Eating for Optimal Health – Winter

Everything I know about the traditional energy system in Japanese Reiki I learned from by Usui Mikao and Frank Arjava Petter, as well as from Bronwen and Frans Steine on their website and their book . This is from their website:

“In traditional Japanese teachings and exercises today the hara system is still the main focus for building a person’s energy. There are, in fact, two other energy centres in the body according to the Japanese energetic system. One is the head and the other is the heart. In the we have called these the Three Diamonds. By linking all three areas the practitioner creates unity and balance. Most important, however, is to first develop the lower hara, as this is the body’s central axis point.”

Reading their book was the beginning of a realization to me, that meditation and personal energy clearing is essential to being a reiki practitioner. Practicing reiki on others without a firm foundation of self practice is like practicing the piano with one finger. Sure, you can chop out a melody, but you lose the richness of harmonies and chords.

I’ve met more than one reiki master who don’t use reiki, for themselves or others, and it shows in their health and overall well-being. They were never trained in the meditations and techniques for increasing their own connection to reiki, and consequently lack the confidence to use reiki. Their classes were all about the attunements, which is a wonderful healing process and increases your metaphysical ability to handle more energy, but practice is what really makes you a practitioner.

Since I learned about Chakras first, I find it helpful to relate the three diamonds to the following chakra energies:

Lower Hara (approximately 3 inches (8cms) below the naval) relates to the bottom three chakras: Root, Sacral, & Solar Plexus. This is your metaphysical umbilical chord to the universe. It is where the life-force energy first entered into you and this is where you can increase your own personal energy for health and vitality through working with Earth Ki. Middle Hara (at the heart center) relates to the middle three chakras: Solar Plexus, Heart, & Throat. This is where you process your emotions and the human experiences such as relationships, as well as your hopes and dreams for your life. Working with energy on the Heart Ki level helps you discover your capacity to love and confront the things you fear with that love. Upper Hara (the third eye area, between and slightly above your eyebrows) relates to your upper chakras: Throat, Third Eye, & Crown. This is where you connect to your spirituality. Working with energy at the Heaven Ki level connects you to the oneness of all things, andyour intuition guides you at this level.

The Japanese system is simple, yet profound, and these associations with the chakras are my own from having worked with both systems. I was inspired one night after doing some of the meditations recommended in the Steine’s book and it made it all so clear to me. Since the hara system is specific to reiki practice, I highly recommend it to every reiki practitioner. Bronwen and Frans Steine are the ones who call them the three diamonds, here is more of what they have to say:

“The three diamonds of Earth Ki, Heaven Ki and Heart Ki are at the foundation of the system of Reiki. They are also at the crux of many facets of Japanese culture, religion and philosophy. A diamond is often used as an analogy of the self in Buddhism. Each and every day a practitioner polishes the diamond by performing his or her practice. This is a constant task for humans who, in this earthly realm, attract dirt: becoming muddy and tarnished. A diamond is so sharp that it can cut through almost anything humanity attaches itself to, bringing back the true essence of life as seen in the perfection of a sparkling diamond.”

Working from within to create for yourself a healthy and integrated body, mind, and spirit connection is what reiki has to offer you as a reiki practitioner. Daily meditation keeps it in your life for all to see.