For Reiki practitioners, meditation is a vital component of the Usui Reiki system. We learn specific Reiki meditation practices to support us as practitioners so we can create the best environment for intuition and Reiki during healing sessions.
Mikao Usui taught that in order to heal the body, we must first heal the mind. In Japanese culture the mind is intricately linked with the heart as a single concept, the heart-mind (kokoro) and they are inseparable from each other. Once we understand how intricately linked our body, mind and soul are, we can really appreciate the immense value that regular meditation brings.
We first heal the heart-mind. Second, we have to make our body healthy.
Mikao Ususi - Founder of Reiki
Meditation provides healing and peace to our body, mind and soul by triggering our natural Relaxation Response (essentially the opposite to the Fight or Flight Response). It is only during the Relaxation Response that our body goes into repair mode and can heal itself. Therefore meditating is a beautiful act of self-care.
Reiki Meditation Practices
The founder of Reiki, Mikao Usui, taught his students meditation practices to help purify the heart-mind (and therefore the body) and to develop a heightened perception of Reiki energy. Students learn specific Reiki meditation practices but also find meditation throughout the other elements of the system.
We learn specific meditation techniques to deepen our connection to our True Self/Reiki, generate a greater amount of spiritual energy, enhance our sensitivity to Reiki flow, increase our intuition, and allow all of our spiritual gifts to flourish.
We find meditation within the 5 Reiki Precepts. Usui sensei instructs us to sit in prayer position and repeat the precepts aloud, from the heart, every morning and night. Usui sensei asserts that this is "The Secret of Inviting Happiness through Many Blessings" and "The Spiritual Medicine for All Illness"!
When we enter a Reiki Healing session embodying the 5 Reiki Precepts - in a state of compassionate gratitude without worry or anger - we naturally slip into a meditative state of mind. This increases our ability to be intuitively guided by Reiki throughout the session.
We are encouraged to practice self-Reiki from a relaxed, meditative state of mind on a daily basis. This awakens our intuition which further guides our healing process.
The benefits of meditation are many and reach far beyond your few minutes in silence, with continued practice you will carry them throughout your day as well. As your body-mind-soul are beautifully interconnected there will inevitably be an overlap of benefits which further leverages the healing potential.
In order to concentrate, one must purify one’s thoughts in words and meditate to let the true ‘energy’ come out from within. It lies in the bottom of the stomach about 2 inches below the navel. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, concentrate on your thoughts and relax.
Hawayo Takata - Reiki Master Teacher
You can read more about the incredible benefits of regular meditation here.
If you're excited about learning Reiki meditations and seeing the effect this has on your spiritual gifts, I'd love to see you at a Reiki class.
With love and gratitude,
Charisse