Reiki practitioners are trained to live their lives following five principles. However, you don’t need to be a Reiki master to benefit from these words of wisdom. In this article, I’ll show you a technique for putting these principles into practice to improve your levels of happiness and mental wellbeing.
The Five Principles
The five principles of Reiki are that “just for today”:
I will not worry
I will not be angry
I will count my many blessings
I will do my work honestly
I will be kind
Just for Today
It’s important to note that each principle starts with “just for today”. This helps us stay focused on the present moment, rather than criticising ourselves for what we might have done wrong yesterday or putting pressure on ourselves to be “perfect” all the time. Personally, I find this a really helpful part of the five principles.
Why Do the Principles Include a Negative?
People often wonder why the five principles include negatives: I will not worry, I will not be angry. You may be familiar with the idea that affirmations should always be positive, such as “I am a calm person.”
Various theories have been offered as to why the principles of Reiki include negatives. Some say it’s simply due to translation from Japanese. But the explanation I like best is the one given by Torsten A. Lange in his wonderful book Proof of Reiki, Proof of Eternity.
The principles of Reiki are not affirmations. By including the emotion we are learning to avoid in the first two principles, we bring it to the forefront of our minds, examine it, and lean into it rather than hide from it. This can be really helpful for overcoming it, as I’m going to explain.
How to Use the Five Principles
Try reciting the five principles several times per day. This doesn’t have to be time-consuming—you can do it in the shower, while making breakfast, on your commute, or while standing in a supermarket queue (silently is best in public!).
Begin by getting yourself into a relaxed state of mind. A good way to do this is to take a deep breath in, exhale slowly, and count down from five to one, feeling yourself become more relaxed with each number. Repeat this two or three times until you feel calm.
I Will Not Worry
Once you feel calm, start with the first principle: “Just for today, I will not worry.” As you say the word “worry”, notice what comes up. Are there worries that come to mind? You could label them in your mind if you wish: “Just for today, I will not worry if I make my connection.” You might even add an explanation why: “Because it’s out of my control,” or “Because I know I can deal with issues when they arise.”
Alternatively, simply notice where you feel your worries in your body rather than naming them.
Continue repeating the first principle a few times. As you do so, visualise your worries evaporating away from your body. Only move on to the next principle when you feel something has shifted and your worries have reduced.
I Will Not Be Angry
Repeat the same process as before, this time observing what comes up when you say the word “angry.” Again, you can name the stressor that’s making you angry or simply notice where you feel it in your body, letting it evaporate and leave you.
Take as long as you need on each principle—perhaps more or less time than the previous one, depending on what’s going on for you right now.
I Will Count My Many Blessings
For me, this principle comes at the perfect point in the sequence. By now, we’ve hopefully released the negative emotions that no longer serve us, and this is the ideal time to foster positive feelings by focusing on all that we have to be glad about.
You could name the blessings in your life or perhaps see them as images in your mind’s eye. Try reciting, “Just for today, I will count my many blessings,” and observe what comes up. This is a great reminder that all of us, no matter how hard life gets, have something to be grateful for.
If you’re in a hard place and nothing comes to mind instantly, try repeating this phrase calmly, without force, until something does. Often the things we have to be glad about are the simplest—perhaps a person in your life or a meal you enjoyed recently.
You could also use this principle as a way of reflecting on how your day or week has gone, and the things you’ve done well. Could you show gratitude to yourself for dealing with a situation well or doing something positive for your health?
I Will Do My Work Honestly
This is a curious statement that’s easy to misinterpret. Not everyone “works” in the usual sense of the word. Does this mean this principle isn’t relevant?
Torsten A. Lange helps us understand this by explaining that a better translation from Japanese might be: “Just for today, I shall carry out my tasks with diligence.” These tasks will vary from person to person and day to day. They might be work-related, or they might involve caring for family members, looking after yourself, or even having fun.
Again, this principle appears at the ideal point in the sequence. Having released negative emotions and reflected on gratitude, we can now focus on how we want the rest of our day to go. Bring to mind your remaining tasks and focus on doing them well and with care.
It could be work-related—“I will serve my customers with respect and care”—or something home-related: “I will prepare a delicious meal for myself and my family.”
I Will Be Kind
Ending on this principle reminds us to go through our day with kindness to others. As you recite “I will be kind,” you might bring to mind someone you find it challenging to be kind to. Or you could think of the people you’ll encounter in your day—customers, family members, fellow drivers, or strangers—and set the intention to be kind when interacting with them.
Why These Principles?
Why should we not worry and not be angry specifically? What about other emotions, like being sad? I spent quite some time pondering this, and the following are my thoughts on the matter.
Why “I Will Not Worry”?
We evolved to worry to keep ourselves safe, and a certain amount of worry is necessary to function day to day. But in our modern world, excessive worry is common—and that’s where it becomes unhelpful.
Being in a constant state of stress due to excessive worrying is a major driver of modern disease. Worrying is fruitless: either we can take action to resolve what we worry about, or we can’t. In both cases, worry doesn’t help and can even make things worse.
It’s easier said than done, of course, which is exactly why using this Reiki principle as described above can be so helpful.
Why “I Will Not Be Angry”?
Isn’t anger sometimes a good thing—driving us to take action for change? Is it not important that we feel anger about the injustices of the world?
Different cultures and religions view anger differently. Reiki has its roots in Buddhism, and I find the Buddhist view on this particularly helpful. As Buddha said, “Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
Buddhism teaches that we can transform anger into a force for positive change by combining it with kindness and wisdom. This links with the final two principles—I will do my work honestly and I will be kind—since these allow us to focus on what we can do instead of being angry for anger’s sake. And if nothing can be done, all we can do is let go of that hot stone to avoid burning ourselves.
Why Not “I Will Not Be Sad”?
I’ve reflected on this for a long time and have also asked other Reiki practitioners their thoughts. Most said the principles are flexible and that if I felt sad, I could add it in. I wasn’t fully satisfied with that answer, and I’ve personally come to the conclusion that it’s OK to be sad.
As Susan Piver explains in her book The Four Noble Truths of Love, being sad shows we care and have compassion. Being sad is different from being depressed, where we stop caring altogether.
Why Should We Count Our Blessings?
This one feels fairly obvious. Many studies show that thinking positively and feeling gratitude greatly improve both emotional and physical wellbeing—even increasing longevity. In fact, there’s an entire field of study devoted to this called psychoneuroimmunology, which explores how the mind and immune system interact.
Why Should We Do Our Work Honestly?
As I’ve said, “work” doesn’t have to mean paid employment. Many studies have shown the importance of feeling valued and having the opportunity to contribute to the world. We all have something to contribute, whether that’s through a job, caring for others, being a good friend, or expressing ourselves through art, music, or writing.
This principle invites us to reflect on our purpose and follow our dreams, which connect us to that purpose. What is your purpose today? Are you following your dreams?
Why Be Kind?
The Dalai Lama teaches that the meaning of life is to be happy, and the path to happiness is kindness. Many studies support this, showing the powerful effects of kindness on our mental wellbeing. When we focus on kindness to others, great things often happen.
To quote from a favourite book of mine, Big Panda, Tiny Dragon, “When you light a lantern for someone else, you cannot help but light up your own path.”
Kindness can take many forms—from volunteering for a charity to something as simple as smiling at a stranger.
Adapting the Principles
Feel free to adapt these principles to suit you best. Choose the wording that resonates or feels most relevant. If you’re experiencing a particular emotion you’d rather not feel, add it in. Perhaps stressed feels more appropriate to you than angry—or maybe you want to include both.
If you’re focusing on something specific in your life, add that too. For example, “Just for today, I will remain present.”
You can also jump straight to one principle if needed, such as in a stressful situation: “I will not be angry. I will be kind. I will not be angry. I will be kind.”
Reiki is compatible with all religions and belief systems, as well as with atheism. Anyone can benefit from Reiki and its five principles, whatever your background or beliefs.
Putting It All Together
Why don’t you give this a go? Try reflecting on these five principles each morning. You can do it as you travel to work or while in the shower, so it won’t take up any extra time.
Repeat them five times each and reflect on how you’ll put them into action. You might be surprised at the results.
