message #: 5922.2 in response to 5922.1
Gently bumping this up...
message #: 5922.3 in response to 5922.2
Found this in this month's International Center for Reiki Training newsletter:
Getting your Reiki Practice Started
by William Lee Rand
Perhaps you attended a Reiki class a while ago and have been giving yourself treatments and sharing Reiki with your friends and family. And in the back of your mind the thought of starting a Reiki practice or teaching may have occasionally come up, but you haven’t decided to act on it yet. Perhaps you think it might be too difficult to get started, or the timing isn’t right or maybe you have doubts about your ability. Perhaps you find it difficult to see yourself with a Reiki business, or you may even have fear of being judged for doing something that others might see as being too different.
Whatever the reason, I’d like to suggest that if the thought has been in your mind about starting a practice, it’s there for a purpose and that starting a Reiki practice is easier than you might think. And in fact it can be a lot of fun!
There are many rewards you’ll experience from starting a Reiki practice. You’ll feel happier, have more vitality, be more positive both mentally and emotionally, and be a lot healthier, simply from being in the Reiki energy more frequently. You’ll also have a feeling of accomplishment from having gotten something valuable started that will also provide you with a source of income. The most important reward will be the special feeling you’ll get in your heart from helping others—sometimes when there’s no one else to help them.
If you’ve taken a Reiki class, even if it’s the very beginning class, Level I, you have the ability to begin a Reiki practice right now. I know some teachers say you have to at least have Reiki II to begin a practice, but keep in mind that while we respect the right of a Reiki teacher to decide what and how to teach, it’s also important for each student to think for themselves and make their own decisions based on facts. It’s a fact that Mrs. Takata, the founder of Western Reiki, worked at the Hayashi clinic in Japan after she learned Reiki I, providing Reiki sessions for his clients, both in the clinic and by making house calls.1 Also, Takata taught that after Reiki I, a student not only could, but also should, charge money for Reiki sessions. I’ve heard so many positive stories of people having miraculous results after taking a Reiki I class that there’s no question that anyone with any level of Reiki training is qualified to start a Reiki practice and charge money for sessions. Remember, you’re not the one creating the healing experience, it’s the Reiki energy that flows through you automatically that does this. All you have to do is place your hands on someone for it to begin working!
I’d like to share a few of the best ideas I have for starting a Reiki practice. These ideas are simple, yet they been tested and proven to work. First of all, it’s important to know that it will actually be an easy transition from giving Reiki to your family and friends to giving full sessions and charging money.
In terms of how much to charge, I suggest setting a target fee and then start out with a low fee and slowly work your way up to your target fee. As you give more sessions, you will gain experience and your sessions will be worth more, thus justifying the increase in price. Usually your target fee will be about the same amount that people are charging for massage in your area, which can vary from $35.00 to over $100.00 per hour or session. So it’s a good idea to check bulletin boards or ask around to find out how much people are charging.
Once you’ve established your target fee, I suggest setting your beginning fee at $10.00. Then tell people you’re going to charge $10.00 per session for the first 10 sessions you give after starting your business, and then your fee is going to go up to $20.00 per session for the next 10 sessions. Once you’ve given a few sessions, let clients and potential clients know how many sessions you’ve given at $10.00 so they will know when they can expect to pay more. Continue with this process, increasing your fee every 10 sessions until you reach your target fee. When potential clients hear your fee is going up soon, it will motivate them to get a session from you right away.
Another thing that works well is gift certificates. These can be designed on your computer and printed out. Include your name, email address, Web site, if you have one, and your phone number. Don’t include your physical address, as you don’t want people coming to your door unless they’ve booked a session. Then give your gift certificates to people who seem interested. Not everyone will use them, but it’s a good way to get people coming to you for sessions. At the end of the free session, let them know how much you charge and ask them if they’d like to book more sessions.
Developing an email list of those interested in Reiki is very important. You can gather email addresses from the client information form you use to gather information from your clients at the beginning of your sessions, from your Web site, or at Reiki share groups and other venues. Once you’ve got an email list you can use it to send out bulk emails announcing special prices for your sessions or your Reiki share group or special events or presentations and other Reiki news of interest. It costs almost nothing to send out these notices, and it’s an easy and effective way of generating more business.
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message #: 5922.4 in response to 5922.3
I have Reiki, Level II certification. I have thought about starting a practice off and on, but don;t think it is what I am supposed to be doing Right Now. The article you posted is great information. I would add to it to take a few basic business classes within your first year, just to have learned the basics of setting up a business. I do, however, study different healing modalities and teach a class on Chakras in Philly. These "alternative" methods have interested me for awhile because I have never been big on taking chemical medications, so my research began while I was "looking for another way." At some point, I will probably get my Reiki Master Certification and teach (mostly because I enjoy sharing information with people in a teaching atmosphere)
message #: 5922.5 in response to 5922.4
Hi Charli! Yes, taking a few business classes which includes classes on accounting and marketing is a very good idea for anyone thinking of setting up their own business.
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