Month: September 2009

Ki

Ki or energy was first written about in a Chinese document, Huang Ti Nei Ching Su Wen, or the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (also commonly known as the Nei Ching).

The Nei Ching is written on the subject of healing. Chinese folklore claims the Nei Ching was written during the mythological life of Emperor Huang Ti (2697 to 2599 BC), but the text is historically dated at approximately 300 BC. In the Nei Ching, ki is described as the Universal Energy that nourishes and sustains all life forms. It flows through the universe and each individual. A non-restricted flow of ki in the body allows one to remain healthy, while a diminished flow of ki in the body leads on to illness.The Nei Ching describes how ki circulates through the body and is directed by invisible channels known as meridians.

Ki is considered an integral element to everyday Japanese life. Many Japanese traditions are based on a strong connection to ki apart form the martial arts and religious training. The success of the world-renowned tea ceremony called sadô and the art of calligraphy or shadô are all based on the practitioners’ ability to channel free-flowing ki. Teachings from the Nei Ching travelled from China to Korea and eventually across to Japan in the seventh century along with Buddhist sutras, historical books, medical books, works on astronomy and geography. Ki was practised solely for medical purposes until the twelfth century when the sammurai introduced it into their art.

Hara (see Seika no Itten)

The word hara literally means stomach, abdomen or belly. Energy is stored in this point of the body from where it expands throughout the whole body. Though the abdomen is generally called the hara there are, in fact, two more energetic centres in the body. One is the head and the other is the heart. By linking all three areas the practitioner creates unity and balance. A strong hara in a practitioner is indicated by a firm and collected stance. The shoulders are low and hanging loose. The legs are slightly apart with the body weight evenly distributed.

1. Hara or lower hara (approximately 8cm below the navel). In this centre, the Original Energy is stored. This is the energy you are born with, the energy that is the essence of your life and gives you your life’s purpose. The Original Energy is not only the energy you receive from your parents when you are conceived but most importantly it is the energetic connection between you and the universal life force. When the singular term hara is mentioned it is the lower hara that is being discussed.
2. Middle hara (at the heart centre). The energy in this centre is connected with emotions. It is “human” energy connected with human experience. Through this centre you learn your life’s process. From childhood through to aduldhood and back to being a child. When you are a child you are without experience and as you grow older you become a child with experience.
3. Upper hara (third eye area). This is the energy connected with your spirit. When you are connected with this centre you may see colours or you might have psychic ability. It is important for you not to become unbalanced and keep yourself centred. If you can use this energy in a balanced way, you can see beyond the immediate.

Hara (Seika no Itten)

The word hara literally means stomach, abdomen or belly. Energy is stored in this point of the body from where it expands throughout the whole body.

1. Seika no Itten (approximately 8cm below the navel). In this centre, the Original Energy is stored. This is the energy you are born with, the energy that is the essence of your life and gives you your life’s purpose. The Original Energy is not only the energy you receive from your parents when you are conceived but most importantly it is the energetic connection between you and the universal life force. When the singular term hara is mentioned it is the lower hara that is being discussed.

Gasshô

Literally gasshô means “to place the two palms together”. It actually has several interpretations at different levels. Initially it is a sign of reverence. It also says, “I revere the Buddha nature in you” – a non-judgemental manner of showing respect for all beings. Gasshô brings all opposites together. It creates unity within the body by bringing the left- and right-hand side together. All opposites become one.

It is possible to see how focused an individual is by their gasshô. If their connection is poor their gasshô will be loose and sloppy. A firm gasshô indicates a quiet and focused mind. This action creates an integration of mind and body as one.

There are many varieties of gasshô. When performing gasshô the eyes must be kept on the tips of the middle fingers.

Seiza

Seiza, or correct sitting, is a traditional Japanese style of sitting on top of the ankles, with the legs folded underneath and the back erect. When sitting in seiza correctly, it is comfortable and easy to maintain.

To sit in seiza the legs bend at the knees and the left knee is placed on the floor. The right knee is place about 20cm from the left. Now the feet are positioned onto the floor so that the big toes just touch each other. The buttocks are lowered until they rest on or between the heels. If the legs tire or fall asleep then the practitioner must slightly rise up of the knees to allow better circulation. A pillow can be placed behind the knees to help lift the pressure off the heels. The more it is practised the easier it becomes and the longer the seiza position can be sustained.

The motivation behind sitting in seiza is that the leg that has contact with the floor along to the toes is representative of a large foot. When standing, the body’s weight is on the balls of the feet rather than the soles. This is the perfect posture of balance. So the same can be said for sitting on the ground as the weight is forward rather than on the ankles.
From this position the body must feel relaxed. Relaxation should be refreshing. Relaxation is when the body is supported permitting the circulation of blood, oxygen and energy to flow with ease. The Ancient Chinese believed that energy entered the body with the breath and moved through the body in the blood. When all three are free to move with ease — breath, energy and blood — the practitioner becomes relaxed, strong and healthy. The spine is slightly s-shaped in a natural position. To support the head it must be balanced on the top of the spine. The chin pulled in slightly and the back of the neck stretched. It should feel as if someone has taken a strand of hair from the crown and is pulling it up. Stretching the spine. Sitting supported releases stress from the body keeping it light and buoyant.

A useful extrinsic method to develop internal force is the Three-Circle Stance. The emphasis of this stance is on training of Ki (internal energy).

Before starting also see the article on Kikou / Qi Gong.

1. Stand relaxed and upright with your feet fairly close together (one fist width apart).
2. Keep your eyes closed for the remainder of the exercise.
3. Gasshô to centre body, mind and spirit, and set the intent.
4. Bring your hands to your sides and relax.
5. Slowly and gently lift the heel of your left leg so only your toes touch the ground. Move your weight over to your right side, lift your left leg and place it one and a half times shoulder width to the left, with the toes pointing in slightly.
6. Lift the toes of the right foot and turn them in at the same angle as the left foot. Bend the knees slightly. Tilt the pelvis slightly forward and make sure that your back is straight.
7. Bring the arms up at chest level in front, with elbows and wrists slightly bent to form a circle. Your fingers should be held loosely apart with thumbs and index fingers forming a small second circle.
8. Pull in the abdomen slightly and hook the knees as if holding a ball with your thighs, thus forming the third circle.
9. Clear the mind of all thoughts.
10. Stand motionless in this stance for as long as possible. It is suggested that this stance be kept for a 1000 counts or 20 minutes.
11. Straighten your legs gently. Move your weight over to the right foot. Gently bring your left foot in next to the right foot, fist distance apart.
12. Move on to the next Kikou exercise or perform Reiki Undô.
13. Finish off with the Kikou Face Massage and Sounding Heavenly Drum.

PS. Do not be concerned if, after practicing for some time, parts of the whole body vibrates or shakes vigorously. This is a manifestation of the Kungfu principle, which states that extreme stillness generates motion. It is caused by the vigorous internal flow of energy and is a sure sign that you have developed internal force.

1. Stand erect, feet together.
2. Visualize your pineal gland (which is located approximately between the ears, and behind the eyes in the center of the head). This is the place of the seventh chakra, and is called the “seat of the soul”. It is the home of the “spark of life” — the spiritual part of us that gives our bodies life. Visualize your pineal as a ball of white light energy.
3. Inhale, maintaining the visualization, then exhale sharply, shooting the ball of light down through your body, deep into the very center point of the Earth. The center of the Earth is beyond molten lava, it is like an inner Sun, it is a significant energy center. After “shooting” your “ball of light” down into the Earth, allow it a second or two to reach the Earth’s center.
4. Then begin to inhale again slowly, feeling the energy come up from the Earth, then up into your body, and back to the pineal.
5. Repeat at least three times.

It is of the utmost importance to breathe gently and to be relaxed in body and mind. A common mistake among beginners is to imagine that the more forcefully one breathes, the more powerful one becomes. That is not true. In Kikou training, what is breathed in is not just air, but cosmic energy, and forceful breathing often constricts the flow of cosmic energy. Again, it is important to emphasise being in a relaxed state of mind. Keep your mind free of distracting thoughts while doing the exercise.

Please note that all these points are fundamental to Kikou practice. If you are a total beginner, these steps might be difficult to follow. If this is so, don’t worry. Remember the Reiki precept – Just for today. Therefore, in the time being, just try to perform the exercise as naturally as you are able.

Physical Position

Place yourself where the air is fresh and plentiful. If indoors; preferably by an open window or door and if outdoors; by grass, trees or flowers, where there is Ki of growth. Feng Shui dictates that one’s back should be towards the mountains and front side towards water, if these are present geographically.

Stand relaxed, balanced on the centre of the feet. Make sure your feet are pointing forward, slightly apart with your spine erect. Focus on each muscle group in the body — starting with the top of the head and ending at the tips of the toes, and consciously release the tension in each muscle group, until the only function of the muscles are to keep you vertical.

Emotional Position

Make an internal agreement to let go of those things, which are adversely effecting your emotions for the limited time of your Kikou practice session. Place them aside for 15 to 20 minutes, or however long the Kikou session will take. Open your heart up to life.

Mental Position

Develop a ‘one pointed mind’ — a mind which will envelope anything that is focused upon. This is part of the process of developing a ‘Kikou state of mind’, which honours the requirements of Yin/Yang, Intuitive/Logical, Instinctive/Rational.

Important points to remember about breathing:

• Don’t underestimate the importance of breathing during your Kikou exercises. Proper breathing techniques are at the very core of practicing Kikou.
• Focus on your breathing. Don’t carry any tension in your jaw. Your jaw should be always relaxed. The most common mistake people make during most Kikou exercises is not breathing consistently and fully – and forgetting to relax simultaneously.
• Breathe in through your nose. Your breath should be long, slow and deep.
• Sit or stand up straight and relaxed, so that you can expand your chest.
• Practice abdominal breathing, that is; breathing into the abdominal area, or lower hara. This concept has been in use for centuries in Kikou. It’s now seen in modern exercise practices, from Pilates to spinning to yoga.
• Use your abdominal muscles to pull in more air. Feel your abs pull at the bottom of your lungs to fill in the lower lungs with air. This is what personal trainers call ‘filling your belly with air.’
• Contract your abs to completely deflate the lungs, pushing out all the air. Pull up and in with the abs to accomplish this.
• Try reinforcing your breaths by taking in a very deep breath and holding it in for a second before breathing in again to fill the lower lungs; then exhale completely. Remember to contract the abdominal muscles on the in breath.

Tips & Warnings:

If you experience any shortness of breath or pain during the practice of your Kikou exercises, stop immediately. You might need to seek professional medical attention.

When you plant a seed in the ground, does it instantaneously bear fruit? Of course not. You wouldn’t expect it to, either. All things that bear fruit stay hidden for a time. This is a universal truth in both the physical and spiritual worlds. It’s called conceal to reveal.

Today, don’t judge yourself by the fruits you bear but by the seeds you put in the ground.

The Muddy stream… Hayashi sensei often used the image of a “muddy stream” when explaining the natural cleansing process.

When you look at the surface of the water it looks clean and clear. However when you stir it the mud from the bottom is brought to the surface making the water cloudy and muddy. If you remove the mud floating on the surface the stream will appear to be clear although some mud will have sunk back down to the bottom. Repeating this process enough times the muddy stream will eventually be reborn as a clear one.

By the same process Reiki stirs and removes toxins from our system. After receiving a Reiki treatment, initially the person’s condition may appear to become worse but this should not be seen as a problem. It is merely a part of the natural cleansing.

Sensing Imbalances With Byôsen Reikan Hô

byôsen 病腺 – illness, disease
[byô 病 – ill, toxic; sen 腺 – lump]
reikan 霊感 – inspiration, sacred intuition
hô 法 – method

To be used on yourself or others to sense imbalances in the body.

1. Gasshô – to centre the mind and set intent.
2. Move the hands approximately 5-15cm over the sitting, standing or lying body looking for a sensation in your hands.
3. When you sense byôsen (on-netsu, atsui-on-netsu, piri-piri kan, hibiki, itami.) in your hands place your hands on that part of the body.
4. Wait until the flow of Reiki tapers off.
5. Repeat steps 2 – 4 until no more byôsen is perceived.
6. Gasshô – to give thanks.

Levels of Byôsen

Byôsen has its peaks and troughs and is divided into five levels. When you lay your hands on Byôsen you will feel:

• On-netsu (Warmth)
  When your hands are places on a stiff part of the receiver’s body you will sense warmth (1^st level), which is slightly higher than the usual body temperature.
• Atsui-on-netsu (Intense Warmth)
  It will be followed by more intense heat (2^nd level).
• Piri-piri kan (Tingling Sensation)
  If the stiffness in the body is even more serious your hands will have a tingling sensation in the palms or fingertips. Some people describe this as “numbness” and others as “electric vibration.”
• Hibiki (Throbbing Sensation)
  Hibiki is a pulse-like sensation in your hands, which indicates that you can actually feel the Reiki stimulating blood vessels, causing them to expand and contract. At this time the blood circulation is activated an the blood begins to flow more smoothly.
• Itami (Pain)
  Itami means a pain, which tells you that the receiver’s Byôsen, is quite serious. If the problem is more serious, your hands will feel more painful. Pain can move from your palm to the back of your hand, to your wrist and gradually to around the elbow area. Sometimes it stops there and at other times it may move up to the shoulder. After the pain eases, the tingling sensation you felt also simultaneously decreases. When they experience this pain some people become worried about being affected by negative energy from the receiver, but this is not possible so do not worry unnecessarily. Taking your hands off the receiver can easily relieve the pain although occasionally it still continues for a while.