soothe
relax
balance
restore
gentle guidance
comforting care
Healthy Living Principles
As part of his journey [with Reiki], Dr. Usui spent several years healing the beggars of Beggar City in Kyoto. One day he noticed that he was seeing the faces of those he had already healed. When he spoke to them to determine why they had come back, they explained that it was too hard to work for a living. Usui was dismayed, until he realized that they simply did not place any value on the treatment. He realized that he had forgotten to teach them gratitude. From this, Dr. Usui learned that the spirit must be healed as well as the body, and thus the Reiki Principles were adopted:
"If we adopt the principles, we will live in accordance with the ultimate intenion of Reiki: to benefit all living beings."
David F. Vennells.
Just for today, I will let go of anger
Just for today, I will let go of worry
Today, I will count my many blessings
Today, I will do my work honestly
Today, I will be kind to every living creature
Dr. Mikao Usui
Ask: 'What would love do?' And do it. Sarah Ban Breathnach
"Whatever you think people are withholding from you – praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, etc – give it to them."
Eckhart Tolle
ANGER: Pay attention to when you are angry, and how that feels. What are you really angry about? Take a moment to really understand what is behind that reaction. What expectation about ourselves or others has not been met? For many of us, anger is one of the few 'acceptable' emotions. Not only that, but it feels good. It is designed to make us feel powerful, making us feel strong and able to defend ourselves. Anger is a form of defense, protecting us when what we really feel is unsafe, attacked, and powerless in some way. When you begin to understand your own anger, you find that anger from others will no longer act as a trigger...WORRY: Pay attention to the stream of thoughts in your head. What are the things that you worry about and what information does that give you about your core fears and beliefs? When you worry, you are putting yourself in that stressful moment, with all the physical stress-responses that go with it. All of the moments of worry about the event become more harmful than the few moments of the actual event itself. The importance of this principle is twofold: identify, acknowledge and dissipate the fears that cause your worry, and make it a practice to gently shift your focus to the present moment, whenever you do feel your mind wandering to the future. Planning and preparedness are commendable, but once that is done, let it go...BLESSINGS: Throughout the day, keep your focus to the beauty around you and all that you have to be thankful for. There are grand events in everyone's lives, and there are multitudes of little things. It's the most wonderful game to play, and one that gets easier and easier, to notice the things that bring you a smile... a steamy cup of jo in the morning, a pretty flower by the roadside, a young child who has dressed herself, a witty remark on the radio morning show.WORK HONESTLY: First, are you doing the things in your life that really call to you? If not, really look at the reasons why. Secondly, no matter what you do, even the smallest menial task - really be present as you do it. For instance, consider what would it mean to do the dishes 'honestly'?BEING KIND: Having the intention of respecting and loving others, and acting out of this space, teaches us also how to love ourselves. When we are unkind to others, there is a voice in our head that is equally unkind to ourselves for the same reasons. What are your natural impulses, in terms of the way you treat yourself or others? Why do we talk about "going out of our way" when we talk about helping someone? In what instances do you have the urge to not act kindly? Why?"I am never upset for the reason I think."
A Course in Miracles
"Patience and forgiveness are the healing middle way between the extremes of either suppressing or indulging anger and other strong negative emotions."
David F. Vennells.
"Ultimately, nothing happens that is not meant to happen, which is to say nothing happens that is not part of the greater whole and its purpose." Eckhart Tolle
"Spending your time wisely in such a way that is true to your own heart" Paula Horan
"Take any routine activity, normally a means to an end, and give it your fullest attention" Eckhart Tolle
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." Colossians 3:23
"In order to change a person's situation in life, there has to be a change in attitude... As a general measure, Usui adopted the five principles the Meiji emperor had given to the Japanese people to help improve the quality of their lives." Paula Horan
EFT is a very powerful way to address issues behind the five Reiki Principles, and also to help affirm them in your life
Knowing the practical healthy-living tips, like diet and exercise, is one thing, but we all know that there is something MORE, other things to take into consideration - how to live a life that feels
good, worthwhile, happy, purposeful - how
do you find THAT...
Close parallels can be drawn between all of these teachings, and I find that the Principles of Reiki are a great representation of common main elements. You can make a conscious decision to choose to adopt the principles of Reiki and practice them in a purposeful way, or you may find (as I did) that over time, as you begin to heal and grow, they just naturally become a part of your life.
These simple five principles outline the important basics of healing yourself, body, mind and spirit:
Copyright © 2009 Cora Rennie, Petawawa, ON
DISCLAIMER: Information on this site is not intended to and does not constitute medical advice, recommendation or counselling under any circumstance.
There are many teachings out there to help us, and it generally seems to be about focus - in particular, a focus on connections: relationships to others, relationship to the world around us, relationships to ourselves, and a relationship to some source that is grander and bigger than us.
You can find these teachings in the Christian belief system, or in Toltec wisdom such as The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and even in the new-age books such as The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
Reiki is not a religion, but certainly there is a spiritual aspect to it.
"Being eternally grateful is perhaps life’s greatest challenge. The simple act of saying thanks before a meal is a good way to express gratitude for what we have. Every day acknowledge one thing for which you are thankful. Each morning say aloud what aspect you appreciate about that particular day." Adam Dreamhealer
