How to do Hatsu Rei Ho

The Reiki attunements give everyone a baseline ability, so you all start off on the same footing. However, how effective or how 'clear' a channel you are depends on what you do with the energy. It is very important to get regular practice, particularly in the first few weeks after being attuned, by doing self-treatments and treating other people, but from Japan has come a series of energy exercises specially designed to be used by Reiki people.
These exercises are called 'Hatsu Rei Ho'.

'Hatsu Rei Ho' originates in Tendai Buddhism, and the exercises have correspondences with Tibetan Buddhist purification rituals, Taoist or meridian massage, and QiGong too. They are used within the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai, and it was only in Autumn 1999 that the techniques were revealed in the Western world by a man called Hiroshi Doi who is a member of Usui's Association. Hatsu Rei Ho is designed to be carried out every day for at about 10-15 minutes, and is the basis of the practice of Reiki in the Gakkai. It is something that is done conscientiously at all levels: First Degree, Second Degree and Master levels.

The Japanese word ‘Ho’ means ‘technique’, so you will find it attached to a number of Reiki techniques. ‘Hatsu Rei’ means ‘start up Reiki’, and ‘Hatsu Rei Ho’ can be taken as meaning a technique to start up and strengthen your Reiki. This method, together with the Reiju empowerments that you received on the First Degree course, are the basic techniques of Usui's Reiki training as it is practised in Japan today. Reiju is used for transmitting the Reiki ability to another person, and Hatsu Rei Ho is used to strengthen that connection and to purify the Reiki energy that passes through the student. Hatsu Rei Ho is begun as soon as the student starts training with the Gakkai, and students would receive Reiju empowerments every week, to enhance their intuitive abilities and accelerate their spiritual development.

It was taught that it is not enough simply to receive a Reiki empowerment, although the Reiki ability will never leave you. If a student wanted to progress on their spiritual path, they needed to do three things:

Continue to receive Reiju empowerments on a regular basis,
Practice Hatsu Rei Ho daily,
Live the 'Reiki Principles' as part of their life.

This is How to do Hatsu Rei Ho…

Stage One: Relax Relax and close your eyes, and place your hands palms down on your lap. Focus your attention on your Dantien point: an energy centre two fingerbreadths (3-5 cm) below your tummy button and 1/3 of the way into your body.
Stage Two: Mokunen (Focusing) Say to yourself "I'm going to start Hatsu Rei now".
Stage Three: Kenyoku This means 'Dry Bathing' or 'Brushing Off' Kenyoku can be seen as a way of getting rid of negative energy. It has correspondences with Taoist massage, or meridian massage. Here is what to do:
Place the fingertips of your right hand near the top of the left shoulder, where the collarbone meets the bulge of the shoulder. The hand is lying flat on your chest.
Draw your flat hand down and across the chest in a straight line, over the base of the sternum (where your breastbone stops and your abdomen starts, in the midline) and down to the right hip. Exhale as you do this.
Do the same on the right side, using your left hand. Draw your left hand from the right shoulder, in a straight line across the sternum, to the left hip, and again exhale as you make the downward movement.
Do the same on the left side again (like you did at the start), so you will have carried out movements with your right hand, left hand, and right hand again.
Now put your right fingertips on the outer edge of the left shoulder, at the top of your slightly outstretched left arm, with your fingertips pointing sideways away from your body.
Move your right hand, flattened, along the outside of your arm,
Keep the hand moving all the way to the fingertips and beyond, all the while keeping the left arm straight. Exhale as you do this.
Repeat this process on the right side, with the left hand placed on the right shoulder, and move it down the right arm to the fingertips and beyond. Exhale as you do this.
Repeat the process on the left side again, so you will have carried out movements with your right hand, left hand, and right hand again, like before.
Stage Four: Connect to Reiki Raise your hands high up in the air on either side of your head, with your palms facing the sky and your fingers pointing towards the midline. Connect to Reiki by visualising energy or white light cascading into your hands and running through your arms into your body. Feel the sensations. As you become aware of Reiki flowing, slowly lower your hands. This position is the first of the "Eight Brocades" in QiGong: connecting heaven and earth.
Stage Five: Joshin Kokkyu Ho This means "Technique for Purification of the Spirit" or "Soul Cleansing Breathing Method". This is a meditation that focuses on the Dantien point.
Put your hands on your lap with your palms facing upwards and breathe naturally through your nose. Focus on your Dantien point and relax.
When you breathe in, visualise energy or light flooding into your crown chakra and passing into your Dantien and, as you pause before exhaling, feel that energy expand throughout your body, melting all your tensions.
When you breathe out, imagine that the energy floods out of your body in all directions as far as infinity.
You should soon feel energy/tingling in your hands and even in your feet, as the meditation progresses!
Stage Six: Gassho Gassho means "hands together", and the correct position to hold is to have your hands together in front of your chest (like praying hands) a little higher that your heart, so that you could breathe out onto your fingertips if you wanted to. Hold this position for meditation. An important aspect of this meditation is that you should focus your awareness on the point where your middle fingers touch. You might try putting your tongue up to touch the roof of your mouth with each in-breath, and release the tongue on each out-breath, and see if this makes any difference to your experience of this stage.
Stage Seven: Seishin Toitsu This means "my mind is focused" or "my spirit is gathered", and is the stage when Reiju is given by teachers in the Gakkai. Stay in the Gassho position.
When you breathe in, visualise energy or light flooding into your hands and passing into your Dantien: breathe in through your hands. Feel the energy accumulating and building there.
When you breathe out, visualise that the energy stored in your Dantien floods out through your hands.
Stage Eight: Gokai Sansho Say the 5 Principles aloud, three times. Just for today: Do not anger Do not worry Be humble Be honest Be compassionate towards yourself and others Maybe you would like to mentally review the principles, and dwell on their meaning for you.
Stage Nine: Mokunen Put your hands back on to your laps with your palms down. Say to yourself "I've finished Hatsu Rei Ho now" to your sub-conscious.

Open your eyes and shake your hands up/down/left/right for a few seconds.