Meditating with Reiki by Karen Harrison, Licensed Reiki Master

Do you have stress, anxiety, depression, lack of focus, sleep troubles, or addictions?  Reiki and meditation are a powerful combination that can address all of these issues.   And you can give yourself Reiki while meditating!  Simply turn on your Reiki energy before you start your meditation practice and place your hands anywhere they are comfortable.

How do you meditate?  There are so many ways and it is helpful to find a method that resonates with you.  One of the easiest methods is to focus on breathing deeply and slowly into the belly so that your belly rises with the inhale.  Most of us breathe only into our chests, which is a stress breath, whereas breathing into the belly is a relaxing breath for the body.  You can also practice moving meditations like Tai Chi, running, walking, and more.   One of my meditation techniques is to attend Jazzercise where I focus intently on the movement while quieting my mind.  People who have trouble sitting still often prefer moving meditations.    

Why meditate?  There is more and more research showing the benefits of even 10 minutes a day spent meditating.  Check out www.getsomeheadspace.com for some very cool info and videos.  Watch a brain change as the person meditates.  This site can also teach you how to meditate and answer your questions about meditation. 

It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity.  By practicing meditation we can play an active role in changing the brain and increase our wellbeing and quality of life.

Britta Holzel, PhD – Harvard University.

Dr. Usui incorporated meditation into Reiki with the Gassho technique.  Gassho is the first pillar of Reiki and Dr. Usui practiced it twice a day.  It means, “two hands coming together.”  In “Reiki the Healing Touch,” page 54, William Rand states, “This is a special meditation to attune one to the spirit of Reiki.  It clears the mind, opens the heart, and other chakras, and strengthens one’s Reiki energy.  A wonderful stillness will develop inside along with the awareness of increased inner space.”  Before beginning Gassho, I suggest to turn on your Reiki energy by activating the symbols that you know.  To perform Gassho, place your hands together in prayer position with your hands in front of the heart chakra and your thumbs touching your body.  Recite the Reiki Ideals. 

The Original Reiki Ideals

Just for today, do not be angry.  Do not worry and be filled with gratitude.  Devote yourself to your work and be kind to people.  Every morning and evening join your hands in prayer, pray these words to your heart, and chant these words with your mouth.  Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind.  The founder . . . Usui Mikao  (page vi of “Reiki, the Healing Touch”

Next, focus on the space between your palm chakras.  As thoughts arise, brush them aside and refocus on the space between your palms.  For more information, see the complete instructions on page 54 of “Reiki, the Healing Touch.”  If your arms feel tired holding them in prayer position, place them anywhere on your body and continue giving yourself Reiki. 

Do you think you can’t meditate because you can’t quiet your mind or focus your attention on stillness?  William James conducted research in the 1800s and found that the average attention span of a regular person was 3 to 5 seconds while a person with extra-ordinary concentration could focus for up to 7 to 8 seconds. People with years of meditation experience can often focus their attention for a much longer time.  Think of meditation as being the process of slowing down the brain’s barrage of thoughts.  Imagine yourself standing in the middle of a busy road.   As you begin to meditate, you might visualize yourself going to sit on a bench while watching the busy traffic.  With a little more time meditating, you might see the traffic begin to slow down on the busy road.  You can find a video depicting this scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Xvnz7Lo5o&list=PLA6100CFE8D74F3F8

Some say that prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God.  Both are important aspects of spiritual practice.  Tom Jacobs is one of my meditation teachers. He says,

“Meditation realigns you with God’s energy, so you can be about your life’s purpose with renewed energy and a creative outlook. Regular practice of meditation will enrich relationships, renew energy, create flexibility for forgiveness and offer you spiritual tools to deal with your daily challenges. Meditation is also instrumental in healing past wounds, hurtful memories and pent-up fears. This powerful practice teaches the art of “letting go” of anything that holds you back or weighs you down.”

Tom created a simple formula with the 4 R’s of meditation:

1) Resist none of your thoughts…………………………. (means:  don’t push thoughts away).

2) Retain none of your thoughts…………………………. (means:  avoid dwelling or holding thoughts).

2) React to nothing; let emotions come up…………… (means:  let yourself fully feel all emotions that arise).

4) Return to your breathing and/or your mantra…….. (means:  when you start holding or dwelling, just return).

Here is my way of interpreting his teaching.  As your thoughts arise, observe them and let them go, much like watching them float across a movie screen and then float out of sight.  You can tell yourself that you can pick up that thought at the end of meditation.  This is your time to focus on being with God.  To learn more, Tom has meditation classes in Kansas City and also a retreat center where you can learn and practice meditation amidst a beautiful, nature setting.  His website is www.tomjacobs.com and from there click on Timber Creek for information about the retreat center. 

No matter what method of meditation that you choose, activating Reiki energy before you start meditating can help you to get in the flow of the process through being in the energy.  You might find your thoughts automatically begin to slow down as the familiar, warm, comforting feel of the Reiki energy starts flowing through you.  If you place your hands on your body, you will feel the energy there as well as your hands. 

There is an app for that!  Track your meditation and self-Reiki times with a very cool App called Insight Timer – www.insighttimer.com.   You can time your meditation with different singing bowl sounds, connect with a worldwide community of meditators, get statistics on your meditation, connect with your friends who meditate, and more.  I find it motivating and rewarding.

Start with ten minutes a day.  You can convert time you might spend doing less rewarding activities into meditation time.  I found I was spending more time than that on Yahoo News every day.  As with Reiki, try not to be attached to the results of your meditation practice.  You may have wonderful results with better sleep, more creativity, increased calm, and more or it may take a while to notice results.  Spirit gave me the following to share with you:

May your Reiki and meditation time

 not only still your mind

but connect you to the Divine!