What should we talk about instead of the default mind network about the connection between the length of a reiki session of at least 23 minutes and the concept of nento in Buddhism
Nento in Buddhism and its connection with reiki sessionsNento is a Buddhist concept that describes a special state of concentrated mind.Not a deity or a character, but the quality of presence: when attention is completely directed to the object and there is no distraction.A similar state occurs in a pianist who sits down at the piano — at this moment he does not think about his fingers, notes or spectators, he simply plays, completely immersed in the music.What is nento?In the Buddhist tradition, nento describes the moment when the mind stops wandering and becomes one with what it is focused on.This is not a trance or a blackout — on the contrary, it is a state of acute, living concentration.The practitioner is aware of what he is doing, but without internal noise and distractions.Nentō’s connection with reikiIn a Reiki session, the practitioner enters a similar state.The hands move, energy is transferred, but the mind does not analyze and control every movement — it is present.It is this quality of presence that makes the session alive and not mechanical.How to cultivate nento in reiki practice
- Pre-session intention:like a pianist who freezes for a second before the first chord, a reiki practitioner enters the session consciously, letting go of extraneous thoughts.
- Attention without effort:nento does not require tension — it is a soft, stable presence that holds on its own when the conditions are created.
- Unity with the process:When nento is achieved, the boundary between the practitioner and the session dissolves — only the flow of healing itself remains.
Nento is not a technique that needs to be mastered, but a state that opens itself when the mind stops interfering.
Nento does not appear instantly.
When the client lies down on the table, his mind is busy.He thinks about what happened in the morning, about the to-do list, about the conversation that haunted him.This is the normal background state of a waking person — the mind is constantly going through something, returning, planning.This does not interfere with living, but it is the opposite of nent.
Exit from this state does not occur on command.The body needs time to relax, breathing to even out, and the mind to exhaust the surface layer of thoughts.Only after this there comes silence in which real contact is possible.This takes the client ten to fifteen minutes.
Practitioner also needs time.Entering your nento — stopping thinking about the next movement, whether your hands are positioned correctly, about time — this is also a process, not an instant switch.
This is why a reiki session should last at least twenty minutes.Not because it’s customary, not because it’s tradition.But because less is simply not enough time.Both the practitioner and the client are just entering the desired state, and the session is already ending.It’s as if a pianist came on stage, sat down at the piano, and at that moment the concert was declared over.
Reiki should not be justified as a replacement for psychotherapy — this is a weak position that is easy to attack.It’s stronger to say something else: reiki and psychotherapy solve different problems.Psychotherapy works with content — thoughts, traumas, patterns.Reiki works with body condition and presence.These are not competitors.
Is it cheaper to turn to Japanese Buddhism than to a psychotherapist?Cheaper does not mean better, and this immediately reduces the status of reiki.
It is appropriate to talk about default mode network in the sensethe transition of the practitioner and master from a wandering mind to a focused one.