At the heart of everything I do, and everything I share, are the 5 Principles of Reiki. They aren’t just words to memorize; they’re like a gentle compass I try to follow. They were passed down from Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki, and they’re surprisingly simple.
But before we dive into them, it helps to understand what Reiki is and how it functions as a healing practice.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese technique for relaxation and stress reduction, originating in the early 1900s. At its core, it’s based on the idea that a life force energy, called Ki in Japanese, flows through all living things. When this energy is low or gets blocked by stress, worry, or old emotional baggage, we feel it. We get sick, we feel stuck, we feel tired.
The Healing Power of a Reiki Session
A Reiki session is like a gentle tune-up for that energy. The practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the body, facilitating the flow of universal life energy (the Rei part) to wherever it’s needed most. This energy works with the negative thoughts and feelings that are blocking your natural flow, helping that stuck energy soften and release.
Research and clinical observation suggest this process activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” state, which helps lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and decrease stress hormones. Most people report feeling deeply peaceful, mentally clear, and experiencing emotional release during and after a session.
The Creator & The Path
Reiki, as we know it today, was developed by Mikao Usui in the early 1900s. He created a system that wasn’t just about healing others, but about healing ourselves. That system includes these five principles, along with specific techniques and the process of attunement (which is how a teacher passes on the ability to channel Reiki to a student). Today, thousands of teachers and practitioners worldwide, myself included, trace their lineage back to him.
The Research & Evidence
While Reiki is rooted in spiritual and energetic traditions, its effects are increasingly supported by scientific inquiry. A 2018 meta-analysis reviewed multiple studies and found Reiki effective for reducing pain and anxiety.
Hospitals and medical centers across the United States, including the Cleveland Clinic and Yale Medicine, now offer Reiki as a complementary therapy to support conventional medical treatments, particularly for stress reduction, pain management, and improving quality of life in cancer patients.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Research only tells part of the story. The real understanding comes from experiencing it yourself. If you’ve never had a session before, here’s what it typically looks like: You remain fully clothed, usually lying on a massage table or sitting comfortably.
I place my hands in a series of positions on or just above your body, from your head to your feet. There’s no manipulation or massage, just gentle presence. People often report feeling warmth, tingling, or simply a profound sense of calm as the Reiki energy flows.
Self-Healing: The Power of Daily Reiki Practice
While receiving sessions from a practitioner is a wonderful way to reset, Reiki is ultimately a self-healing practice. Students in Level I training learn to channel energy for themselves, making it a tool they can use anytime, like a portable stress-relief kit.
This idea of self-healing brings us to the heart of the Usui system: the Five Principles. These aren’t techniques you need a certification to use. They are simple, daily intentions that anyone can practice to harness the power of Reiki in their everyday lives.
5 Principles of Reiki
In English, the principles are typically translated as:
- Just for today, do not be angry.
- Just for today, do not worry.
- Just for today, be grateful.
- Just for today, work hard (on yourself).
- Just for today, be kind to others.
The phrase “Just for today” is the most important part of the practice. It takes the pressure off and breaks it down into a manageable, mindful intention. It’s about focusing on the present moment. It’s not a lifelong commitment or a promise to be a saint for the rest of my life. I’m just making a small, kind promise to myself for the next 24 hours. That’s it.
Each one helps me in different ways. Let’s break them down:
Principle 1 – Just for today, I will not be angry
Anger happens. Someone cuts you off in traffic, a friend lets you down, and you feel it. This isn’t about suppressing that feeling. It’s about catching yourself and not letting it fester. It’s about noticing the anger, taking a breath, and asking, “Do I need to carry this with me for the rest of the day?”
Principle 2 – Just For Today, I Will Not Worry.
My brain loves to play the “what if” movie. But this principle reminds me that 99% of the things I worry about never happen. It encourages me to ground myself in the present moment, the only point of power I truly have. I can’t change the past, and I can’t control the future, but I can control how I show up for it. It is an act of trust in my ability to handle whatever comes, rather than exhausting myself trying to prevent it.
Principle 3 – Just For Today, I Will Be Grateful
This is a powerful practice that shifts focus from what we lack to what we have. On a bad day, pausing to find one thing, the warmth of my coffee, a text from a friend, the fact that I have a roof over my head, literally shifts something in my brain. It moves me from a place of lack to a place of abundance. It’s acknowledging the good, even when things are hard.
Principle 4 – Just For Today, I Will Do My Work Honestly.
For a long time, I thought this just meant “don’t steal from the office.” In a deeper context, “work” refers to your life’s work, your profession, your duties, and most importantly, your inner work. It’s about bringing my whole, authentic self to everything I do. Whether it’s a Reiki session, an email, or just washing the dishes, it’s about doing it with integrity and focus. It’s also about the honest effort of looking at myself, my patterns, and my ego, and trying to be a better person today than I was yesterday.
Principle 5 – Just For Today, I Will Be Kind To Every Living Being
Kindness extends compassion to all living things. This principle recognizes the interconnectedness of all life. It teaches that healing ourselves and healing the world are the same process. Showing kindness to others, human, animal, or plant, is an extension of showing kindness to oneself and to the universal life force. When I’m kind to you, I’m also being kind to the part of the universe that lives in me.
How to Integrate the Reiki Principles into Daily Life
Integrating these principles requires intention and repetition. Here are practical methods used by Reiki practitioners and students of mindfulness:
- Daily Recitation: Recite the principles aloud each morning, typically with hands together in Gassho (prayer position). This sets a clear intention for the day ahead.
- Sticky Notes: Place the written principles on a bathroom mirror, refrigerator, or workspace. Visual cues interrupt autopilot and bring the mind back to the practice. It’s a little cheesy, but it works.
- Journaling: Writing about your experiences with each principle can uncover patterns and deepen your understanding of how they manifest in your daily life. Ask questions like, “Where did worry show up today? How did I handle it?”
- Mindful Reflection: At the end of the day, briefly reflect on which principles were easy to embody and which were challenged. This is not for judgment, but for awareness.
How to Know If the Reiki Principles Are Working
You’ll know it’s working not because life stops being hard, but because you feel a little steadier when it is. You’ll notice that moment you almost get angry, and maybe you pause instead. You’ll catch yourself in a worry-spiral and take a breath.
If you’re looking for a teacher, find someone who embodies this. Find someone who feels grounded, kind, and authentic. Someone who lives the principles, not just someone who can talk about them.
Ready to Experience It?
I offer Reiki sessions if you’re curious to feel this energy for yourself. We can do them in person, or I can work with you remotely; distance is no object for this kind of energy.