What’s the one thing that makes Japanese Reiki different?
November 1, 2026
Breathe. It may not sound like a Reiki practice, but the breath lies at the base of the foundation practice, Hatsurei Ho. In Japanese cosmology there was first the earth (the hara), then the heavens (the mind), and what brings them together is life, and life is breath. Breathe deeply but naturally down into the hara whenever you can, and you will feel calmer, happier and more aware of your body and mind.
I think: breathe. I know it might not sound like a Reiki practice, but it is the foundation of the foundation practice, Hatsurei Ho. Breathing is what brings everything together.
Remember the Japanese cosmology: first there was the earth, then there were the heavens. The earth is the hara; the heavens are the mind. And what brings it all together is life, and what is life but breath?
So breathe, and be conscious of it. It links everything together, blends everything together, and gives us life. Breathe deeply but naturally, down into the hara, whenever you can, and you will start to feel calmer, happier, and more aware of what is going on in your body and your mind.
The name. This is the seed of Jōshin Kokyū Hō, 浄心呼吸法, purifying the mind with the breath, and of the Three Diamonds: earth, 地, at the hara; heaven, 天, at the mind; and the human being, 人, the breath that joins them.
Where it sits in the system. At the foundation. Every other practice in the system, hands on, the symbols and mantras, Reiju, is done on the breath. Two minutes of conscious breathing is not a shortcut to the practice; it is the practice in its simplest form.
A common misunderstanding. That a two-minute practice is a poor substitute for a proper session. Two minutes done every day is worth more than an hour done once a month, and it is the two minutes that keep the hour alive.
Try this. Right now: one hand on the belly, and three breaths that go all the way down to it. Notice the shoulders. That is the two-minute practice; everything else grows from it.
You might also ask: What is Joshin Kokyu Ho? · What is Hatsurei Ho? · Are you practising self-Reiki wrong?
Two minutes a day, with me: the Shūyō app.
More questions answered: Reiki Questions Answered.
