Traditionally the Japanese sit in sieza and start by following the six precepts. The goal of deep meditation is to let all your thoughts fade away. This does not mean to fight off your thoughts, but do not dwell on them. If a thought emerges, let it pass and clear your mind again. Focus on your breath. If you think only about breathing deeply, slowly, and evenly, it may be easier to let your mind rest. Feel at peace with yourself. Of course it is easiest to meditate in a completely silent, serene environment but this is sometimes very hard to find. As you develop your meditative practice you will find it easier to meditate in chaotic conditions. Eventually, you should be able to meditate anywhere, more deeply than a monk. This eventuality may never be achieved. However, it is good to shoot for the moon because if you miss you can fall into the stars.

One method of meditation is to sit in sieza while focusing on your breath and feeling your hara. Breathe deeply and rhythmically through your nose. With every inhale, breathe in the Ki around you and fill your hara with this energy. Then with every exhale blow Ki into your aura and let it expand like a balloon. If you have built up tension, stress, or negativity then at first you may want to blow this out beyond your aura until you feel peaceful with every breath. Because you are breathing so deeply you may get high off of oxygen and dizziness may occur, if this happens, stop. End the meditation with gassho.

Another traditional form of meditation is to sit in sieza, follow the six principles, and leave the hands in gassho. Concentrate on your breathing, which should be deep and rhythmic. While exhaling, imagine a channel of Ki between your hara, up through your heart chakra, and out through your arms to you hands. Then reverse this channel on the inhale. Bring energy in through your hands, through your heart, through your body, and down into your hara again. After you meditate on your hara you may want to meditate on your crown chakra and feel a flow of Heaven Ki fall down through your crown chakra, heart chakra, and out your arms to your hands while your inhale. Exhale and reverse the flow of Ki. Meanwhile your hands should be in gassho, embracing the "in" and "yo" in the universe.

Now that you understand a bit about Ki and how to circulate it, cultivate it, and meditate with it, you can begin to use it to heal yourself. This healing process can begin before you learn palm-healing. Healing begins as soon as you do any exercise in this course or accept any of Reiki's concepts. Therefore, you are already on a healthy path.