Research: Measuring the Effect of the Breath in the Belly
September 3, 2026
Joshin Kokyu Ho is the foundation meditation of the system of Reiki: breathing in and down into the hara, the deep belly, taking the mind with the breath, and then releasing breath and awareness out into the world. Its name means to purify the mind with the breath.
I love this practice. Joshin Kokyu Ho is a foundation meditation practice in the system of Reiki, from a Japanese perspective, and you can tell that by the name. It is a Japanese name, and it means to purify the mind with the breath.
When we breathe in, we breathe in and down into the hara, the deep belly. By doing so, we take the mind with us down into the hara.
Then, as we breathe out, we release our awareness and the breath out into the world. So we are taking the mind down into the hara and then releasing our awareness.
The mind has gone through the process of sitting with that original energy at the hara, in the body, and then releasing that awareness out into the world. It is the awareness that helps us understand that we are one with the world, that we are the small universe inside the greater universe.
The name. Jōshin Kokyū Hō, 浄心呼吸法. Jōshin means to purify the heart-mind, kokyū means breathing, and hō means method: the method of purifying the mind with the breath.
Where it sits in the system. It is most often taught at Shoden, the first level, and it is the meditation at the centre of Hatsurei Ho. Of the five elements of the system, it belongs to meditation, the element everything else rests on.
A common misunderstanding. That you are pulling energy in from outside and pushing it out again. Nothing is being fetched or sent. You are settling your own mind into the hara and letting your awareness widen from there.
Try this. Sit for five minutes. Breathe in and down to a point a few fingers below the navel. Breathe out and let your attention spread as far as it likes. Nothing else.
You might also ask: What is Kenyoku Ho and when should you use it? · What is Hatsurei Ho? · Why is meditation the foundation of Japanese Reiki?
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More questions answered: Reiki Questions Answered.
