In holistic healing, the practices of Reiki and meditation are often seen as distinct paths. However, a closer look reveals a profound connection between the two, with meditation serving as a vital foundation for Reiki practitioners to enhance their healing abilities. This blog post looks at the symbiotic relationship between meditation and Reiki, exploring how a regular meditation practice can elevate the art of healing, both for the practitioner and their client.
The Importance of Meditation in Reiki
Meditation, the art of stilling the mind and achieving a state of deep peace, is more than just a practice for personal tranquility. For Reiki practitioners, it is an essential discipline that cultivates a clear and focused mind, which is crucial for the sensitivity and intuition required in Reiki healing. With regular meditation, practitioners develop a heightened awareness of the flow of Reiki energy, making them more effective energy healers.
Mikao Usui’s Legacy and the Influence of Zen Buddhism
Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system, was deeply influenced by his upbringing in a Buddhist community. His spiritual journey and the principles of Zen Buddhism played a significant role in shaping the Reiki practice we know today. In fact, it was during a 21-day period of meditation and fasting on Mount Kurama in 1922, that he experienced a profound spiritual awakening that led to the development of the system of Reiki. This pivotal moment underscores the integral role of meditation in Reiki.
The Healing Power of a Quiet Mind
The benefits of meditation extend beyond the spiritual realm; they have tangible effects on the physical body. By calming the mind, meditation reduces stress and anxiety, which are known contributors to numerous health issues. This state of relaxation allows for Reiki energy to flow more freely, promoting healing and balance within the body. When the mind is quiet, the Higher Self can be heard more clearly.
Practical Meditation Techniques for Reiki Practitioners
As we have seen, meditation is a cornerstone of Reiki and it is therefor important to include meditation and mindfulness techniques into a spiritual practice. Here are some practical meditation techniques tailored for Reiki practitioners to deepen their practice and enhance their healing abilities.
1. Gassho Meditation
This technique, which means “two hands coming together” in Japanese, involves sitting in a comfortable position, placing your hands together in prayer position in front of the heart, and focusing on the point where the two middle fingers meet. The Gassho meditation helps in centering and calming the mind, preparing it for the Reiki session.
2. Chakra Balancing Meditation
Reiki practitioners can use meditation to balance the chakras. This involves visualizing a beam of healing light moving through each chakra, starting from the root and moving up to the crown, while affirming the health and balance of each chakra.
3. Joshin Kokyu Ho
This breathing technique can be translated as “Breathing exercise to purify the spirit” or “The Cleansing Breath”. (Joshin: focus, pure mind; kokyu: breath; ho: method) The meditation combines deep abdominal breathing with mediation.
Here is a step by step guide to performing Joshin Kokyu Ho which I teach my Reiki Level 1 students:
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- Sit with the spine straight. Place the hands in Gassho and connect to Reiki.
- Place the hands on your lap or knees, palms facing up.
- Breathe in through your nose and imagine drawing Reiki energy into your body through the crown chakra into your Hara (two to three fingers below the naval).
- When the breath and Reiki reaches your Hara, keep it there for a few seconds without straining yourself.
- As you are breathing in and keeping the breath in the Hara, visualise how it is expanding and permeating your entire body and aura and intend that as the Reiki flows through your physical body and aura, it is cleansing you.
- Slowly breathe out through the mouth and imagine the energy flowing out through your fingertips, hand chakras, tips of your toes and foot chakras, taking with it any negative energy there may have been.
4. Reiki Principles Meditation
The Reiki Principles, or Precepts, are the ethical principles of Reiki practice. Meditating on these precepts helps practitioners embody the principles of 1) letting go of anger, 2) letting go of worry, 3) fostering a mindset of gratitude, 4) working with diligence, and 5) kindness to one self and others. You can download a free copy of the Reiki Principles in Japanese, with their phonetic pronunciation, here.
6. Grounding Techniques
After a Reiki session, it’s important for practitioners to ground themselves. This can be done through meditation techniques that focus on connecting with the earth, such as visualizing roots growing from the feet deep into the ground, or simply walking barefoot on the grass. (See a definition of Grounding in this list.)
7. Mindfulness and Presence
Incorporating mindfulness into daily life is a form of meditation that can greatly benefit Reiki practitioners. Being fully present in the moment during a Reiki session enhances the connection with the recipient and the practitioner’s awareness of what they are sensing in the client. Mindfulness can be practiced in every moment of the day when we are fully present in the now. As Deepak Chopra says in The Book of Secrets, mindfulness is “a state of awareness in which you can be conscious of perfect moments.”
8. The Reiki Self-treatment as Meditation
Giving Reiki to oneself is as a meditative, and healing, practice. During the treatment you allow yourself to enter a meditative state, letting the Reiki energy guide you and raise your awareness.
Summary: why is meditation important in Reiki?
By integrating meditation into their lives, Reiki practitioners can enhance their focus, intuition, and the effectiveness of their healing. Not only that, taking the time, even if it is only 10 minutes a day, to quiet the mind and become still, practitioners are also living one of the five Reiki Principles, that of being kind to one self.
