations. (I forgive myself, please forgive me!)

Meditation is the basic foundation of any spiritual practice. Why? It is because the goal of any spiritual practice is to find our Inner Essence or our True Self. We can only find Inner Essence through the discipline of our mind in the silence of meditation.

This write-up shall be a series of lessons on Reiki Meditations. We shall begin first with listing the Reiki System of Meditation.

Reiki Meditations

Nowadays, Reiki has been integrated in many forms of meditation. I usually call them modern Reiki Meditations to differentiate them from the Traditional Reiki Meditation System as taught by Mikao Usui.

Mikao Usui taught students meditations based on their level of development on the Reiki practice. The following are the traditional meditations for the Reiki first degree level and advanced practitioners.

Gassho Meditation -  this is the first meditation that I learned from my Reiki teacher, and indeed it is a basic meditation for all Reiki practitioners.  All of the Reiki  practices always start with gassho position. Gassho means “two hands coming together”.  Its’ deeper meaning is Oneness or non-duality. Frans Stein, a Reiki master has a beautiful definition of gassho which is the unification of the two opposites.  

When we meditate in Gassho, we align our body, mind, and Spirit to go into the  feeling of Oneness with All, Oneness with the creator. 

Spend a time in your day, meditating in gassho position. You may spend 5-20 mins or more            until you feel the Oneness within you and with All or as long as you want to be in the stillness of the mind.

Gokai Meditation – Gokai means precepts. This meditation involves focusing on the Reiki precepts which is :

      

                    For today only:

          Do not anger. Do not worry. Be humble. Be honest in your 

          work. Be compassionate to yourself and others.

Mikao Usui had explained the Gokai as the secret of inviting happiness through many  blessings, which is the spiritual medicine for all. He also directed how to recite the      Gokai – “ Do gassho every morning and evening, keep in your mind and       recite.”

Gokai Meditation is our practical reminder of how we should live, think, and feel on       this earthly existence.  By regular meditation on Gokai, we re-program our mind into       living with it and thus, our lives become the manifestation of Reiki.

When we meditate in the Gokai, we can either recite it or contemplate on it. We can      even focus on one precept to work on and let the precept talk and expand its meaning in our lives.Remember to always do the Gokai Meditation in gassho position.

Ho (Breathing Meditation) -  is also known as breathing techniques of Reiki which are usually      done with physical or energetic movement. Breath is important in all Reiki meditation process. As we work with “ki” and  “ki” is moved through breath. We aim to build the flow of Ki in our energetic pathways and to strengthen the “hara” center using Reiki. Energetic breathing also improves and strengthens our physical body.

There are three major techniques taught in Reiki regarding breath:  first is the  Kenyuko Ho which is the cleansing breath; second is the Joshin Kokyu Ho  which the combined  mind and breath meditation; and the third is the Seishin Toitsu  which  is called the unifying mind meditation. The third one is taught in the second degree or advanced level of Reiki.

Hands-on-Healing (Palm Healing) – We always thought that the hands-on-healing is the core of Reiki. But no, it is just one of the system of developing Reiki. In the traditional way, the hands-on-healing is called Tenohira, which is according to Frans Stein, is the act of supporting Ki to emanate from the palms of the hands for healing purposes.  Mikao Usui used this method for the practitioner to have the kinesthetic experience during the healing, otherwise, all healing will be done by focusing through the mind which can be difficult for other practitioners.

We use only the intent to heal during the hands-on-healing and we allow the Reiki to do the healing. When we do the healing on others, the healee gets what it needed in healing. We only channel the healing energy and never direct it. There is very beautiful definition of Hands-on-Healing on which it is defined as a ritual of letting go of any resistance. When we let go of our resistance, we allow the Reiki to work on the highest possible healing that we can have.

Jumon and Shirushi (Mantras and Symbols) – are practiced from the Second Degree of Reiki up to the Third Degree. There are 3 symbols used and 3 mantras used on Second Degree while there is only one symbol and one mantra used in the Third Degree.

Jumon which is the mantra is also called kotodama on the Reiki Third Degre practice.  Kotodama means “word carrying spirit”.

Shirushi is the drawing of symbols as one step in a meditative state.

There had been a lot of additional Reiki Meditation developed after Hawayo Takata and they are mostly developed in the West which we called modern Reiki Meditations. They are good to know and to practice. However, be sure to know your traditional Reiki Meditations.

Meditate, Meditate, Meditate with Reiki!

References:

    Japanese Art of Reiki, Frans Stein

     Reiki Manuals - Lilian Jarales-Hewlett

     photos form google