Honoring Yoga and Reiki & their Integration
Although two different modalities, yoga and Reiki share in their power to balance, renew, and settle. They promote the ability to tap into deeper levels of compassion, wisdom, and intuition - becoming aware of our energetic fields, healing physically and mentally, and being guided to higher spiritual truths.
Yoga is a practice of South Asian Indian descent - a practice that encompasses physical movements (asana), spiritual teachings, and lifestyle (Ayurveda) techniques. Yoga came to western society, slowly evolving into what strayed from its true origins. It is imperative that practitioners of yoga, especially non-Indian practitioners, respectfully honor the roots from which this life-changing practice came.
As a yoga teacher, I want my students to not only feel the physical benefits of yoga, but also recognize yoga as a holistic practice. Yoga is not a competition, nor is it about achieving the most difficult poses, or the length of time spent in meditation. Yoga is about strength, support, commitment, compassion, integrity, and resilience. Yoga is about showing up and meeting yourself where you’re at.
Those who practice yoga will grow stronger - physically and mentally. Those who practice yoga will learn to use resources for support. Those who are committed to a consistent practice will see lasting change. Those who practice yoga will learn tools to enhance compassion; they will become more compassionate towards themselves and gain a deeper level of compassion towards others. Those who practice yoga will understand integrity - integrity of the body (the bones, the muscles, the organs), and integrity of the practice. Those who practice yoga will become more resilient in their day-to-day lives.
From here, we can see the integration of Reiki with yoga.
Reiki, a practice of Japanese descent, passed down from Mikao Usui, is a practice of energetic balancing. It is a practice of intuition and wisdom, tapping into the energetic systems of the body - the physical body, the etheric body, the emotional body, the mental body, and the spiritual body. As a practitioner of Reiki, it is of utmost importance to honor the lineage - those who devoted their lives to exploring the science behind this practice, the way in which it heals and how it manifests.
At the root of yoga and Reiki is ENERGY. Energy is the way in which particles move, take up space, and define things - whether people, animals, plants, or objects. It is scientific, explainable, and powerful.
These two practices are interconnected. Although different, they complement one another; they honor one another; they aid one another in healing. Exploring the path of yoga and Reiki will take you to higher realizations - you will become stronger, wiser, more resilient, and balanced.
It is an honor to use these two different traditions that are complementary in helping us improve our lives, and may we be mindful of this as we integrate these practices into our journeys of renewal.
