The Japanese word "gassho" means bringing two hands together.

The Gassho meditation technique consists of bringing the palms of one's hands together upright in the prayer position with the thumbs touching the heart chakra . In the meditation one closes one's eyes and focuses attention on the spot where the two middle fingers (the third finger from the thumb) touch.

Breathing should be slow and deep.

Any thoughts that arise during the meditation are briefly acknowledged and then put to the side.

What I find useful in Gassho is to gradually reduce the pressure on the spot where these two fingers touch until there is just the barest sense of contact and then focus on this sense.

This meditation is done for at least fifteen to twenty minutes and generally no more than thirty minutes at a time.

It can be done for a shorter period to prepare oneself for Reiki work. In such cases, I'd recommend that you combine it with Reiji-ho - an invocation or intention as to the nature of the work or practice to be undertaken and calling on one's Reiki guides and other spiritual beings for guidance and assistance.

The Gassho meditation technique and Reiji-ho are described in detail in Frank Arjava Petter's book "The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui".