The Reiki Principles: 5 Daily Anchors for Modern Living

In 1927, the students of the founder of the system of Reiki, Mikao Usui, carved a simple set of principles into his memorial stone in Tokyo, calling them “the secret art of inviting happiness” and “the spiritual medicine of all disease”. He didn’t design them as rigid rules, a religion, or dogma. He designed them as practical, daily anchors to expand our awareness and raise our internal baseline frequency.

In his original teachings he intended for these principles to be spoken out loud every morning and evening, using the power of the voice to internalize their meaning.

However, you don’t need a single day of energy training to use them (though of course we teach our students the Reiki Principles as part of a Level 1 training course)! Anyone can use the Reiki Principles. You just need the willingness to look at your day through a slightly different lens.

Below are the five principles, along with their original Japanese phrasing and phonetic pronunciations, so you can experience the weight and focus of the words exactly as they were originally practiced in Japan since the 1920’s.

1. Do not anger. Japanese: Okoru-na

Phonetic pronunciation: Oh-koh roo nah

Anger gives us tunnel vision and rarely solves the underlying problem. Holding onto it creates stagnant, heavy blockages in our energy field. Instead of suppressing the frustration, can you try to acknowledge it, let it go, and actively funnel that heat into physical movement, setting boundaries, or creativity?

2. Do not worry. Japanese: Shinpai suna

Phonetic pronunciation: Shin-pie soo-nah

Worrying is a subtle attempt to control a future that hasn’t happened yet. It keeps your mind so busy with hypothetical problems that you miss the good things happening right in front of you. Do what you can to remedy a situation today, and leave the rest to the universe.

3. Show appreciation (be grateful). Japanese: Kansha shite

Phonetic pronunciation: Kan-shah shtay

Active appreciation is the absolute fastest way to elevate your current baseline frequency. It stops us from obsessing over what we lack and actively reminds us of the everyday gifts we so easily take for granted.

4. Work hard (on yourself). Japanese: Goo hage me

Phonetic pronunciation: Go-oh hah-gay may

We prefer to translate this principle as “be conscientious in your work”. It’s not about about grinding away at work or hard labor. It’s about bringing focus, intention, and pride to whatever you are doing. Whether you are working on a project, cooking a meal, or taking deliberate time to rest, do it thoroughly and do it well. It also means being conscientious about working on your own personal growth.

5. Be kind to others. Japanese: Kito ni shinsetsu ni

Phonetic pronunciation: Kee-toe nee shin-set-soo nee

Everyone and everything in the universe is connected. We therefor cannot genuinely be kind to others if we are constantly criticizing ourselves internally. Everyone you meet is navigating a hidden battle. When we treat ourselves with gentleness, it becomes natural to show understanding and compassion to everyone around us.

Just for Today. Japanese: Kyo dake wa

Phonetic pronunciation Kee-oh dah-kay wah

The entire practice rests on the opening phrase: Kyo dake wa which means “Just for today.” It is an utterly reassuring reminder to stay anchored entirely in the now. Don’t let yourself be held back by yesterday, and don’t be overwhelmed by tomorrow. If things don’t go as planned today, you have the grace to start fresh again tomorrow.

Download the Free Reference Guide

To help you bring these principles into your daily morning or evening routine, I’ve created a printable PDF guide featuring the English, Japanese, and phonetic pronunciations of the Reiki Principles. You can print it out for your journal or keep it on your phone as a daily reminder.