Also called ‘The Power Symbol’, Cho Ku Rei is one of the first symbols taught in Reiki and is used to finely tune and amplify the Reiki energy. It translates (roughly) to “Placing all the powers of the universe here”.
It looks a little like an antenna and coil – the antenna to pick up on the vibrational frequency of the Reiki energy, and the coil to focus, enhance and ‘power-up’ the energetic flow to where it is needed most.
Getting to Know Cho Ku Rei
Spending time with this symbol in meditation is one of the best ways to raise and power-up your own personal energy and help you become a more proficient Reiki healer. Learning how to draw this symbol from memory is the first step.
Saying the name of the symbol while drawing it enhances and focuses the energies so practice saying and chanting the symbol name while you focus on it.
Practice Using Cho Ku Rei
Drawing Cho Ku Rei on your palms is usually taught to Reiki practitioners to tune in before giving a healing session. You can also draw the symbol in your imagination and visualise it powering-up anything you wish to give Reiki to.
Use this meditation exercise below to immerse yourself in Cho Ku Rei and power-up your palms and chakras with focused Reiki energy. This is a great way to start or restart your Reiki practice and suitable for all abilities and levels.
Meditation Transcript:
Take a moment to settle. This is a light meditation practice requiring some visualisation of the Cho Ku Rei symbol, so if it’s not committed to memory, keep the symbol close-by so you can regularly look at it.
Spend a few moments taking some deep breaths and close your eyes.
I invite you to visualise Cho Ku Rei in your mind’s eye and practice drawing it.
Start at the top left, draw a horizontal line across to the right, now draw a line straight down.
Now comes the fun part — going right, start drawing a decreasing circle until you have looped three times, each loop getting smaller and smaller.
Now your symbol is complete, say its name — Cho Ku Rei.
Let’s do that again. Starting top left, draw across, then down and heading right, make three decreasing spiral shapes.
Cho Ku Rei
One more time. top left to right, straight down, then spiral to the right. one, two, three.
Cho Ku Rei
Give your Cho Ku Rei a color — it can be green, blue, gold or silver, whatever you prefer. Try to keep your focus on your symbol in your mind’s eye while we muse over this symbol’s meaning.
Perhaps the symbol has already given you some ideas.
Consider that this symbol is a concentrator of Reiki energy.
Consider it as a dial on a radio that tunes you directly into the best possible and most powerful Reiki energy.
Focus on your symbol and imagine that spiral as a coil, or magnet attracting exactly what is needed, right where it is needed.
There’s no need to coerce it or will it, perhaps your symbol changes color or glows, or gets bigger as the energy of Cho Ku Rei increases.
Now, let’s place the symbols into the palms of your hands. Use your dominant index finger to trace the symbol onto your non-dominant palm. Left to right, down and spiral.
Do the same on your other hand with your non-dominant index finger. Left to right, down and spiral.
Now say the symbol name three times. Cho Ku Rei. Cho Ku Rei. Cho Ku Rei.
Do you feel your palms tingle or get warm? Can you feel the subtle reiki energy?
Ground yourself by either drawing or imagining the Cho Ku Rei symbols on the soles of your feet. Feel the stress leaving your body as you reconnect to mother earth.
Next, connect with your Root chakra, between your legs. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a deep red color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Root chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the Sacral chakra.
***********
Connect with your Sacral chakra, inside your lower abdomen. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see an orange color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Sacral chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the Solar Plexus chakra.
***********
Connect with your Solar Plexus chakra, in your upper abdomen. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a yellow color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Solar Plexus chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the heart chakra.
***********
Connect with your Heart chakra, in the center of your chest. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a green or pink color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Heart chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the Throat chakra.
***********
Connect with your Throat chakra, at the base of your Throat. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a light blue color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Throat chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the Third Eye chakra.
***********
Connect with your Third Eye chakra, in the centre of your head. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a deep blue color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Third Eye chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra and then move on to the Crown chakra.
***********
Connect with your Crown chakra, resting on the top of your head. Feel the chakra in relation to your body and in relation to the universal energy that is all around you and running through you.
You may see a violet or white color, or you may see or feel something else.
Taking your time, carefully draw the Cho Ku Rei symbol in your Crown chakra and say the symbol name.
Bless and thank this chakra.
***********
Now imagine every cell in your body. Imagine them all listening for your loving instruction. Imagine that you have instantly placed the Cho Ku Rei symbol inside every cell in your body, flushing and waking the cells up with fresh, powerful Reiki energy. Those cells that were lethargic now pulse with life. Every cell is actively vibrating to this higher Cho Ku Rei vibration.
Now realise, that the Cho Ku Rei energy was already all around you in the universe, it was already in you, running through you and a part of you. all you did was tune in to it. You and the universe, are one.
***********
Place your hands in a prayer position and spend a while in gratitude.
Namaste.
Article by Phoenix Fenegan
Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.
Phoenix Fenegan is a Reiki Master Teacher, YA 200hrs Yoga Teacher, Meditation Teacher, and spiritual & energy explorer. Phoenix has a YouTube channel called Intuitive Meditations which has many resources for Reiki students and those looking to experience meditation. She is a writer of some note on yoga and spiritual matters which were first published way back in 1997.
You can contact Phoenix through her website: phoenixfenegan.com.
Thank you, I have been finding it hard to connect recently for self treatment (no problem at all for clients). This meditation is exactly what I needed 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to let me know it helped, Rachael. Love, Phoenix x
I hope this helps me🙏
Hola me gustaría saber el significado de mi primera sesión de Reiki y vi de vez en cuando como un velo en las imágenes no eran limpias pero las veía, notaba como si apoyaran una mano en el pecho y otra en la pierna izquierda, luego vi muchos lazos rojos , pase a respirar más tranquila y de repente fue como si tragara agua y me atragantara tosí y la expulse y vi una botella de agua con la imagen de Cho ku rei pero creo que no era de cristal , sentía la mano en la rodilla izquierda y oí que la persona que me lo realizaba daba vueltas a la camilla con lo cual ella no podía ser la que me estaba tocando y desperté , pero sobre todo me acuerdo de la botella de agua con la imagen de cho ku rei, que significado tiene ?? al día siguiente lloré mucho y el segundo día era una persona nueva como que había encontrado la paz y se había ido el malestar,que significa esto??
Querida Raquel,
Gracias por compartir tu primera experiencia de Reiki con la comunidad. Reiki ofrece una experiencia transformadora, por lo que el hecho de que hayas liberado mucho a través del llanto y te hayas sentido tan aliviado después solo puede significar que Reiki hizo su magia en ti y que el proceso de sanación ha comenzado profundamente. Percibir imágenes durante las sesiones de Reiki es común y enviar Reiki a tu agua también es una práctica común y útil. Tal vez hayas sido guiada para comenzar tu viaje de Reiki. Si has recibido la sintonización de Reiki o lo estás considerando, puedes aprender cómo enviar Reiki a tus botellas de agua. Aquí hay algunos artículos sobre este tema: https://reikirays.com/32593/reiki-water/, https://reikirays.com/90819/water-infused-reiki/, https://reikirays.com/70745/good -mañanas-con-reiki-cargado-de-agua/.
¡Bendiciones de Reiki y felicidades por comenzar este viaje de sanación!