It was such a privilege to learn the Komyo ReikiDo traditional Japanese practices, removing the unnecessary trappings and coming back to the essence of Reiki.

There were some major differences between what I had learned in the West and the way Reiki is practised within Komyo ReikiDo. There were also some new personal discoveries for me. These are some of my main takeaways.

Reiki is an Act of Surrender

The most important takeaway from my time with Inamoto Sensei is that Reiki is an act of surrender.

I have pondered this a great deal since my time with Sensei, and I have realised that we need to let go of the drive to do more and be more.

The further away we can get from our ego, the purer the Reiki will be. Our ego constantly tempts us to think that we are doing something, that we are responsible for the healing.

In Reiki, we need to put that ego aside.

Place your hands and surrender.

Just let the Reiki flow.

The Japanese Way is Far Simpler

I

 think in the West we tend to overcomplicate everything, whereas the Japanese approach is much more minimalist.

The Reiki taught by Inamoto Sensei was far simpler than I expected, and this simplicity was what made it so powerful.

There was something very profound in stripping things back and allowing the practice itself to be at the centre, rather than adding more and more around it.

Consent

When I originally learned Reiki, I was taught that you should not do Reiki without consent.

The Komyo ReikiDo method does not place the same emphasis on this. Within this approach, it is quite okay to send Reiki without consent.This was one of the differences that stood out to me between what I had previously learned and what I experienced through Komyo ReikiDo.

The Symbols

Some of the symbols were quite different in Komyo ReikiDo. This was another interesting difference from what I had previously learned in the West and gave me an opportunity to look at the symbols from a different perspective.

The Power of Words: Kotodama

One of the things I had never really considered in relation to Reiki was Kotodama, the power of words.

Learning about this gave me so much insight into the deeper meaning of the names of some of the symbols, as well as the word Reiki itself.

It opened up a whole new way of looking at the words we use within the practice and their deeper meaning.

The Power of Gasho

Another profound experience for me was Gasho. Sitting in Gasho, waiting while Sensei carried out the Reiju attunements, was quite an experience. With around 30 students, the process took many hours. We sat quietly, hands held in Gasho, waiting for our turn.

In that silence, so much was revealed to me.

There was something about simply sitting, waiting and being present, without trying to do anything, that became a profound personal experience.

Perhaps, in the end, this brought me back to the most important lesson I took away from my time with Inamoto Sensei:

Reiki is an act of surrender.

So next time you give Reiki just place your hands, let go of the ego, and simply allow the Reiki to flow.

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Please note: This is my personal experience, not necessarily what is taught by Inamoto sensei or Komyo Reiki Do