Hikari No Kokyu Ho ~ A vital energy building practice

Taking a walk through nature is an effortless way to refresh the mind and body; here we are fully surrounded by peaceful, vital energy emanating from the natural world, often bringing us back to a more whole, balanced state of being. 

I like to describe vital energy as that spark of life that exists throughout all of creation, animate or inanimate; from rain drops to blades of grass, sunlight to a maple leaf, or a grain of sand to a human being. All of creation can be seen as touched by this vital energy, supporting and nourishing that particular form of existence.

Wherever you are, whether visiting a local park or at home in your room, you have the opportunity to cultivate and circulate healing, vital energy through your system. Eastern practices such as Yoga and Tai Chi work with circulating this energy in their own unique way. In Yoga's homeland of India, this energy is called Prana, and yogic breathing techniques like pranayama directly work with regulating and balancing prana or vital energy throughout the phsyical and subtle body. The Chinese martial art of Tai Chi also works with the flow of vital energy aka Chi via slow, mindful breath and movement. 

Japan's healing system of Reiki continues this thread with it's own meditative techniques that support our Ki, the Japanese term for vital energy. Hikari No Kokyu Ho (breathing in the light method) is a Japanese healing practice that helps promote the generation and expansion of Ki through focused breathwork and visualization. It is a traditional Reiki practice originally taught by founder, Mikao Usui, to his students to help them keep the flow of vital energy strong in their system. This technique is still taught and in use among modern day Reiki practitioners for the same purpose. 

Even if you are not an attuned Reiki practitioner, you still have access to your own flow of vital energy and the ability to support it. Practicing Hikari No Kokyu Ho is a great form of self care and can benefit anyone who wishes to tune into their Ki.

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Breathing in the light

In this practice we begin in a comfortable seated position, making sure to have back support if needed while sitting upright. Hands can lay in your lap, palms open and relaxed.
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Give yourself some time to relax and settle in, developing a natural, easy, and steady pace of breath.

Tune into your center of vitality, the Hara (abdomen), located about 3 finger widths below your navel (see the yellow star in left image). As you breathe in - preferably through the nose, draw your breath down to the hara. If it helps, you may visualize this breath as light entering through the nose or crown of the head and gathering below at the lower belly/hara. As you exhale, visualize this light energy expanding out through your core and into the external world around you. Continue breathing with this imagery at a slow and comfortable pace.

​If visualization does not work for you, try exploring your other senses such as sound or sensation to get a better feel for how you may experience breathing with vital energy.

Hikari No Kokyu Ho can be practiced on a daily basis from 5 to 30 minutes. If you're new to meditative practices, it's best to go easy on yourself and start off with a shorter seated practice (5 minutes will do).

As you explore this focused meditation practice, take note of how it affects your state of being mentally, emotionally, physically, and even spiritually if you are open to it. Give yourself the time and space to process and integrate your experiences with reflective exercises like journaling, unplugging from social media, etc.

I find that while navigating through these challenging and unprecedented times, having these tools to ground and center has been so valuable for my own sense of balance. I hope you find value in them as well <3