Beginners Guide: Super Easy Way To Reiki Meditation

Reiki meditation and techniques are one of the five main elements of the system of Reiki. The following two paragraphs are an excerpt from The Japanese Art of Reiki.

There are three major techniques taught in the first level of the system that lie at its foundation. The first of these is a cleansing technique called Kenyoku Hô. Following that is Jôshin Kokyû Hô: a meditation to focus the mind using breath and; finally, Seishin Toitsu: a unifying the mind meditation. These are taught in traditional forms of the system of Reiki.

The last is a meditation taught in the second level of the system called Hatsurei Hô. In modern times it is practiced simply as a combination of the three aforementioned techniques. Instead, an original version of Hatsurei Hô, written by a student of Usui called Tomita Kaiji in 1933, has been included here.

Today we generally waste our life in endless activity, struggle, aggressive competition and achievement. Meditation is the exact opposite. To meditate is to make a complete break with how we normally operate, it is a state free of all cares and concerns.

Reiki and Meditation

First let’s consider the purpose of meditation and the forms it can take.  Meditation is the art of creating a quiet mind and listening to the sound of silence. Now let talk about reiki.

What is Reiki

Reiki is a wonderful relaxation technique as well as healing energy work. If you are a Reiki Practitioner you might know that when Reiki treatment is done for oneself it is like meditation by itself. Place your hands on your body for several minutes, allowing universal life-force energy to flow through you, your hands to your body. Take time to relax and to go deep into a very meditative state.

Usually, a Reiki practitioner places his/her hands on the receiver over the chakras, working along the back and the front of the body. There are seven major chakras in our body (to read more check Chakra Meditation) and hundreds of manor ones – all the acupressure points are our energy centers.

Reiki Energy Healing and How Does Reiki Work

After experiencing sudden, intense stress or moderate stress that is constant over a period of time, the body’s ability to regulate itself becomes compromised and health declines, slowly or not so slowly. Stress causes the body to lose its ability to rebalance, to restore homeostasis.

The stresses of everyday life – environmental, emotional, physical, financial, social etc. – can combine with an individual’s genetic predispositions and result in declining health and wellbeing.

At the simplest, most obvious level, it appears that Reiki treatment helps lessen the impact of stress, releasing tension from the entire system. Not only does the person move toward his or her own unique balance in body, mind, and spirit, but also, depending on the level of physical health when Reiki begins, the body’s own healing mechanisms often begin functioning more effectively.

How exactly does Reiki release tension and help the body heal? That question has yet to be answered. Although there is increasing research evidence documenting the effects of Reiki (such as lowered heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones; increased immune strength), we have only broad theories as to what causes these effects or the pathways through which the healing occurs.

How To Practice Reiki Meditation

To practice this technique, remember to play and have fun with it. Experiment with different additions such as music, mantras and using the Reiki symbols. Be creative and listen to your intuition as to what you most need during each meditation session! When your mind wanders, simply bring your attention back to the Reiki coursing through your fingers.

14 Simple Steps To Basic Reiki Meditation

Here are the steps that you need to follow to practice the basic Reiki meditation:

1. Sit or lie down comfortably with your back straight. Take few deep breaths imaging that the purest loving and healing energy is entering your body. While exhaling, imagine just the opposite i.e., all sorts of negative energies (irritation, anxiety, dejection, pain, disappointment, etc.) are flowing away from your body completely.
2.  Now, when your body is positioned perfectly for performing the meditation, get in tune with it.You will place your hands on each major chakras on the front of your body and hold them over each one for about three minutes unless your body will ask you to hold them a bit longer or shorter. It is a perfect opportunity now to get in tune with your body. Listen to it and trust. Feel the peace, deep relaxation, vitality in whole your body.
3. Now, place your palms over your head along with your fingers and hold it. Pay attention to your body by inhaling and exhaling gently, yet deeply. You need to follow the very first step this time and focus on the positive flow of energy entering your body. Let all those negative energies leave you slowly.
4. Gently move your hands to the back of your head. Find the position there which is the most comfortable for you and hold your hands there.
5. Then, move your hands very slowly to keep them on the throat. Be gentle as you need to breathe comfortably. In case you find it problematic to rest both of your hands on the frontage of your throat, just take one towards the rear side of the neck and place there. Hold the position and relax.
6. Now place your hands over your shoulders behind you with fingers pointed down. Hold and relax.
7. Take your hands to your chest very gently. Place them on it in such a manner that the heart is covered completely. Hold the position and relax.
8. Now gently move your hands to your lower chest near the bottom ribs. Hold and relax.
9. Go a little more down to your stomach and place your hands on it. Hold the position and relax.
10. Next, move them gently and place your palms over your lover abdomen gently touching just over your pubic bone. Hold and relax.
11. Shift your hands to your hips now. Be as gentle as possible. Hold the position and relax.
12. Move your hands and place your palms on each knee. Hold and relax.
13. Move towards your feet. Place the palms either at the top or the bottom of them one by one. Focus on your comfort level while doing it. Hold the position and relax.
14. Finally, form a praying position by drawing both of your hands together or just put one on the other one and hold for about three minutes breathing naturally and feeling the energy moving through your whole body. Feel that all negativity were flushed away and replaced with love, healing and joy.

Different Techniques Of Reiki Meditation

The foundation of the Reiki system is made of 3 traditional techniques. These include:

• Kenyoku Hô (cleansing method)
• Jôshin Kokyû Hô (focus breathing method)
• Seishin Toitsu (mind unification method)

Practicing these techniques can help in generating a greater amount of spiritual energy, redirecting the energy from the heart towards the hands, especially the palms, and purifying the mind as well as the soul.

Kenyoku Ho

Kenyoku Hô is a Japanese Shinto practice that purifies the body, heart, and spirit. It is generally used before and after the practice of any energy work. On each out-breath the hands sweep across the body as if you are washing clean.

1. Sweep with your right hand from your left shoulder down and across to your right hip.
2. Sweep with your left hand from your right shoulder down and across to your left hip.
3. Sweep with your right hand from your left shoulder down and across to your right hip.
4. With your left elbow against your side and your left forearm horizontal to the ground, sweep with your right hand from your left shoulder down the arm and out along the upturned palm to the fingertips.
5. With your right elbow against your side and your right forearm horizontal to the ground, sweep with your left hand from your right shoulder down the arm and out along the upturned palm to the fingertips.
6. With your left elbow against your side and your left forearm horizontal to the ground, sweep with your right hand from your left shoulder down the arm and out along the upturned palm to the fingertips.

Jôshin Kokyû Hô

Joshin Kokyu Ho can be practiced either seated on a chair, stool or bench, or in a cross-legged posture, or in the seiza posture.

As with all the developmental practices, choose a time and place where you are unlikely to be disturbed.

And wherever you are doing this exercise – indoors or out, make sure (if seated on the floor) the floor/ground is both comfortable and warm. Do not practice this on cold floors/ground, do not practice in the cold, generally.

Sit up straight (comfortably so – no need for rigid military-style posture – this will only impede the technique).

Rest your hands, palms up, on your legs / in your lap.

Close your eyes and ‘hara-centre’ yourself: focus your awareness on your seika tanden – an area deep inside your body mid way between your navel and the top of your pubic bone.

For a few moments, simply ‘be’ – silently and restfully ‘watching the breath’: loosely focussing on the natural rhythms of your breathing. There is no interference with the natural process – no seeking to consciously breathe – merely to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.

After a few moments – with the focus of your awareness still at your seika tanden – in your mind’s-eye see and feel the Reiki energy flowing down from above, as a stream of crystal clear light. And as you breathe in – naturally, effortlessly – the light floods into your crown, and flows down throughout your body into your seika tanden.

In the moment before your body – naturally, effortlessly – begins to exhale, be aware of the light: feel it growing stronger and brighter, radiating throughout your entire body, dissolving and dissipating all trace of stress and negative tension, and supporting the positive energetic integrity of your entire being.

As your body exhales, be aware that you are emanating the light from every single pore – from the entire surface of your being – and the light radiates out in all directions to infinity. Continue in this ‘awareness of the light’ for as long as you feel comfortable.

Allow your body to maintain its own natural breathing rhythm. There is no interference with the natural process – no seeking to consciously breathe – merely to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.

Seishin Toitsu

1. Place your hands in gassho (prayer) position in front of your heart.
2. As you breathe in, see light entering your hands and flow through your body to your tanden. (The tanden corresponds to the sacral chakra and is 3 finger widths below the naval).
3. During the brief pause between inhalation and exhalation, see the light expand to fill your whole body.
4. As you breathe out, see the light flow out of your body through the hands.

Usually, you would perform this exercise seated with your eyes closed.