Reiki is an ancient healing practice that uses gentle yet powerful energy. It involves various symbols, and one of them is called Cho Ku Rei, also known as the “Power Symbol.” This symbol is an important part of the Usui Reiki system, which was developed by Mikao Usui in Japan in the early 20th century.
Cho Ku Rei, usually represented with a coil or a spiral, is one of the primary symbols in the Usui Reiki system.
Origins and Discovery
Legend has it that Usui discovered Cho Ku Rei during a spiritual journey on Mount Kurama. While meditating, he had a profound experience that led to the revelation of this sacred symbol. Cho Ku Rei carries different meanings, but its essence is about activating and channeling divine energy. It represents the connection between the practitioner, the person receiving Reiki, and the universal life.
Symbolic Meaning
The term “Cho Ku Rei” can be translated as “Put all the power of the universe here” or “God is here.” It is a symbol of empowerment and signifies the presence of divine energy. When used in Reiki, it helps practitioners access and direct this powerful energy for healing and transformation.
Cho Ku Rei holds great significance in Reiki practice. It is used to enhance the flow of healing energy, cleanse and balance energy fields, and provide protection. Practitioners often draw or visualize this symbol at the beginning of a Reiki session to amplify their intentions and connect with the universal life force energy.

Drawing Cho Ku Rei
To draw Cho Ku Rei, follow these steps:
- Start by visualizing the symbol in your mind or holding the intention of drawing it.
- Begin at the top, near the center of your drawing surface (such as paper or the air).
- Draw a counterclockwise spiral, gradually expanding outward in a circular motion.
- Once the spiral is complete, draw a straight line extending vertically downward from the center of the spiral. The line should be approximately three times the length of the spiral.
You can draw Cho Ku Rei with your finger in the air, on your palms, or using a pen or any other writing instrument on paper or any other suitable surface. The intention behind the drawing is more important than the physical perfection of the symbol.
Activating Cho Ku Rei
To activate Cho Ku Rei and connect with its energy, you can follow these steps:
- Focus your attention on the symbol you have drawn or visualized, bringing your awareness to its presence.
- Take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to relax and center your energy.
- State your intention or affirmation silently or aloud, such as “I activate and channel the healing energy of Cho Ku Rei for the highest good.”
- Hold the intention that the symbol becomes activated and infused with the universal life force energy.
- Trust in the energy and allow it to flow through you, knowing that it is ready to support your healing intentions or the healing of others.
Remember, the activation of Cho Ku Rei primarily happens through intention and focus. It is about aligning your energy with the symbol and connecting with the universal life force energy. Practice drawing Cho Ku Rei with intention and activating it with a clear mind and an open heart to harness its transformative potential.
Traditional Uses
Traditionally, Cho Ku Rei has several uses in Reiki practice:
- Intentional Focus: The main purpose of Cho Ku Rei is to enhance the flow of Reiki energy. Practitioners draw or visualize the symbol at the start of a healing session to intensify their healing intentions. It serves as a reminder to be a clear channel for universal life force energy.
- Energy Balancing: Cho Ku Rei is effective in cleansing and balancing energy fields. By drawing or visualizing the symbol, practitioners create a concentrated field of divine energy. This helps release blockages, negativity, and stagnant energy from the recipient’s system, restoring balance on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.
- Protection and Grounding: The symbol acts as a protective shield, safeguarding against negative energies and influences. It can be used to strengthen the energy of physical spaces, objects, and personal boundaries. Invoking Cho Ku Rei establishes a strong energetic boundary, ensuring a safe and secure healing environment.
- Amplifying Healing Modalities: Cho Ku Rei can enhance the effects of other Reiki symbols or healing modalities. When placed over another symbol or drawn on the palms during a treatment, it intensifies the healing properties and strengthens the intention behind the therapy. This fosters deeper healing and transformation.
Use cases for Cho Ku Rei
Here are 50 different use cases for Cho Ku Rei, showcasing the versatility and potential applications of this powerful Reiki symbol:
- Enhancing Healing Sessions: Draw or visualize Cho Ku Rei at the beginning of a Reiki session to intensify the flow of healing energy and amplify the healing intentions.
- Personal Self-Treatment: Place Cho Ku Rei on your palms or draw it on your body while performing self-Reiki to enhance the healing energy and focus your intentions.
- Energy Clearing: Draw Cho Ku Rei in the air or visualize it while moving your hands to clear stagnant or negative energy from a person, object, or space.
- Chakra Balancing: Draw Cho Ku Rei on each chakra (energy center) to activate and balance their energy, fostering harmony and alignment.
- Emotional Healing: Use Cho Ku Rei to infuse healing energy into emotional wounds, traumas, or imbalances, promoting emotional release and restoration.
- Physical Pain Relief: Draw Cho Ku Rei directly on the affected area or visualize it while directing Reiki energy to alleviate pain and support the body’s natural healing processes.
- Enhancing Meditation: Meditate on the symbol of Cho Ku Rei to deepen your connection with the universal life force energy, promoting relaxation, clarity, and spiritual growth.
- Energetic Protection: Visualize Cho Ku Rei surrounding yourself, others, or physical spaces as a protective shield against negative energies and influences.
- Energizing Food and Water: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your palms and hold them over food or water to infuse them with healing energy and enhance their vitality.
- Manifestation and Goal Setting: Use Cho Ku Rei to energize and empower your goals and intentions, amplifying their manifestation potential.
- Enhancing Affirmations: Draw Cho Ku Rei while reciting affirmations to imbue them with divine energy, strengthening their impact on the subconscious mind.
- Preparing for an Important Event: Visualize Cho Ku Rei while envisioning success and positive outcomes before important meetings, presentations, or performances to boost confidence and energy.
- Harmonizing Relationships: Infuse Cho Ku Rei with intentions of love, harmony, and healing, directing the energy toward improving relationships or resolving conflicts.
- Energizing Crystals and Gemstones: Place Cho Ku Rei on crystals or gemstones to cleanse and charge them with Reiki energy, enhancing their healing properties.
- Releasing Addictions or Habits: Draw Cho Ku Rei on yourself or visualize it while sending healing energy to support the release and healing of addictive patterns or unhealthy habits.
- Balancing the Energy of Spaces: Draw Cho Ku Rei in the corners or entrance of a room to cleanse and harmonize the energy, creating a more balanced and peaceful environment.
- Healing Plants and Gardens: Draw Cho Ku Rei while directing healing energy to plants or gardens, supporting their growth, vitality, and overall well-being.
- Energetic Shielding for Empaths: Visualize Cho Ku Rei around yourself to create an energetic shield, protecting your sensitive energy from being overwhelmed or drained in crowded or challenging environments.
- Supporting Animals and Pets: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your hands or visualize it while offering Reiki to animals, promoting relaxation, healing, and overall well-being.
- Cleansing and Charging Objects: Draw Cho Ku Rei on objects such as crystals, jewelry, or personal belongings to cleanse and charge them with positive, healing energy.
- Energy Boost: Draw or visualize Cho Ku Rei on your palms or body when you need an extra boost of energy, vitality, or focus.
- Enhancing Daily Activities: Invoke Cho Ku Rei before engaging in daily tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, or work, to infuse them with positive energy and intention.
- Spiritual Protection: Visualize Cho Ku Rei surrounding your aura or energy field as a protective shield against negative energies, psychic attacks, or energy vampires.
- Harmonizing Electronic Devices: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your electronic devices, such as computers, phones, or appliances, to cleanse and harmonize their energetic vibrations.
- Intuitive Guidance: Meditate on Cho Ku Rei to enhance your intuitive abilities and strengthen your connection with your inner wisdom and spiritual guidance.
- Preparing Sacred Space: Use Cho Ku Rei to cleanse and energize a room or space before conducting spiritual or healing practices, rituals, or ceremonies.
- Restful Sleep: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your pillow or visualize it surrounding your bed to promote deep relaxation, peaceful sleep, and rejuvenation.
- Energetic Cord Cutting: Visualize Cho Ku Rei while intending to cut energetic cords or attachments that drain your energy or keep you tied to unhealthy relationships or situations.
- Vitality and Rejuvenation: Draw Cho Ku Rei on areas of your body that need rejuvenation, whether it’s to promote youthful energy, physical healing, or overall well-being.
- Past Trauma Healing: Utilize Cho Ku Rei to send healing energy to past traumas or experiences, supporting their release, resolution, and transformation.
- Enhancing Creativity: Invoke Cho Ku Rei when engaging in creative activities, such as writing, painting, or playing music, to tap into your creative flow and inspiration.
- Empowering Affirmations: Place Cho Ku Rei on written affirmations or affirmations cards to amplify their positive impact and help reprogram limiting beliefs.
- Environmental Healing: Visualize Cho Ku Rei expanding and spreading healing energy to support the healing and restoration of environmental issues, such as pollution, deforestation, or natural disasters.
- Preparing for Exams or Tests: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your study materials or visualize it surrounding you while preparing for exams, enhancing focus, memory retention, and clarity of thought.
- Finding Lost Objects: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your hands or visualize it while intending to locate lost objects, enhancing your intuitive guidance and increasing the chances of finding them.
- Self-Empowerment: Use Cho Ku Rei to activate your personal power, boost self-confidence, and reinforce a sense of empowerment in various aspects of your life.
- Harmonizing Family Dynamics: Infuse Cho Ku Rei with intentions of love, harmony, and understanding to support the healing and harmonizing of family relationships and dynamics.
- Environmental Cleansing: Visualize Cho Ku Rei while intending to cleanse and purify the energy of physical spaces, such as homes, offices, or healing rooms, from residual negative energies.
- Emotional Release: Draw Cho Ku Rei over areas of tension or discomfort in the body to release emotional blockages, allowing for emotional healing, catharsis, and liberation.
- Global Healing: Visualize Cho Ku Rei expanding globally, radiating healing energy to support global harmony, peace, and the well-being of all beings.
- Enhancing Communication: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your throat or visualize it while intending to improve communication skills, fostering clear and harmonious interactions with others.
- Preparing for Travel: Invoke Cho Ku Rei before embarking on a journey to promote safe travels, protect against unforeseen circumstances, and ensure a positive experience.
- Energetic Cleansing of Objects: Draw Cho Ku Rei on objects that carry stagnant or negative energy, such as jewelry, crystals, or household items, to cleanse and recharge their energetic vibrations.
- Emotional Boundaries: Visualize Cho Ku Rei surrounding your emotional space, helping you establish healthy boundaries and prevent the absorption of others’ negative emotions.
- Enhancing Intentional Tools: Place Cho Ku Rei on your tarot cards, oracle decks, or any other divination tools to cleanse and charge them with Reiki energy, enhancing their accuracy and insight.
- Support in Grieving Process: Use Cho Ku Rei to send healing energy to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one, promoting comfort, healing, and the integration of emotions.
- Releasing Energetic Attachments: Draw Cho Ku Rei on your hands or visualize it while intending to release energetic attachments to people, places, or situations that no longer serve your highest good.
- Enhancing Physical Performance: Invoke Cho Ku Rei before engaging in physical activities, such as sports, exercise, or dance, to boost stamina, endurance, and overall performance.
- Protection during Energy Work: Visualize Cho Ku Rei around yourself or others during energy work, providing a protective barrier and preventing the absorption of negative energy from clients or surroundings.
- Amplifying Prayer and Mantras: Infuse Cho Ku Rei with the energy of prayers, mantras, or sacred invocations, amplifying their spiritual potency and deepening the connection to the divine.

When using Cho Ku Rei, it’s important to adapt the ways you use it to fit your own needs and the situation you’re in. Trust your inner feelings and follow your instincts as you explore the powerful effects of Cho Ku Rei. It has the potential to bring about healing, personal growth, and positive changes in your life.
Remember, the examples provided are meant to inspire you and give you ideas on how to use Cho Ku Rei. Your intuition and intention will guide you as you discover new and unique ways to incorporate this special symbol into your healing journey. Trust in the power of Cho Ku Rei to support your personal growth, healing, and connection to the energy that exists all around us.
These interesting facts help us understand how significant and diverse the uses of Cho Ku Rei are. It is a symbol that has stood the test of time in the world of energy healing and spiritual practices. Embrace its essence and embark on a journey filled with healing, enlightenment, and personal transformation.
Reiki is often practiced alongside various belief systems and spiritual traditions. It is important to respect the beliefs and practices of others while using Cho Ku Rei or any other symbols. Reiki is a non-denominational practice, and it should not be used to impose personal beliefs on others.
As a practitioner, it is essential to take personal responsibility for your actions and intentions while using Cho Ku Rei. Maintain integrity, practice self-care, and continuously develop your skills and understanding of Reiki to ensure the best possible outcomes for yourself and those you work with.
Article by Patricia Lidia
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Patricia Lidia is a corporate engineer, writer, blogger, and coach on creativity and emotional balance. She is passionate about reading and writing, alternative therapies, and spirituality. She is a Reiki master teacher with over ten years of experience. Her aim is to help women find their emotional balance and create the life they’ve always wanted.
She resides in Timisoara, Romania. You can find her at patricialidia.ro/ or patricialidiaemotionalhealing
Thank you for this enlightening post on the Cho Ku Rei symbol! I’ve always been fascinated by its power and the way it represents the energy of Reiki. Your explanations about its applications and meanings have deepened my understanding, and I can’t wait to incorporate it more consciously into my practice. Keep sharing such valuable insights!
Thank you for this insightful post on the Cho Ku Rei symbol! I love how you explained its significance in enhancing energy and intention in Reiki practice. It’s fascinating how a simple symbol can hold such powerful energy. I can’t wait to implement this into my sessions!