| | | | | unconscious fashion; when we channel Reiki, we are |
| In this article I would like to talk about the energy that | | | | channelling either the ki of earth or heaven, because |
| we work with when we practise Reiki: when we work | | | | that is what we are. |
| on ourselves and when we share Reiki with others. | | | | But Usui Sensei’s system goes further than just |
| The energy that we channel is described in various | | | | acknowledging our true nature, our physical and spiritual |
| ways: we are said to be working with universal | | | | nature, because Reiki allows us to fully experience our |
| energy, we are passing on unconditional love, or chi, or | | | | physical reality, and fully experience our spiritual |
| prana. But there are aspects of the energy that are | | | | essence. This is a powerful method for achieving |
| not being explained through this use of words, and in | | | | balance. We can return to that state of perfection we |
| this article I want to talk about the essence of Reiki | | | | enjoyed at birth, before life corrupted us; we can be |
| energy. In doing this we will touch on Taoism, QiGong, | | | | reborn. How this was achieved is as follows: At |
| Shintoism, meditation, breathing, chanting and the use of | | | | second degree in the original system the student |
| the Reiki symbols. | | | | would be shown how to experience earth ki and |
| Now many people reading this article will be practising | | | | heavenly ki, they would learn to ‘become’ the |
| something called “Joshin Kokkyu Ho”, an energy | | | | energies of earth and heaven. How this was achieved |
| breathing method taught in the Usui Reiki Ryoho | | | | very much depended on the student’s background, |
| Gakkai, the Usui Memorial Society in Japan – part of | | | | since Usui Sensei varied his teachings and methods |
| a longer sequence of exercises referred to as | | | | according to the needs of his students. If the student |
| “Hatsurei ho”. It was also used in Mikao | | | | had a Buddhist background then they would have |
| Usui’s original system, according to a group of Usui | | | | used meditations, and if they had a Shinto background |
| Sensei’s surviving students who are in contact with | | | | then they would have chanted sacred sounds called |
| one or two people in the West. Joshin Kokkyu Ho | | | | ‘kotodama’. Later on in Usui’s system, |
| translates as something like ‘technique for | | | | symbols were introduced for the Imperial Officers, but |
| purification of the spirit’ or ‘soul cleansing | | | | all these approaches had the same end in mind: to fully |
| breathing method’, and on its own ‘Kokkyu | | | | assimilate, to fully experience or become the energies |
| Ho’ means ‘the way of breathing’. When | | | | of earth and heaven, the essence of what we are. |
| we use this method we are moving energy in time | | | | The meditations, the kotodama, and the symbols are all |
| with our breath, into and out of our Tanden (Dantien in | | | | tools used to trigger, to invoke within us, to allow us to |
| Chinese), it is a way of achieving balance, but there is | | | | experience an energy or a state. Second degree is all |
| more significance to this technique than simply moving | | | | about getting to grips with earth ki and heavenly ki, to |
| energy through our bodies. | | | | fully assimilate those energies, to reconnect to what is |
| With each in-breath we are filling the body with ki. This | | | | within and realise our true nature. |
| ki is yin in nature, it is the breath of earth, of physicality | | | | CKR and SHK represent earth ki and heavenly ki |
| and the power of separation. By contrast the | | | | respectively, but they do not represent something new: |
| out-breath distributes ki throughout our bodies. This is | | | | these two energies are already within us. They do not |
| yang in nature, it is the breath of heaven, of spirituality | | | | represent something additional that we are connected |
| and the power of unification. So from the moment that | | | | to: they emphasise or flag up something that is already |
| we practise Joshin Kokkyu Ho we are experiencing | | | | there. |
| earth ki and heavenly ki. | | | | Now, Usui Sensei’s students worked long and hard |
| In fact, earth ki and heavenly ki are what we are: we | | | | to assimilate or integrate these energies. The might |
| are physical reality and we are spiritual essence. In | | | | have spent 6-9 months just meditating on one energy, |
| Taoist philosophy, Earth and Heaven – along with | | | | before moving on, so there were no short-cuts and it |
| Humanity – are known as the “Three | | | | was a long process. They started with the energy of |
| Powers”. Humanity is in a pivotal position between | | | | earth and moved on to work with the energy of |
| the cosmic powers of heaven and the natural forces | | | | heaven. We can echo that original practice by working |
| of earth, covered by heaven above and supported by | | | | with the energies of CKR and SHK. It is not enough to |
| earth below. Qi Gong, the energy cultivation technique | | | | be ‘attuned’ to a symbol – whatever that |
| which is practised in Japan as ‘kiko’, allows us | | | | means – and it is not enough to use a symbol in |
| to work with these two energies and bring them into | | | | practice when treating someone. To fully get to grips |
| balance. Shinto practices also refer to these two basic | | | | with an energy we need to meditate on the symbol, |
| energies, these two essential aspects of what we | | | | using its energy individually, not combined with others, |
| really are. | | | | and we need to commit ourselves to doing this |
| It is not surprising, then, that these two energies are the | | | | regularly if we are going to fully experience the |
| basis of Usui Sensei’s spiritual system, and latterly | | | | benefits that are available through Usui Sensei’s |
| his healing system. When we practise Reiki we are | | | | simple spiritual system. |
| working with earth ki and heavenly ki, in a conscious or | | | | |