In my previous blog, I talked about the power of blessing. Today, I’d like to expand on that further by exploring the Japanese word for it: Reiju.
Within the system of Japanese Reiki, you will often encounter the word Reiju, which means spiritual blessing. It is one of the five integral elements of the system of Reiki. When Hawayo Takata brought Reiki to the West, Reiju evolved into what we know today as an attunement.
In my practice, I prefer to use the word Reiju than the term attunement. The word attunement raises several problematic questions more than it seeks to answer. Is Reiki inaccessible before an attunement? If Reiki is part of who we are, what are we attuning to? Can we lose our connection to the universal life force energy?
To understand the real meaning of Reiju, let us look into the two kanjis that make up the word. In written form, the word Reiju consists of two kanjis: Rei (霊), which means spirit or soul, and Ju (授), which means to give. Therefore, Reiju means “to give the soul.”
You might ask, “What are we giving the soul exactly?” Well, we are giving the soul two things:
- Permission to express its full potential
- Energy to wake up and stay awake
Once the soul arrives in this human vessel, it tends to fall asleep and experience spiritual amnesia. We forget who we are and why we chose to be here. We become too attached to our bodies, emotions, and thoughts; we overidentify with the ego or personality.
Reiju gives the soul the energy to wake up from spiritual slumber. And once the soul is awake, it knows how to heal us. We remember that we are limitless beings and hold the power to co-create our reality. We reconnect with the part of us that is infinite, has not experienced trauma, and remains connected to the Source.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that Reiju is not so much an external process. No external force can heal us, for everything we need resides within already. As such, Reiju does not confer special abilities on anyone as each one is born with the natural ability to channel Reiki—some, perhaps, with greater capacity than others.
What Reiju does, however, is help the individual shed layers of false skin to unravel the authentic self, where our true power resides. It does not create anything but reveals what is already inherent and present —but dormant, if not forgotten—in the human person. It is a remembrance and a coming home to one’s true divine nature.
Unlike Western Reiki’s one-time attunement process, Reiju is practiced regularly in Japan. Traditionally, the teacher would offer Reiju to students every time they meet. In this way, the student receives ongoing energetic support from the teacher at every stage of spiritual development. It ensures that the soul remains invigorated and doesn’t fall asleep. The ritual remains the same while the student keeps changing and evolving.
One doesn’t need to be a student of Reiki to receive Reiju. I love performing Reiju on my clients to help them find their center whenever they feel lost and disempowered. By receiving Reiju, they can access the vast inner resources of the soul to heal and empower them in their life’s journey.
Are you ready to receive Reiju and awaken your soul’s potential?
