The five tenets of Reiki were adapted by Mikao Usui who was a reader of the works of Emperor Meiji. These principles came straight out of Meiji’s writings.

Usui took these principles a step further and incorporated them into his Reiki practice. The good news is you do not have to be studying Reiki to apply these principles to your life.

The first principle is “Just for today, I will not worry.” This is probably the toughest principle listed. It is hard not to worry about things which we have no control over. But in meditation and prayer, we can learn to hand those worries over to a higher life force and become more open to trust and have faith about th world we live in.

The second principle is “Just for today, I will not anger.” Sometimes when we get angry, we need to figure out what is causing the real issue. Is the person who cut in front of you or is it the person in line at the store with ten returns? Sometimes we can find behavior in other people that mirrors our own self. That is sometimes hard to accept. Look at other people as teachers and try to figure out what lesson they are there to teach you.

The third principle is “I will honor all life.” You should honor all creations of God. You can help by planting trees and flowers, appreciating the food you have, the love from your family, the very air you breathe, and all the animals, rocks, and oceans.

The fourth principle is “I will live my life honestly.” Did you skip the family picnic because you were sick or because you were too afraid to tell Aunt Martha you really didn’t want to go? Ask in prayer for guidance in your dreams. You must honor the truth of your emotions and not keep it all bottled up inside.

Th fifth principle is “I will give thanks for everything.” Trust that love and happiness are supposed to be in your life and find yourself becoming grateful for the smallest of things and the gift of being here on Earth.