Every BODY Loves Reiju

Every BODY loves reiju. Every human body. And every animal body.

One of the many delightful aspects of the Shinpiden class is not only learning how to give a spiritual blessing, but also receiving a reiju oneself. So, once we returned home from Frans’ Shinpiden class in Sonoma last April, my wife and I made the conscious decision that we would give each other a daily reiju. What better way to celebrate life and renew our energy each day. Just for today.

What we didn’t count on is, well, how downright addictive they become. Missing a daily reiju is like missing a piece of your life. Hearing that familiar voice calling out, “Honey, we haven’t done our reiju yet,” is a clarion call to immediately drop whatever we are doing, turn on the Reiki music, pull out the chair, and be seated and ready to both give and receive. But there has become another aspect of the process that we did not anticipate either. One that, once we thought about it didn’t really surprise us at all, and yet delightfully astounded us.

The first couple of times we performed a reiju on each other, our two Australian Shepherds, Sherlock and Seva, looked at us inquisitively, as if wondering what this strange new ritual was all about. Now, let me say, that neither dog is a stranger to Reiki. Each evening they will curl up on the couch, mind you these are not small animals, one on each side of me, and I will extend one hand to my left and the other to my right, each resting on either Sherlock or Seva. And for the next thirty to sixty minutes they will soak up the Reiki. “Reiki junkies” we call them.

So, this natural inquisitiveness on their part about reiju was certainly not something unexpected. Then, after two or three sessions, both dogs settled in and found their proper place as part of the ritual. Sometimes Sherlock would place himself between the giver and the receiver, so whoever was performing the blessing had to consciously step over or around him. Mostly, he just lays right next to and as close as possible to the recipient. Seva, on the other hand, curls up in her little niche a few feet away under the dining room table.

Both, however, unashamedly have become simultaneously recipients as well as  givers, themselves. And when we have each finished our respective reiju, both Sherlock and Seva lay, eyes closed, resting in a peaceful sanctuary, just as rejuvenated and energized as my wife and myself. All four of us have given. All four of us have received.

So when you think about it, why should the concept of a daily reiju seem so farfetched. Didn’t Usui Mikao have the concept that a reiju would be repeated at each meeting of the student and teacher? The bringing of the Great Bright White Light flooding in and giving a sense of reconnection to one’s true self, and the clearing of the meridians can only be enhanced  through more practice and use. So, we have incorporated this ritual into our daily practice.

Ultimately, the lesson learned is, no matter how often you give a reiju, don’t forget about your furry or feathered friends. They appreciate it just as much as we do, and in the end, everybody benefits. After all, every BODY loves reiju.

The photo included is of Sherlock, in his dramatic, if not melodramatic, post-reiju relaxed state. Would that we all could reach such ecstasy.

Conrad Jestmore