MAKOTO NO KOKYU HO
The 'Breath of Sincerity'
Copyright © 2003 James Deacon

Makoto No Kokyu Ho can be practiced seated on the floor in either a cross-legged posture or in the seiza posture, or seated on a bench, couch, or other wide surface.

As with all the developmental practices, choose a time and place where you are unlikely to be disturbed.

And wherever you are doing this exercise - indoors or out, make sure (if seated on the floor) the floor/ground is both comfortable and warm. Do not practice this on cold floors/ground, do not practice in the cold, generally.

Sit up straight (comfortably so - no need for rigid military-style posture - this will only impede the technique).

Rest your hands, palms down, on your thighs.

Close your eyes and 'hara-centre' yourself: focus your awareness on your seika tanden - an area deep inside your body mid way between your navel and the top of your pubic bone.

For a few moments, simply 'be' - silently and restfully 'watching the breath': loosely focussing on the natural rhythms of your breathing. There is no interference with the natural process - no seeking to consciously breathe - merely to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly...

After a few moments, gently open your eyes ever so slightly and focus loosely on a point about one metre or so in front of you.
This can be either a point on the floor, or in the air - alternatively, prior to beginning the practice, you might like to position yourself so that you are facing a wall about a metre away from you.
[Whether bring your gaze to rest on the wall, or in mid air, or on the floor, there should not be any specific image, object, etc used as a focal-point; e.g. if gazing at a wall, choose a blank area of the wall to focus on]

[*Breathing the Light*]
In your mind's-eye see and feel the Reiki energy flowing in towards you from the universe - flowing from every direction, as a stream of crystal clear golden light.

And as you breathe in - naturally, effortlessly - the light floods into you, suffusing your entire body, filling your seika tanden.

In the moment before your body - naturally, effortlessly - begins to exhale, be aware of the light: feel it growing stronger and brighter, in your seika tanden and radiating throughout your entire body, supporting the positive energetic integrity of your entire being.

As your body exhales, be aware that you are emanating the light from every single pore - from the entire surface of your being - and the light emanates out in all directions, bathing your immediate surroundings in a golden radiance.

Naturally, effortlessly, let your body repeat the process - the golden light following your breath. Feel and see it filling you as your body inhales, growing stronger and brighter, then emanating out beyond you as your body exhales - gently, easily...

Stay with this experience - this 'awareness of the light' for about eight or ten breaths; eyes still loosely focussed about a metre in front of you.

Allow your body to maintain its own natural breathing rhythm. There is no interference with the natural process - no seeking to consciously breathe - merely to be aware that you are breathing effortlessly.

When you are ready, raise your hands from your legs and place your palms together in gassho - the 'prayer position' - fingertips at about the level of your throat.

After a moment, keeping the tips of your thumbs, index and middle fingers in contact with each other, open your hands outward slightly, so that your little ('pinkie') and 'ring' fingers separate - the outer edge of your palms should be at least a couple of inches apart.

Loosely maintaining this 'open gassho' gesture with your hands, smoothly lower your forearms so as to position your hands in front of your solar plexus.

Let your body 'breathe the light' again for three effortless repetitions:

As you breathe in - naturally, effortlessly - the light floods into you, suffusing your entire body, filling your seika tanden.

In the moment before your body - naturally, effortlessly - begins to exhale, be aware of the light: feel it growing stronger and brighter, in your seika tanden and radiating throughout your entire body, supporting the positive energetic integrity of your entire being.

As your body exhales, be aware that you are emanating the light from every single pore - from the entire surface of your being - and the light emanates out in all directions, bathing your immediate surroundings in a golden radiance.

And as your body naturally, effortlessly, begins to exhale for the third time, smoothly raise your hands up towards your forehead.

As you do so, allow your hands to gradually 'open' even more - only the tips of your thumbs and index fingers remaining in contact - so that by the time you reach your forehead, you are performing a gesture known as the 'sun mudra' or 'sun-ring mudra' (nichi-rin in):
The backs of your hands are opened flat against your brow, you are forming a triangular space between your index fingers and thumbs, and the other fingers are very slightly splayed. The centre of the triangle frames your third eye.
[Coordinate the raising of your hands with your breathing so that your hands reach your forehead just as you complete the exhalation]

Continue to let your body 'breathe the light', and as you inhale - aware of the influx of golden light - intone the seed-syllable "On"[1].
While doing so, part your hands, moving them out and down to your sides in an arcing motion, bringing your fingertips to rest touching the floor or bench, etc. beneath you.
[Coordinate the lowering of your hands with your breathing so that your fingertips reach the surface of the bench, floor etc. just as you complete the inhalation]
Let your hands remain in this position while you effortlessly exhale again, emanating the light, bathing your immediate surroundings in a golden radiance.

As your body inhales once more, smoothly move your hands to your abdomen - placing your right hand on your seika tanden, your left hand covering your right.

Let yourself experience the sensation of Reiki in your seika tanden as you continue to 'breathe the light' ( remember, even now your eyes are still ever so slightly open and focussed loosely on a point about one metre or so in front of you).
Stay with the sensation in your seika tanden for a few moments - let yourself experience it as fully as you are able.

When you feel ready, return your hands to their initial position, palms down on your thighs.
Repeat the whole process [ starting at: *Breathing the Light*] again as many times as you feel inspired to so do.

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[1] "On" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Sanskrit "Om"
It can take a lot of practice to successfully intone the seed-syllable out loud on the in-breath. Intoning it silently is quite acceptable.