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The 5 Reiki Principles in daily life

Just for today I will not worry.
Just for today I will not anger.
Just for today I will do my work honestly.
Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today I will be kind to every living thing

reiki cover.jpg
reiki cover.jpg

While Reiki is considered by most to be primarily a healing tool, it is also a spiritual path.  It can be used to great effect in emotional and physical healing, but its greatest power lies in its potential as a spiritual tool of growth and transformation for the reiki practitioner.

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The beauty of Reiki lies in the fact that Reiki is truly beneficial to everyone, and does not require one to be “spiritual” in order to gain benefit from it.  By the same token, though, when one embraces the principles of Reiki and makes the choice to develop one’s consciousness and spirituality, to connect and awaken to their inner divinity, Reiki is a wonderful companion and tool to assist one on one’s journey.  These five principles, by themselves simple, profound and empowering, which Mikao Usui established as the grounding principles for Reiki, can be used as a foundation for deep growth, transformation and enlightenment.

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While everyone can, and will, find their own meaning within these principles, it is beneficial to have an initial insight into each of the principles.  This discussion below is by no means prescriptive, and you are urged to meditate on these principles yourself, and to find your own meaning and understanding.  The discussion below serves only to act as a foundation for your own further contemplation of the deeper meaning of the principles.

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JUST FOR TODAY…

 

Just for today: Being in the present moment, the here-and-now; not worrying about the future or having thoughts of the past.  Too often, we allow ourselves to react to a situation based on something that has happened to us before, e.g. the last time you did this, a particular thing happened, now you predict the same thing will happen every time.  So too, we also bring worry into our day to day thoughts and how we handle situations, e.g. “what if this happens or that happens when I do this?”  Being “in the present moment” means leaving all of those worries, predictions and pre-conceived reactions behind and accepting each moment as if it were brand new, reacting to each moment from a space of love, as though you’ve never been hurt or disappointed before.  Everyone has been hurt or disappointed before, so why react from that space, when perhaps a space of love, understanding, compassion, joy and innocence could help another heal.

And these principles are gentle principles that ask only that you try, just for today.  If it doesn’t work out today, you can try again tomorrow.

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JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL NOT WORRY

 

I will not worry:  Worry can be compared to being wrapped in heavy chains.  Chains slow us down, make movement difficult, exhaust us, and wear us down.  Freedom of movement and freedom of choice are both hampered by heavy chains.  So too are we hampered by worry.  Yet worry accomplishes nothing; it does not prepare us for anything, it does not assist us in any way.  Worry only serves to weaken us, slow us down, and keep us wrapped in fear.  It has become such a part of our lives that we cannot see any way to live without it. 

The way to learn to live without worry is to have faith and believe that you are a divine child of the universe, who is here on this earth at this time for a reason, and that you are looked after.  We have always been given exactly what we needed to get to the next moment, and so too will we be given and guided to whatever it is we need to continue to our next moment, so why worry?  Every human on this planet faces setbacks as part of life, and if we choose to respond to these setbacks negatively, and worry, we cause stress and imbalance.  However, should we choose to respond positively, accepting that setbacks are an opportunity to learn, we release, heal and strengthen ourselves.  Have faith and believe that all you need do is be in the here and now, in the present moment, for that is where your greatest strength lies.

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JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL NOT GET ANGRY

 

I will not anger: Being angry takes us away from our sense of peace and calm.  Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick.  Anger stems from fear in some form and serves no purpose.  Choosing to react with anger can also stem from a lack of understanding, empathy and compassion, as every person we interact with has their own set of fears and issues to deal with.

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Choosing to release anger as a reactive choice requires us to develop a sense of “unselfish love”.  Every person we deal with has their own fears and issues to deal with and perhaps the situation within which we normally react in anger, would heal if we react rather with love, an attempt at understanding, and a release of judgement.  That person may have acted that way towards you and fuelled your anger because of something that happened to them earlier.  Paying the anger forward serves only to create more negativity, rather pay love forward.

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JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL DO MY WORK HONESTLY

 

I will do my work honestly: sounds easy enough, but how many times a day do we tell a little white lie, just to make life easier for ourselves?  I choose to believe that my life is my work, so I take this phrase to mean that I will live my life as honestly as possible.  This requires integrity in all levels of being, including with ourselves.  How often do we lie to ourselves?  Are you truly happy with your life as it is right now, or do you tell yourself you are because you feel you just need to accept what there is rather than question and dream and change your circumstances to better nurture your soul?  Being honest in every way, from the little things (saying “it’s no problem” to someone when maybe it is) to the big things (taking stationery from work? Claiming more on an insurance claim?) demands being present in the moment, monitoring your thoughts, catching yourself when you feel the urge to slip-up.  Observing ourselves is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, as we get to know ourselves better, we treat ourselves better, and we love ourselves more.

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JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL GIVE THANKS FOR MY MANY BLESSINGS

 

I will give thanks for my many blessings: Practicing gratitude is something so simple, but few of us do it regularly.  Give thanks every morning for waking up… for the beautiful day… for your family, friends, animals, material comforts. 

Spending a few moments in the morning and in the evening, focusing on the things you can be grateful for can lead to a complete change in perspective.  As a result of doing this, you may find yourself more present in each moment of the day, noticing the things that you are grateful for in each moment.  Or you may find yourself being grateful for things you never previously considered, such as the colour of the grass or sky, the warmth of the sun, and in noticing these things, your life is suddenly enriched and you are a happier person, less likely to anger or to worry and being more present in each moment. 

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Life tends to give us what we need.  It may not be what we want but it will be what we need.  On a divine level, throughout our lives, we receive what we need to grow and learn in this lifetime.

Instead of wasting our lives complaining about the things that have happened, the problems we face, or the people that surround us, if we change our perspective, take responsibility for our lives by grasping the lessons all around us and grow accordingly, we will find ourselves happier, more at peace, healthier and more empowered.

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JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL BE KIND TO EVERY LIVING THING

 

I will be kind to every living thing:  Many people would feel this pertains to humans and animals, but it can go so much deeper than that.  Even the smallest little creature or bug that we can’t stand, to the living plants and trees and even Mother Earth herself, our living home, all are living things that we can choose to be kinder to, to be more considerate of.  Think how our lives and the lives of all humans would change if this were a conscious effort made by all.

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The law of karma states that what goes around comes around. Send out love and you will receive love back in return. Send out kindness and you will receive kindness. Send out healing and you receive healing. Send out positive thoughts and you will receive positive results.  Karma is a double-edged sword. Send out negative thoughts and you will get negative results. 

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