REIKI GASSHO MUDRA

One of the core elements of the compassionate healing art of Usui Reiki Ryoho, as taught by the Founder, O-Sensei Mikao Usui, is the Gassho Mudra.

Gassho means to, 'bring the hands together,' referring to the well known prayer position, or as it is known in the yogic arts, the 'anjali' mudra. A mudra is a ritual or symbolic gesture, posture, movement or set of movements (like waving your hand means, 'hello').

The basic reiki gassho is with the hands brought together gently but firmly at the center of the chest. However, there are many variations of this sacred gesture, such as performing gassho at the throat, forehead, and overhead; as well as various others, some quite specialized.

Symbolicly, gassho represents reverence for and paying respect to the divinity and oneness of all life and all of creation. O- Sensei Usui, like most Asian spiritual teachers (Usui was of course an inter-faith teacher, his art and teachings are non- dogmatic and embraced by all) placed great importance upon the proper perfromance and understanding of this sacred gesture. We are meant to live life from our hearts, as a continual and never ending gesture of gassho towards ourselves and all of life and all of creation...

Technically, the gassho mudra helps us to unify mind and body, self and reiki. When we perform the basic heart gassho mudra, we are unifying ourselves- all aspects and energies of mind and body- with the universal reiki healing force, at the heart center. This is ideal as the art of reiki is a compassionate healing art, shared from the heart. Thus, the gassho mudra can be utilized as part of a ritual to begin or end a reiki healing or reiki meditation session. There are also various specialized reiki breathing exercises and reiki meditations (rei ki ko) which make use of the gassho mudra.

* Therefore, due to it's extreme symbolic and technical importance, gassho may be thought of as the central pillar and core element of the entire art of Usui Reiki Ryoho.

* Enjoy- Gassho- Namaste.'