Joshin Kokyu-Ho: Reiki Cleansing Breath:

The translation in English is “the breathing method for cleansing the spirit.”

• Sit in a comfortable seated position with your spine erect
• Slowly, inhale through your nose.
• Imagine that you are breathing in Reiki energy along with the air.
• Visualize and feel the Reiki energy entering your Crown Chakra and moving throughout your body.
• Let your breath flow down below your navel and into your Second Chakra.
• It is common to experience a warm, energetic sensation as the Reiki enters your energy field.

The Reiki Shower Technique:

• You may use this technique anytime to cleanse your energy and connect to Reiki.
• To begin, sit or stand in a comfortable position.
• Place your hands in the Gassho position.
• Breathe calmly and deeply.
• Set the intention to cleanse your energetic field, body, mind, and soul with Reiki energy.
• Raise your arms over your head with the palms of your hands facing each other about 12 inches apart.
• Connect to Reiki and let the energy flow and intensify between your hands.
• Turn your palms downward to face the top of your head.
• Visualize Reiki radiating out of your hands and set the intention to receive a shower of Reiki.
• Let the Reiki shower flow over and cleanse your entire body and energetic field.
• After a few moments of letting the Reiki energy flow through your body from above, move your hands downward with your palms facing your body.
• Keep your hands approximately 12 inches from your body.
• Slowly, move your hands downwards in front of your face and continue all the way down your body to your feet.
• You may bend your knees to either touch the floor to ground the energy or gently shake your hands to release any negative energy.
• You may repeat this exercise a few times as needed.
• Finish the exercise by placing your hands in the Gassho position and express gratitude for the Reiki healing energy.

Kenyoku-ho: Dry Bathing

1. Bring your right hand to your left shoulder. Breathe in calmly and draw your right hand down to your right hip making a diagonal line. Perform this movement with energy and vocalize a “Haah sound” as you breathe out.
2. Repeat this exercise on the other side, with your left hand on your right shoulder and draw it down toward your left hip exhaling with energy.
3. Once again, bring your right hand to your left shoulder and draw your right hand down to your right hip making a diagonal line.
4. Lift your left arm out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
5. Breathing in, place your right hand on your left shoulder.
6. Breathing out, draw your right hand down your left arm and fingertips, while exhaling with energy.
7. Lift your right arm out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
8. Breathing in, place your left hand on your right shoulder.
9. Breathing out, draw your left hand down your right arm and fingertips, while exhaling with energy.
10. Complete the exercise by once again lifting your left arm.
11. Breathing in, draw your right hand down your left arm and fingertips, while exhaling with energy.

*(In Japan the there is a superstition regarding the number four, which is the same word for death. Based on this reason, the exercise is performed 3 times.)

Hatsurei-ho Technique

This technique combines three separate practices called kenyoku-ho (dry bathing), joshin kokyu-ho, and seishin toitsu.

• Kihon Shisei: Standard Posture or Basic position

Sit comfortably in a seated position with your spine erect and palms facing downwards on your thighs. Close your eyes and focus on the tanden point below your navel.  Breathe deeply. Affirm you are beginning Hatsurei-ho.

• Kenyoku -ho: Dry Bathing
• Connect to Reiki
• Joshin Kokyu-Ho: Spiritual Cleansing breath
• Gassho: Place your hands in the prayer position in front of your heart chakra.
• Seishin Toitsu: Concentration

With your hands in the Gassho position, breathe calmly through your nose, breathe in the Reiki energy, and let Reiki heal your whole being. You may keep your eyes open or closed.

Next, focus your breath and energy on your hands and visualize Reiki flowing into your heart chakra. Let the Reiki circulate throughout your body and energetic field. You may visualize Reiki as white light energy. As you exhale, visualize Reiki energy healing all living beings, the planet, and the universe.

Optional:

• Gokai Sansho: Chant

Traditionally, Miko Usui would have students recite the five Reiki principles.

• Mokunen: Silent prayer

To finish, place your hands on your thighs and affirm that Hatsurei-ho is complete.

Mikao Usui

The founder of Reiki is Mikao Usui. He was born on August 15, 1865, in Taniai, a village in the district of Gifu prefecture. Most of the information written about him is on the memorial stone erected by his students in 1927. The authors of the Usui Memorial are Juzaburo Ushida and Masayuki Okada.

A summary of his biography:

• He was married and had a son and daughter.
• His interests included medicine, psychology, fortune-telling, and religion.
• He had many changes in his career. At a certain point, he encountered obstacles.
• One day, he embarked on a 21-day retreat to fast and meditate on Mount Kurama near Kyoto.
• During this time, he experienced a sense of inner awakening, or great Reiki sensation above his head, which led to the development of the Reiki spiritual healing method.
• Usui tried Reiki on himself and his family and found it helped heal ailments.
• In April 1922, he opened a clinic in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo.
• Usui later created the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, an organization of Reiki practitioners, to provide Reiki treatments. 
• He passed away in 1926.
• He encouraged his student, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi, to continue the practice of Reiki.

Dr. Chujiro Hayashi

Dr. Chujiro Hayashi was born in Tokyo on September 15, 1880. He was a medical doctor and a Japanese Navy officer. He developed Reiki techniques utilizing his knowledge of medicine and further developed hands-on healing techniques. Later, he opened a school and clinic. In time, he trained a Japanese American woman named Hawayo Takata, awarding her a certificate in Reiki Mastership. He helped her start a Reiki practice in Hawaii.

Hawayo Takata

Hawayo Takata was born on December 24, 1900, in Hawaii. She discovered Dr. Hayashi’s clinic while visiting her family in Japan. During her visit, she became ill and received treatment at Dr. Hayashi’s Reiki clinic to avoid surgery. The Reiki treatments provided healing for her illness. She subsequently convinced Dr. Hayashi to train her in Reiki. After receiving her Reiki Master training from Dr. Hayashi, she established a Reiki practice in Hawaii. Hawayo Takata trained 22 Reiki masters before she passed away in 1980. She and Dr. Hayashi had a significant impact on the practice of Reiki in the West.