The 5 Principles of Reiki are principles to live by. They remind you to live a peaceful, mindful life. You can keep them nearby as a gentle reminder, repeat them to yourself when times feel tough or read them when you lose your sense of self. I have them written in the back of my journal, and look at them before I start my day, when I do my 'self reiki' practice, end my yoga with a short meditation, or when my thoughts and emotions seem to run amok. Sometimes I read all of them, and repeat them until the words sink in and feel connected; other times, I just focus on the one that truly resonates with me for the day ahead.
You can repeat them in whichever way you want to, maybe it's just choosing one to 'master' for a week or so, really living into it; or maybe it's focusing on the essence of all five and letting them live within your body, mind and soul to bring about powerful changes.
Whatever you choose, it is exactly that; a choice.
Keep reading below for the FULL five concepts, and drop me a message on Instagram @anahata_reiki_and_wellness about the one that resonates with you the most right now!
1. Just for today, I will let go of worry…
Are you feeling stressed out right now? Is life behaving? Are the people and situations around you feeling out of your control? Unfortunately, it is natural for us to worry when things arrive in life that are unexpected, or when anxiety has already taken hold and we feel like we can't get on top of things. Worry in fact, is often a result of trying to control everyTHING and everyONE around you, and realising that in fact, you can't.
When we hold on to worry, it makes us emotionally and mentally sick, and whether you believe it or not, our second brain (located in the gut), can then cause physical symptoms - so we feel PHYSICALLY sick.
Nausea.
Diarrhea.
Vomiting.
Insomnia.
Negativity.
Constipation.
Anxiety.
These are all physical symptoms that can be related back to stress, back to worry, back to us wanting to control situations and people that we CANNOT. This worry puts a block in our chi/ki/prana/life force energy and prevents its steady flow, which is where reiki treatments can help. If you can't get in to see your healer though, you can try and work through this yourself by reminding yourself that worrying will not make the situation disappear, it will just exasperate it.
Remind yourself you cannot change the situation.
Remind yourself you cannot change the person.
Remind yourself that some things need to lead their own course, and the only thing you CAN change, is how you let yourself react to it, and pick up the pieces.
Remind yourself, that you can focus on the positive things in life to help raise your energy and vibration.
Remind yourself that you can recite the 5 reiki principals and fidn comfort in them.
Remind yourself to be grateful for all the things that are going right for you.
Remind yourself, that everyone around you has their own internal demons and battles that they are facing too, and how lucky you are to recognise this 'pattern' so you can start moving forward.
NOTE: Everything happens for a reason, LEARN from it!
2. Just for today, I will let go of anger...
At some point or another, we all feel anger as a natural reaction to circumstances, people or situations that life throws our way (like lockdown 4.0 hey Victoria?). It is important however to control our REACTIONS when we feel angry and not:
Let them lose on those around us
Harness that anger internally
Allow resentment and rage to build as a result.
Reacting out of anger typically results in feeling out of control, sickness and a loss of connection with your higher being. With it, can also come various physical, as well as mental symptoms (as above), and cause you to spiral into a negative mindset - and so more negative people, events and circumstances will arrive! When you let go of anger, and replace it with love (it's hard, but it WORKS), you will be surprised at the power you can take back into your life. How peaceful you will begin to feel. How high on life you really are.
So next time you feel anger towards your boss/parents/kids/partner, try gently sending them the intention of LOVE & LIGHT to help them through whatever is making them so uptight, and ooooooo how you will be surprised how this arrives back into your life (ask me for tips at m.elouise@outlook.com!). Threefold.
3. Just for today, I will be grateful
Can’t think of something to be grateful for? Sure, I get it.
Sometimes it just seem EVERYTHING is going wrong, but when you focus on this perspective, guess what? Everything ELSE will go wrong too. When you focus on the negative, you attract more negative; but if you can list at lease five things a day that make you feel happy and grateful and let it lead your morning, more of the good will come your way. When I started this process, I didn't think I had a lot to be grateful for either, so I started with the basics:
A bed to sleep in (I was house-sharing)
The ability to have a healthy, functioning body so I could walk and move
The ability to see the world; all it's beauty and greatness
My morning coffee and the friendly baristas
The wardrobe I had (because I worked in fashion and got awesome discounts!)
The people I got to meet on a daily basis
And so it grew.
Go back to the basics and regroup:
You are ALIVE.
You are BREATHING.
You are BEING.
Now you have these 5 principles. Start with being grateful for those handy little reminders. Go back to #1. Worry less and remind yourself that you do have things to be grateful for.
Today, I will be grateful for... being ME!
4. Just for today, I will do my work honestly
Don’t be dishonest, and never lie. Something most of us are taught from youth, but sometimes forget over time as our parents tell us 'white lies' are ok, and it's sometimes best just to 'tell a little fib'. This principle isn’t just about being truthful though, It’s about integrity and authenticity.
Be consistent in who you are.
Get up and GO.
Don’t procrastinate.
Do your work, live your life and do so with strong moral principles that do not waiver.
5. Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing
Be KIND.
Not so easy when we are feeling stressed, anxious, worried, angry or when life seems to have bitten us in the behind. However, we never know what other people around us are going through, and in all honesty, it's much better to offer kindness even if on the surface they don't seem to deserve it. In fact, especially when you come across those that seem to deserve it the least - because they often are the ones needing it the most.
Be mindful of other people's lives, feelings, emotions and their ability to express themselves. While you might be able to break down in tears to show the world you're not doing well right now, soooo many people don't have that allowance within themselves to get vulnerable.
To express.
To exist as a living, breathing, emotional being.
Being kind doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to make other people happy either, it can be something as simple as a smile, opening a door for someone, helping an elder cross the street or put their groceries away, share your 'gifts', or just offer a meaningful compliment (I love telling people I love their outfits!). You'll never regret being too kind, but I tell you, you will certainly regret saying something mean!
You'll feel better for it too, so really, it's a gift to yourself just as much as those around you to be kind, and raise the cumulative vibration of the world around you.
Reading these 5 principles will not change your life today, but it IS a start. When you start practicing them everyday (I like to repeat them all at least 3 times each at the start of the day), they will improve your mood, your relationships, your outlook, and overall - your life.
Until my next blog,
Love & light,
Monique Elouise
P.s. I am taking in person reiki appointments for next week (June 7 onwards) and have reduced the price of my distance healing sessions to just $60 so we can keep the high-vibe-life alive!
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