Understand Reiji-Ho and Chiryo alongside Gassho.
Practice workshop
The Three Pillars in Stepwise Flow
Usui Reiki tradition organizes practice through three connected pillars: Gassho (centering), Reiji-Ho (quiet preparation and intention), and Chiryo (attentive hands-on practice). Rehearse them as an integrated sequence.
1. Pillar 1: Gassho (Centering)
2 minutesBring palms together at heart level. Settle your breathing into its natural cadence. Focus on the meeting point of your middle fingers, allowing busy mental chatter to quieten into focused presence.
2. Pillar 2: Reiji-Ho (Preparation & Intentional Boundaries)
2 minutesRaise your folded hands gently to the third-eye (brow) level or keep them at your heart. Form a modest, benevolent intention: 'May this session offer peace, rest, and support within our agreed boundaries.' Open yourself to intuitive attentiveness, while firmly recognizing that any inner impression is an interpretive feeling—never a clinical diagnosis or permission to cross agreed boundaries.
3. Pillar 3: Chiryo (Attentive Practice)
8–12 minutesLower your hands to begin the agreed session positions (light non-intrusive contact or hovering 5–10 cm away). Maintain relaxed posture, move smoothly between positions, listen for verbal feedback, and respect the recipient's comfort and agreed time limit.
Three connected parts of practice
The manual presents Gassho, Reiji-Ho and Chiryo as three pillars. They can help you understand a session as a progression: settle, prepare your attention, then practise. Gassho provides a simple focus. Reiji-Ho is described as inviting Reiki guidance before a session. Chiryo refers to treatment or practice itself. These terms describe the school's approach; learning them does not require you to experience an involuntary movement or an inner message.
In the manual's Reiji-Ho sequence, the practitioner brings the hands together, asks for Reiki to flow, forms a benevolent intention, and invites guidance for hand placement. That is spiritual language. In practical terms, you can pause, remember why you are offering the session, review what the recipient agreed to, and begin attentively. If prayer is part of your own practice, keep it compatible with what the recipient has chosen.
Guidance needs a boundary
A practitioner may describe an impression that draws attention to a particular area. Treat that as an impression, not privileged knowledge about another person's body. It does not show that the area is ill, that touch there is welcome, or that a new technique is needed. The recipient's words and the agreed boundaries remain your guide to what you actually do.
For example, you have agreed to hands hovering near a seated friend's shoulders. During Reiji-Ho you imagine placing a hand on their abdomen. You do not follow the image automatically. You can continue with the agreed shoulder practice, or ask about a change in plain language. A refusal, hesitation or silence does not become permission because the image felt strong.
From preparation into Chiryo
The manual's account of Chiryo emphasizes responsive hand placement rather than mechanical movement. You can develop that attentiveness while retaining a straightforward structure: begin at an agreed position, stay comfortable, check in when appropriate, and move only within the session agreement. A familiar Level 1 sequence is a useful fallback when no particular impression appears. There is no need to search for something hidden.
Set a time boundary as well. Intuition should not silently turn a ten-minute practice into an hour. If you want to extend a session, ask; if the other person needs to finish, close. Responsiveness includes noticing your own posture, fatigue and attention. Sitting down or reducing the number of positions can be a thoughtful adaptation.
Try recalling the three-part rhythm before an ordinary self-session. First settle your hands and attention. Then name a modest intention such as patience or careful listening. Finally begin the familiar positions without monitoring every moment for significance. At the close, notice which transition was easiest and which you rushed. This gives you something specific to practise next time.
Sources and further reading
- Free Reiki Course Level 2 manual, page 10 — The manual's three-pillar framework.
- Free Reiki Course Level 2 manual, page 14 — Reiji-Ho, presented here with explicit consent boundaries.
- Free Reiki Course Level 2 manual, page 16 — Chiryo and attentive practice.