The Five Reiki Principles

The five Reiki principles in Japanese kanji

Just for today… BE Reiki.

In addition to quantifying and founding the system of Reiki we use in the Western world – for which I’ll forever be grateful – Dr. Mikao Usui also put together five main principles to live by.

These five Reiki principles, if we were to truly live them in their entirety each and every day, would give us such heaven on Earth.

Practicing them in our lifetimes allows us to embody the healing Reiki energy and ‘BE Reiki’, just for today. (Hey, I’ll take it!)

Reiki Principle #1 Just for today, I will not worry

Since I’m fascinated with our subconscious minds and how they can’t hear words like ‘no’ and ‘not’, I like to teach the students in my Reiki course trainings to slightly modify this principle to:

Just for today, I will trust.

Doesn’t that feel good just saying it? I understand that Mikao Usui didn’t have the resources available that we do – um, like the Internet? – so I love his principlem too. I actually teach both, so use whichever one feels best to you.

Isn’t that a beautiful idea though? Since worry always boils down to fear of the future, fear of something that hasn’t happened yet, what if you trusted?

Just for today, what if you trusted that everything that is happening in your life is for your greatest good? If you trusted in Spirit, Source, God, yourself, whatever you want to, and knew, just knew, that everything is going to work out just fine? Because it will. And it is.

 Reiki Principle #2 – Just for today, I will not be angry

In keeping with our use of language that our subconscious mind gets and understands, let’s modify this one, shall we?

Just for today, I let go and feel peace.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Anger and resentment all stem from wishing we could change the past. While we can’t unfortunately, we can adjust our present and change the future.

When we let go of wishing the past could be any different, we open ourselves up to the beauty of the present moment and the peace always available to us.

So what if today, just for today, you had no past? Your past was a clean slate, just like your future? How liberating. What if, just for today, you said, “I forgive everyone for everything. Most of all myself.”

Reiki Principle # 3: Just for today, I will be grateful

When we are thankful for what is currently in our lives, we attract more good. Like attracts like. And feeling grateful changes our energy from one of lack to having. For example, if you feel like you don’t have this and you don’t have that, you are sending a message of lack into the Universe. And by the Law of Attraction, that feeling of lack will attract more lack. 

Likewise, if you send a message of gratitude and having into the Universe, you will attract more to ‘having’ and more to be grateful for. Your thoughts are powerful. Use them wisely.

You change your energy to attract what you want into your life with gratitude. Is that not a good enough reason to practice this Reiki principle?

Reiki Principle #4 – Just for today, I will do my work honestly

When you do your work honestly, this brings purpose and meaning into your life. Unfortunately, we are not just talking about being honest with others. The most important person you have to be honest with is yourself. You can only lie to yourself for so long before it eats away at you.

Someone doing their work. And a Reiki symbol in the process.

So, maybe ask yourself some tough questions, that though they may be difficult now, will have an immense payoff in the enjoyment of your life. Are you doing what you want to do? If not, why not?

If you feel like you don’t know what you want to be doing, that’s okay, too. It’s all part of your path.

But maybe start to think about what you like to do, which activities do you forget about what time it is and where time flies. Maybe try to incorporate more of those into your life. Because ‘work’ doesn’t just refer to money.

When you are doing something that fulfills your passion, where you feel so completely and truly alive, you don’t think you’re doing your ‘work’ honestly? I do.

 Reiki Principle #5 – Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing

This kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? What you give out, you receive back tenfold. Besides, it just feels good to send love to everyone you encounter in your day.

I have done ‘experiments’ where we gave everyone who crossed our path that day the symbol for unconditional love right on their heart chakra. How good do you think I felt on that day? Pretty amazing. Yep, this Reiki is good stuff all right.

So, just for today, try embodying these principles. Or perhaps focus on one at a time. ‘Just for today, I will trust, or ‘Just for today, I will be grateful’. Something tells me you will be pretty happy with the results.

More work.