Reiki and Yoga (in their purest forms) are closer than most people could possibly image. They are both, first and foremost, paths to enlightenment and there is even a branch of Yoga (called Prana Vidya) which deals directly with energy healing. While the use of energy in Yoga more closely resembles that of Qi Gong (of which the relationship to Reiki will be discussed more deeply in another post) in that it uses energies found and cultivated within the body rather than relying on energies outside of the body as Reiki does, the similarities abound.

Most people think of Yoga as an attempt to pretzel the body in as many positions as possible, twisting and distorting oneself into ultimately conquering any possible resistance to flexibility. For those who maintain that as their complete understanding of Yoga (which seems to include most of the Yoga practitioners in the West) they are completely missing the mark. Yoga, in its truest sense consists of 8 parts, contortionistic maneuvering being only one of them. The eight “limbs” of Yoga are (in Sanskrit) yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi. These 8 Branches are generally divided into three tiers… the first two (yama and niyama) directs one in some of the dos and don’t of life… much like the 5 Reiki Principles. The second tier involves the actual practice (asana, pranayama and pratyahara). Asana is the part that most people are familiar with (yeah, the pretzel part) while pranayama consists mainly of breathing exercises, while pratyahara deals with an attempt to ignore everything thats going on around us so that we can focus within (kind of like a morning commute on a Tokyo subway). The third tier contains the final 3 limbs (dharana, dhayana & samadhi) and this is where the actual fun begins… these are deep concentration, which leads to meditation, which leads to enlightenment.

In Reiki, the ultimate goal is enlightenment, although most practitioners (especially in the West) mistake Reiki as no more than a healing modality. And just as the Yoga practitioners who feel that Yoga is no more than a chance for them to distort their bodies in as many ways as humanly possible, Reiki practitioners who feel that Reiki is no more than a laying on of hands are missing the mark entirely. Following the various Reiki Meditations developed through the years and culminating the sensitivity to subtle energies both within and without… enlightenment becomes much more than a catch phrase and is realized as the ultimate achievement it really is.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!