Simple Reiki energy exercises get the energy flowing

reiki energy exercises kenyoku joshin kokkyu ho

In this post I’d like to share a couple of simple Reiki energy exercises that you can use to clear and cleanse, and balance your energy system. These exercises come from Original Japanese Reiki, were taught by Mikao Usui, and can be used every day.

They would be a lovely way to start your day, in fact.

The exercises are referred to as kenyoku, which means “dry bathing” and joshin kokkyu ho, which means something like “soul cleansing breathing method”. You carry out the exercises in order, starting with a quick kenyoku and then moving on to a blissful experience when carrying out joshin kokkyu ho for several minutes.

Here’s what to do:

Relax

Sit in a comfortable chair. Relax and close your eyes, and place your hands palms down on your lap.

Focus your attention on your Dantien point: an energy centre two fingerbreadths (3-5 cm) below your tummy button and 1/3 of the way into your body.

Say to yourself “I’m starting my energy exercises now”.

Kenyoku

Kenyoku can be seen as a way of getting rid of negative energy.

Brush across your torso

Place the fingertips of your right hand near the top of the left shoulder, where the collarbone meets the bulge of the shoulder. The hand is lying flat on your chest. Draw your flat hand down and across the chest in a straight line, over the base of the sternum (where your breastbone stops and your abdomen starts, in the midline) and down to the right hip.

Exhale as you do this.

Do the same on the right side, using your left hand. Draw your left hand from the right shoulder, in a straight line across the sternum, to the left hip, and again exhale as you make the downward movement.

Do the same on the left side again (like you did at the start), so you will have carried out movements with your right hand, left hand, and right hand again.

Brush down your arms

Now put your right fingertips on the outer edge of the left shoulder, at the top of your slightly outstretched left arm, with your fingertips pointing sideways away from your body.

Move your right hand, flattened, along the outside of your arm, all the way to the fingertips and beyond, all the while keeping the left arm straight. Exhale as you do this.

Repeat this process on the right side, with the left hand placed on the right shoulder, and move it down the right arm to the fingertips and beyond. Exhale as you do this.

Repeat the process on the left side again, so you will have carried out movements with your right hand, left hand, and right hand again, like before.

Watch this video demonstration

This is a lot easier to watch than describe, so take a look at this YouTube demonstration that I found:

Once you have carried out kenyoku, move straight on to joshin kokkyu ho.

Joshin kokkyu ho

Joshin kokkyu ho means ‘Technique for Purification of the Spirit’ or ‘Soul Cleansing Breathing Method’. It is a meditation that focuses on the Dantien point.

Put your hands on your lap with your palms facing upwards and breathe naturally through your nose. Do not overbreathe: breathe naturally and gently.

Focus on your Dantien point and relax.

When you breathe in, visualise energy or light flooding into your crown chakra and passing into your Dantien and, as you pause before exhaling, feel that energy expand throughout your body, melting all your tensions.

When you breathe out, imagine that the energy floods out of your body in all directions as far as infinity.

Get into a nice gentle even rhythm of drawing the energy down, spreading it through your body, and flooding it out to the universe.

Do this for 10-15 minutes. You may feel energy/tingling in your hands and even in your feet, as the meditation progresses, but don’t worry if you don’t, because everyone is different.

Over to you

Carry out this sequence every day for a couple of weeks and notice what difference it makes to you in terms of:

  • The strength of the energy
  • Your sensitivity to the energy
  • Your general contentment or demeanour

Post a message below to let me know how you got on and what you experienced.

Have fun!

Find out more about daily energy exercises

reiki books first degree manualIf you’d like some guidance about what you can do to build your Reiki, and balance your energy system, I have a whole load of advice and suggestions for you in the Reiki Evolution First Degree course manual, where you can learn a series of enegry exercises called “Hatsurei ho” and discover a Self-treatment meditation that Mikao Usui taught.

These manuals isn’t just available to Reiki Evolution students: anyone can work with our Reiki manuals.

You can order a professionally-printed copy, or you can download your manual right now.

Here are the links that you need:

Reiki First Degree manual

Reiki First Degree eBook

 

 

 


Author:

31 thoughts on “Simple Reiki energy exercises get the energy flowing

  1. Hi Taggart,
    I have done first degree 6 years ago & I done energy exercise for 2 months. I couldn’t continued it because of busy life. I would like to continue it again. Do need to take 1st degree again? or can I do the 2nd degree? Thanks

    1. Hi Keerthy, before moving on to Second Degree, it would be a good idea if you got back into using the energy on yourself regularly, to build up some momentum and get the energy flowing properly again. If you e-mail me using the contact form on this web site I will send you a copy of our “Getting started with Reiki” self-help guide (could also be called “Getting back into Reiki after a break”!). Then if you book for Second Degree with us some time later, I will send you downloads of our First Degree couirse materials (as PDFs and MP3s) so you have the full set. Hope that helps.

  2. Hi Taggart,

    I am just so grateful at having found your site. Your articles are so useful and has inspired me to get back to Reiki seriously. I have been attuned to the master symbol in Usui Reiki but am looking for ideas to inspire me to develop a daily Reiki practice. Your article has really helped. I read your comment to Keerthy (above) and was wondering if you would be kind enough to please email me your self-help guide (Getting Started With Reiki)…I think it would really help me. Thanks a lot!

    1. Hi Karishma, I am pleased to hear that you are finding my site helpful. I have sent you a copy of the guide – keep an eye on your inbox. 🙂

      Best wishes,

      Taggart

  3. Have been away from Reiki practice for awhile. Please send me a copy of your “Getting started with Reiki” self-help guide to facilitate regaining/enhancing the flow. Thank you so much!

  4. Hi Taggart.

    I have a quick question regarding the energy exercises

    I am a Usui Reiki Master and have also taken Level 1 & 2 Seichem Reiki recently which I am now a practitioner.

    Do I continue doing the daily Usui energy exercises? or Seichem ? or do I have to do both, as you know the symbols are quite different and it takes me an hour everyday with Usui.

    What would you suggest would be the best way forward and the quickest.

    Kind regards

    Sonja xxxx

    1. Hi Sonja, I don’t know what ‘Usui’ or Seichem exercises you are carrying out, but my advice would be to simplify and mostly ditch the practices that involve using symbols, and focus on, say, Hatsurei ho and the Self-treatment meditation. Use mindfulness and ponder the precepts and how they can affect the way that you behave and respond. Right there you have a potent personal practice.

      Symbols are graphics that focus/frame the energy in a particular way, you don’t have to be attuned to them for them to work for you, and their effects won’t diminish through lack of use, or lack of regular use. I do think, though, that you would benefit from a reasonably regular meditation on CKR and SHK because they represent the energies of earth ki and heavenly ki, and bringing yourself into those states is a powerful practice. Any other symbols are just interesting add-ons that you can take or leave.

  5. Thank you for this article. I would like a copy of the getting back into Reiki. My email address is below.

  6. Thank you for your article. It has also been a few years since I completed my level 1 and would also love a copy of the getting back to reiki. It would be muchly appreciated. Cheers.

  7. Hello,
    I’m new to Reiki and would love a copy of your “Getting Started with Reiki” self-help guide.

  8. I use energy by simply feeling complete love from my heart chakra.
    This retracts all negative energy in an instant. I can feel myself pulsating love outwards and upwads.
    I too have been absent from healing for some time and just started taking up yoga to work alongside myself healing.

  9. I learned this with the palms up when sweeping the arms. I’m curious about this adaptation, and would love to know more.

    1. Hi Trish, that’s interesting because, as far as I am aware, what you were taught is an adaptation, actually, since the palms down Kenyoku ritual came via both Hiroshi Doi (Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai) and Chris Marsh (now deceased, and who was in contact with Usui’s surviving students 20-odd years ago). But, whichever, variation, the intention is the same 🙂

  10. Thank you so much for your Liberate your Reiki! The eZine for Open-minded Reiki people. This will be much better than the daily alternative news feeds about Covid, Hunter Biden’s laptop, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, etc.

    I will be doing the Joshin kokkyu ho daily and will let you know how it’s going in a couple of weeks.

    Thank you,
    Sand

  11. I would like to thank you very much for your very sensible advice regarding “grounding”…if only others would be sensible too!

  12. Hi Taggart.

    Like all the previous comments, I too have lapsed recently with my Reiki. No excuse really, but life is just busy.
    If you could also send me a copy of the ‘getting back to Reiki’, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
    I find your eZines so helpful.

    1. Hi Rita, the “Getting started” guide is quite old now, but I don’t think the contents need updating. I will send it to you in a moment and I hope you find it useful.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.