STEP TWO: RELEASE AND LET GO TO START YOUR YEAR

 

Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

“Don’t put a newly cooked rice at the top of your spoiled one.”

Or else, you are shall be eating spoiled food. The next step in preparing ourselves for a new action is to release any spoiled parts of ourselves. If you haven’t read Step One, please read first the first step at this link:

STEP ONE: SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Many people jump into visioning and making plans and actions without releasing first what can block along the way. After we have sat down and sought God within us, the next step is to heal ourselves to release anything thought and emotions that can block us along the way. Unhealed emotions and negative thoughts comprise our vibrations and vibrations are necessary for manifestation.

How can these blocks affect us?

Any actions come from emotions and thoughts. Therefore, unwanted and unhealthy thoughts and actions can lead us into 1) repeating the same patterns of actions and results that lead us to stagnant progress and 2) pessimism and fear that can freeze our actions for progress in life.

Failure to address these blocks, in the long run, can lead us into the following:

 

1. Regression or retardation of spiritual growth
2. Unrest of mind and confusion
3. Inability to connect to ones’ Higher Self or Mind
4. Attracting negative people or experiences.
5. Confusion about life and events
6. Addiction to past experiences.
7. Self-destruction
8. Hopelessness

 

To address the block and move smoothly in life, we may do the following actions:

 

Action 1: Check on your chakras through the following questions: (For those who do not know chakras, chakras also called energy centers contain our thoughts and emotions.)

                   Go into a meditative state. Start with a prayer. Then ask the following questions while putting your hands on each chakra. Be mindful of your intuitive answer. If you are a Reiki practitioner, then you can invoke Reiki on this exercise or invoke the angels for each chakra.

CHAKRAS	HAND POSITIONS	QUERY	BLOCKS
Base Energy Center	Put your hands on the lower back at the end of the spinal column.	a)  Do I feel alone in life?       b)      Do I feel that life is so hard?       c)      Do I feel unsupported?	Feeling Unsupported by the Cosmos
Sacral Energy Center	Put your hands on the lower part of the stomach.	a)      Do I always feel a lack of resources or money?      b)      Do I feel unsatisfied with my job?      c)      Do I always blame myself?	Feeling of Lack Feeling of guilt or blame for current situation
Solar Plexus	Put your hands on the upper part of the stomach.	a)      Do I take care of myself?      b)      Do I feel angry about life events?      c)      Do I feel powerless?	Powerlessness
Heart Center	Put your hands on the center of your heart.	a)      Do I feel loved?      b)      Am I ready to love?      c)      Am I willing to receive?	Hate, Unforgiveness
Throat Center	Put your hands on your throat	a)      Do I follow my dreams?      b)      Can I speak for myself?	Procrastination
Forehead Center	Put your hands on your forehead	b)      Am I confused about life?	Narrowmindedness
Crown Center	Put your hands on your crown	a)      Do I call God to guide me in my life?      b)      Do I have deep faith and trust in God?	Separation from God

 

Action 2:  After your reflection, then we now start to let go with healing and affirmations. (Note that recognition and acceptance of what blocks us start the healing process. So, many lightworkers hesitate to look and examine their past for fear of being stuck on it. This is a wrong interpretation. We all can live in the present and move to the future when we revisit the past with acceptance and forgiveness. There is a pre-requisite to saying “Forget the past and move on. The important requirement is that one has already been friends with the past so that they can close or forget peacefully.)

 

1. Put your hands in the praying position and say,  "Through the Power of my God‐Mind, I release past negativity and release my mind – God-directed – into a positive future."
2. Say the affirmation, doing the hand positions in each chakra. Feel the energy of the affirmations.

 

          Go into a meditative state. Start with a prayer. Then ask the following questions while putting your hands on each chakra. Be mindful of your intuitive answer. If you are a Reiki practitioner, then you can invoke Reiki on this exercise or invoke the angels for each chakra.

  

CHAKRAS	HAND POSITIONS	AFFIRMATIONS
Base Energy Center	Put your hands on the lower back at the end of the spinal column.	I am One with the support of the Universe.
Sacral Energy Center	Put your hands on the lower part of the stomach.	I am One with prosperity and material wealth – immediately, now, and eternally.
Solar Plexus	Put your hands on the upper part of the stomach.	I am One with the power of the Divine who is within me.
Heart Center	Put your hands on the center of your heart.	I am One with a perfect love in all of my relationships immediately, now, and eternally
Throat Center	Put your hands on your throat.	I am One with my chosen path  – immediately, now, and eternally.
Forehead Center	Put your hands on your forehead	I am One with the mind of God.
Crown Center	Put your hands on your crown	I am one with God.

 

 Action 3:  End with gratitude. Gratitude can take into many forms. It can be a prayer, a song, or an offering.

 

Now you are ready for the last action which is empowering the vision and action.

 

Hold on for the Step 3:

 

Blessings,

 Aisa

 

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