The second pillar: Reiji-Ho
Reiki’s second pillar is designed specifically to align your deepest intention with the highest good for the client and, in fact, for all. Imagine this… you can turn on a really powerful flashlight to create lots of light, but if we don’t point it in the right direction, it isn’t likely to do us much good. Gassho is like flipping the switch on the flashlight and Reiji-Ho is pointing the flashlight in the direction that is best for everyone. Reiji-Ho is asking that Reiki create the highest and best benefit for this person and in fact for all beings. And I think that part of this also relates to trusting that we don’t necessarily know what that highest benefit may be, even for ourselves.
The third pillar: Chiryo
Once we’ve performed Gassho and Reiji-Ho the next pillar is Chiryo, the formal treatment. This will be the subject of further posts. On the subject of empowering your Reiki sessions through the powerful practices of Gassho and Reiji-Ho I have this to say: If you’ve ever done anything in life with a powerful intention I’m sure that you can attest to the fact that this produces much more powerful effects than performing the same activity unintentionally. This is the reason, purpose, and power behind the 3 Pillars of Reiki. In my early years I began many massage therapy sessions without properly setting my intention in this way. I can say from personal experience there are light years of difference between performing a deeply intentional session guided by the Pillars of Reiki and practicing without having first prepared myself through Gassho and Reiji-Ho.
How about you?
Have you had any experiences with the pillars of Reiki? Have you found the three pillars to be useful even outside the context of a Reiki healing session?