Sei Hei Ki: Uses of the Reiki Harmony Symbol
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The study of Reiki healing is vast and multi-faceted, with numerous symbols and techniques utilized to effect profound change in practitioners and patients alike. Among these, the Sei Hei Ki symbol holds a place of unique importance. Known as the Harmony Symbol, it offers emotional and mental balance, purging the mind of negativity and fostering inner peace. Let’s take a look at the origins of Sei Hei Ki, its characteristics, and uses in the process of Reiki healing.
What is Sei Hei Ki?
One of the most popular Reiki symbols, Sei Hei Ki (Say-Hey-Key) represents harmony. It’s often used in Reiki healing practices for emotional and mental well-being.
The Sei Hei Ki symbol, composed of complex Japanese kanji, translates into “God and man become one,” “The earth and sky meet,” or “Mental/Emotional Symbol.” It is the second of the three Reiki symbols introduced at the second degree, or Okuden level, in the Reiki system.
Sei Hei Ki heals mental and emotional imbalances by opening up blockages in the mind and releasing traumatic experiences. No wonder it’s one of the most important symbols for those who subscribe to Reiki healing.
Origins of Sei Hei Ki
Sei Hei Ki is one of the four symbols discovered by Mikao Usui, the Japanese Reiki Master. Some Reiki healers believe that Sei Hei Ki is a variation of the Buddhist Hrih, a symbol of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist figure of healing. Hrih is a Buddhist term meaning ‘self-respect‘ or ‘conscientiousness‘.
It’s likely that Mikao Usui adapted the Hrih and renamed it Sei Hei Ki for the purposes of Reiki healing. But there’s no evidence that this happened, and the only grounds for speculation are the similarities in the shape and meaning of the symbols. There are many interpretations about the origins of Sei Hei Ki, but no consensus.
Depicting Sei Hei Ki
The Sei Hei Ki symbol evokes the image of a wave crashing onto the shore or the wing of a bird in flight. Drawn with swift, bold strokes, the pattern starts from the top, making its way downwards and moving from left to right. This powerful visual representation serves to reinforce the symbol’s purpose in the Reiki healing process.
However, it can be a difficult symbol to draw. It’s not intuitive, and you might find that the backward Z-like shape and the spacing between the lines to take some practice. I personally find the symbol to look like a person facing left, with a big smile on their face. Do you see it too?
Using Sei Hei Ki in Reiki Healing
The Sei Hei Ki symbol boasts a wide range of uses, marking it as a potent tool in the realm of Reiki healing.
1. Balancing the Mind
The Sei Hei Ki symbol is a diagrammatic representation of the left and right sides of the brain. The left side of the brain, or Yang, stands for logical and rational thinking. The right side of the brain, or Yin, contains emotions and imagination. The Sei Hei Ki instigates balance among the Yin and Yang to create harmony within the mind.
2. Emotional Release
The Sei Hei Ki reveals and releases emotions that are buried deep within the subconscious. This helps individuals to confront problems, fears, and insecurities that they might have unknowingly pushed away.
3. Psychological Healing
The Sei Hei Ki is used to heal many psychological problems like binge eating, alcoholism, and drugs. By using Sei Hei Ki, the user or patient can delve deep into their inner minds and discover the reasons or causes behind their harmful actions. Meditating upon the Sei Hei Ki can aid in curing any kind of addiction.
4. Reducing Fatigue
The Sei Hei Ki is useful for treating physical weariness, dizziness, or fatigue. Very often physical weakness is triggered by the lack of mental energy. The Sei Hei Ki balances the two hemispheres within the brain to produce positive energy that can make the body stronger.
5. Enhancing Memory
The Sei Hei Ki helps in memory improvement by bringing a balance between the right and left parts of the brain. The symbol is drawn on books to remember their contents or is painted onto the crown chakra to find objects that are misplaced or lost.
6. Activating Kundalini Energy
Kundalini is a concept from yogic philosophy representing a form of primal energy located at the base of the spine. The Sei Hei Ki activates and purifies Kundalini energy. If the symbol is consistently used, it can increase the power of Kundalini and make the user more enlightened and aware.
7. Reformulating the Mind
The symbol not only helps in casting away negative energy but also reformulates the mind to invite new thoughts, positive feelings, and good habits.
8. Confronting Conflict/Tension
The Sei Hei Ki is evoked in the middle of a conflict to keep the mind calm and clear. It gives off a powerful vibration and energy to stabilize the two hemispheres within the mind to prevent rash, impulsive behaviour.
9. Addresses Depression
When the Sei Hei Ki is used along with Cho Ku Rei, it helps remove deep emotional pain and blockages that hinder energy from reaching the main chakras. Sei Hei Ki can also be used with Shika Sei Ki to heal the heart and soul, weighed down with sadness, fear, or anxiety.
10. Enhances Self-love
The Sei Hei Ki is useful for strengthening self-love and instigating a process of forgiveness. Many people are stuck in their problems due to the inability to forgive themselves. The Sei Hei Ki aids in a spiritual awakening of the mind and soul and enables an individual to heal from within.
11. Remove Residual Energy
The Sei Hei Ki is used to counter unwarranted residual energy carried from places, situations, and people. Too much residual energy can be burdensome and lead to negative thoughts and fatigue.
How is Sei Hei Ki Used?
In Reiki healing, Sei Hei Ki and other symbols are used in various ways. These practices mainly involve visualizing, drawing, or invoking the symbol mentally during a healing session.
1. Drawing and Visualizing Sei Hei Ki
The primary way Reiki practitioners use the Sei Hei Ki symbol is by drawing or visualizing it during a healing session. The practitioner visualizes or draws the symbol either in their mind or with their hands in the air. This can be done over the person or object to be healed or at the start of a Reiki session to set the intent.
The practitioner might also draw the symbol over a part of the body that requires healing or over a chakra point. This clears blockages, balances energies, or promotes emotional healing.
2. Mental Invocation
Mental invocation involves mentally repeating the name of the symbol, “Sei Hei Ki,” as a mantra. This process helps the practitioner focus their intent and energy, enabling them to harness the symbol’s healing power more effectively.
3. In Meditation
Some practitioners use Sei Hei Ki as a focal point during meditation. By visualizing or drawing the symbol and focusing on its meaning, they seek to invoke its balancing and healing effects.
4. Wearing Sei Hei Ki
While it’s less common, some people may choose to wear Sei Hei Ki as a piece of jewelry or carry it as a talisman. These items can be considered a form of “protection” or a way to carry the symbol’s balancing and healing effects with them throughout the day.
5. On Objects or Spaces
Reiki practitioners may draw Sei Hei Ki on objects or spaces, like a room, a book, or a photograph, to imbue them with the symbol’s healing energy. For instance, a student might draw the symbol on a textbook to help improve memory retention or on a photograph of a person or place in need of healing.
In Brief
The Se Hei Ki emphasizes that the mind and body cannot be seen as separate entities, and healing processes must tackle both mental and physical aspects for a profound, therapeutic change. It emphasizes a holistic healing approach. This is why it remains one of the most important symbols of the Reiki collection of symbols.
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