Gassho: the art of presence in reiki

In the realm of reiki practices, few are as fundamental yet often overlooked as Gassho. This seemingly simple gesture of bringing hands together in prayer position serves as the gateway to genuine reiki practice, teaching us the most essential skill of all: presence. While Western Reiki often rushes to hand positions and energy techniques, traditional Japanese practice begins and returns again and again to this profound meditation that creates the spacious awareness from which all healing naturally flows.

The word "Gassho" literally means "bringing the hands together," but this translation barely scratches the surface of its spiritual significance. In the context of Usui Reiki Ryoho, Gassho is both a posture and a state of consciousness, a physical form that evokes a mental and spiritual alignment with the present moment and the universal life force.

Mikao Usui didn't invent Gassho; rather, he recognised its power and incorporated it as the cornerstone of his spiritual practice. In Japanese culture, the Gassho gesture appears in various forms across Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, and indigenous spiritual traditions. It represents:

- Respect and reverence for the sacred

- The unity of opposites (heaven and earth, spiritual and material, masculine and feminine)

- A return to centre, to one's true nature

- An acknowledgment of the teaching and the teacher

In Usui's system, Gassho becomes the first and most important practice because it establishes the quality of mind and heart essential for all subsequent reiki work. Without the presence cultivated through Gassho, our hands-on healing becomes mechanical rather than transformative.

Gassho is simple in form, profound in effect. Below is a basic Gassho meditation

1. Sit comfortably with your spine naturally upright. Traditional sitting on a cushion is ideal, but any comfortable seated position works. The key is alertness without strain.

2. Palm Placement: Bring palms together at heart centre, fingers pointing upward and leaving a little space between palms. The thumbs gently touch the chest, creating a circuit of energy between hands and heart.

3. Close your eyes gently and bring attention to the point where your middle fingers meet. This subtle focal point helps anchor awareness in the present moment. If you find your mind drifting apply gentle pressure to the middle fingertips to bring you back to centre.

4. Begin with 5-10 minutes daily, gradually extending as your comfort with the practice deepens. Quality of presence matters more than duration.

You can add subtle refinements as your practice deepens, start to notice things like:

- The slight warmth that may develop between the palms

- The natural slowing of the breath without forcing

- How thoughts arise and dissolve without your intervention

- A sense of spaciousness that emerges around thoughts and sensations

- The feeling of being both deeply centred and connected to something larger

As I mentioned earlier it is such a simple practice yet the benefits of a consistent practice are quite profound. My personal experience is that I have more clarity, feel calmer and centred in myself, taking each moment as it comes.

We may ask why Gassho cultivates presence. Presence isn't something we create but something we discover when habitual distractions fall away. Gassho facilitates this discovery in several ways:

Physical centring occurs as the symmetrical posture naturally balances left and right brain hemispheres, creating neurological harmony that supports present-moment awareness. The hand position also creates a closed energy circuit that turns attention inward, away from external distractions toward the immediacy of direct experience.

In its simplicity it’s a practice that requires no complex visualisations or mental efforts, allowing the mind to rest in awareness itself rather than creating more mental activity. And finally, I would say the gesture symbolically unites all polarities, giving and receiving, active and passive, knowing and unknowing, in the simple act of presence.

So how can we bring Gassho into a daily practice?

If you do reiki, one way is before any reiki session, whether self-treatment or treating others, begin with Gassho. This isn't mere ritual but essential preparation. Even 30 seconds of genuine presence can transform the quality of healing work that follows.

When transitioning between hand positions during self or others' treatment, just pause briefly in Gassho. This maintains the thread of presence and prevents the practice from becoming mechanical.

For everyone in daily life Gassho need not be limited to formal practice. You could use it:

- Before important conversations

- When you’re feeling overwhelmed or scattered

- When you wake or before you go to sleep

- Before meals as a form of gratitude

- Whenever you need to return to centre

The reason Gassho is so central to authentic reiki practice lies in understanding what actually facilitates healing. In traditional Japanese understanding, healing doesn't happen through our doing but through our being. When we're truly present, we create space where natural healing can occur. We don’t need to ‘do’ anything, just be.

Our state of consciousness profoundly influences the healing environment. Scattered, anxious, or self-conscious energy transmits to those we're treating. Presence creates safety, allowing the client's own healing wisdom to emerge.

So in my opinion no amount of hand positions or energy manipulation can substitute for genuine presence. In fact, trying too hard to "channel" energy often creates tension that impedes natural flow (and I know this from personal experience). Gassho teaches us to get out of our own way.

Presence allows us to trust that what needs to happen will happen through us, not because of us. This surrender paradoxically increases our effectiveness as instruments of healing.

It sounds simple doesn’t it? However, here are some common challenges and some helpful hints to overcome them.

Restlessness - when sitting still feels impossible, start with just one minute. Use the physical sensation of middle fingertips touching as an anchor. Remember that discomfort is just another visitor in awareness, not a reason to stop practice. You can also practice “Just for this moment.”

Mental Busyness - don't try to stop thoughts, this only creates more mental activity. Instead, gently return attention to the point where middle fingers meet whenever you notice you've been lost in thinking.

Physical Discomfort - if shoulder tension arises, lower the hand position slightly or support elbows on a cushion. The practice should be sustainable, not painful.

Feeling of "Not Doing Enough" - Western minds often resist simple practices, wanting something more complex or dramatic. Trust that presence itself is the most profound practice possible.

While Gassho is fundamentally a spiritual practice, modern research offers interesting parallels, such as;

Neurological benefits - the prayer position has been shown to activate the prefrontal cortex while calming the amygdala, creating optimal conditions for presence and emotional regulation.

Heart coherence - gentle pressure of palms against the chest can stimulate heart coherence patterns associated with deeper states of meditation and emotional balance.

Bilateral stimulation - the symmetrical hand position provides mild bilateral stimulation similar to EMDR techniques, potentially facilitating integration and presence.

Ultimately, Gassho teaches us to approach all of life with the same quality of presence we bring to formal practice. Whether washing dishes, listening to a friend, or encountering challenging situations, the spirit of Gassho, full presence without agenda, transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for awakening.

The gesture itself becomes unnecessary when we embody its essence. Advanced practitioners often describe a sense of "internal Gassho" -  a continuous returning to centre that operates beneath all activity. Life becomes the meditation, and every moment an invitation to wake up.

In an age of complex techniques and elaborate spiritual practices, Gassho reminds us that the most profound transformations often emerge from the simplest practices. By bringing our hands together with genuine presence, we access the spacious awareness from which all healing flows.

This is why Usui made Gassho the foundation of his system. He understood that without presence, all other practices become hollow forms. With presence, even the simplest gesture becomes a doorway to the infinite.

As you begin or deepen your Gassho practice, remember: you're not trying to achieve anything or become someone different. You're simply learning to be present with what already is. In this presence, both your own healing and your capacity to facilitate healing in others naturally unfolds.

The invitation is always the same, as simple and profound as bringing your hands together: just this moment, just this breath, just this presence. In this seemingly ordinary gesture lies the extraordinary possibility of awakening to who you really are and what you're truly capable of when you learn the art of presence.

Why not try it now?

Bring your hands together.

Feel the meeting point.

Rest in this moment.

This is Gassho.

This is the beginning of all genuine practice.

This is always enough.