Welcome.
Take this moment for yourself.
Find a comfortable seated position,
Or if you prefer,
You may begin standing for the first part of this practice.
Allow your breath to soften,
Allow your body to settle,
And gently bring your hands into Gassho.
Palms together in front of your heart.
Set your intention for this practice.
Perhaps your intention is to clear,
To center,
To reconnect,
Or simply to be present.
We begin with Kenyu Koho,
A gentle dry bathing practice for purification.
If you are seated,
Sit tall.
If you are standing,
Stand with ease and softness in the knees.
Bring your awareness to your breath,
To the heart.
Keeping your intention clear,
Place your right hand on your left shoulder.
Take a breath in.
As you breathe out,
Swap diagonally across the body,
Down to the right hip.
Now place your left hand on your right shoulder.
Breathe in.
As you breathe out,
Swap diagonally down to your left hip.
Again,
Place your right hand on your left shoulder.
Breathe in.
And on the out-breath,
Swap diagonally down to the right hip.
Now bring your left elbow gently against your side,
With the forearm horizontal.
Place your right hand on the left forearm.
Breathe in.
As you breathe out,
Swap down the arm all the way forward to the fingertips.
Now bring your right elbow against your side,
With the forearm horizontal.
Place your left hand on the right forearm.
Breathe in.
As you breathe out,
Swap down the arm to the fingertips.
Once more,
Return your right hand to the left forearm.
Breathe in.
And on the out-breath,
Swap down the arm to the fingertips.
Now gently bring your hands back in gassho.
Offer a quiet moment of gratitude.
And now,
If you are standing,
Come into a comfortable seated position.
Allow your eyes to close.
Rest your hands softly in your lap,
Palms facing upwards.
We now move into joshi kokyoho.
With each in-breath,
Feel energy entering gently through your nose.
Feel it moving into the hata,
Below the navel.
Feel the body filling with calm,
Light and life.
With each out-breath,
Allow the energy to expand out through the body,
Through the skin and softly into the space around you.
Again,
Breathe in,
The energy flowing inward,
Down to the hata,
Filling the whole body.
Breathe out,
Expanding gently through the body and into your surroundings.
Continue at your own pace.
Inhale,
Receiving.
Exhale,
Expanding.
Inhale,
Filling the hata.
Exhaling,
Hydrating softly outwards.
If you'd like to imagine that when you breathe into the hata,
You imagine the moon.
You bring the whole moon,
Reduce its size,
Fit into the hata,
All the qualities of the moon,
The phases of the moon,
The seasons.
When you breathe out,
You expand that light through all your body and your skin.
It's not a barrier.
You just expand yourself beyond your physical body.
Breathe in again,
Bring the whole energy of the moon into your belly.
When you breathe out,
Expansion.
Expand and let the moon take over your body and surround you.
Let's do this in your own space,
Or your own pace,
For just a few minutes.
If your mind is wandering,
Thinking about something else,
Just bring it back to the practice.
Don't judge yourself,
Don't criticize,
Just return to the practice.
I'd like to add one of my favorite poems of Emperor Menjing,
Chosen by Mikau Sui,
That says,
How I wish to have a mind like a clear blue sky.
You can use this mantra or just keep breathing in,
Bring the quality of the moon and breathe it out.
And again,
If any thought comes to your mind,
Just return to the practice.
And now we move into Shei Shin Totsu.
Create a unifying mind.
Bring your hands back into Gassho.
Keep your eyes closed.
Bring your awareness again to the Hare.
As you breathe in,
Imagine the energy gathering in your hands.
Feel it moving through the hands,
Along the arms,
Through the body,
Into the Hare.
As you breathe out,
Imagine the energy moving from the Hare,
Back up through the body,
Through the arms,
And out through the hands,
To the fingertips.
Again,
Breathe in,
Imagining that the energy travels down to the tip of your fingers,
Down to your arms,
Up to your shoulders,
Middle of the body,
Into the Hare,
And away out from the Hare,
Up to your middle of your body,
Shoulder,
Arms,
And fingertips.
Again,
Breathe in,
The energy goes from the tip of your fingers,
Down to your arms,
Shoulders,
Middle of the body,
Hare,
Hare,
Middle of the body,
Shoulders,
And fingertips.
When you breathe out,
Keep your mind following the breath.
Make the mind occupied with this task,
As you pay attention in the breathing,
In the energy that comes through your body,
Through the breath.
Stay with this gentle rhythm for a few more breaths.
Allow the mind to become quieter,
Allow the body to become steadier,
Allow yourself to feel centered,
Clear,
And connect.
Let's keep the practice for more two minutes.
If your mind is wandering,
Just return to the practice.
Adjust your body if it's necessary,
Always checking if your spine is elongated,
If you feel the floor beneath your feet,
If you need to adjust your praying position,
Don't put your body in any position that you feel pain or anything,
Just adjust,
Keep adjusting,
Making the mind follow the breath.
When you feel ready,
Bring your awareness back to the whole body,
Notice your breath,
Notice the space around you,
And gently bring your hands once more into Gassho.
I offer thanks for this practice,
For the breath,
For the energy,
And for this moment of return.
If you are a reiki practitioner or a student,
It's time for you to give a self-healing practice.
If you wish,
You can stay in this space for a little while,
Feeling the energy of reiki,
Feeling the healing.
I leave you with the intention for you to receive whatever you needed to receive in this exactly moment in time.
When you are ready,
You can slowly begin to move your fingers and shoulders,
And when you are ready,
Softly open your eyes.
Your practice is complete.
Many blessings.
