Recently, a new Reiki practitioner contacted me as she had several questions about opening a practice in her city. She told me her Reiki Master lived locally, but he had not replied to her emails or voicemails. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, she stated he may be dealing with a crisis in his life or has other major priorities. Certainly, that is possible, especially in today’s world with the pandemic, economic challenges and other struggles. Due to these factors, this can be an especially difficult time for new practitioners to establish a practice.
How can we help?
Let us begin with the first step – sending intentions to the Universal Life Force. These intentions are rooted in the great need for healing – for individuals, countries and Mother Earth. The need for Reiki practitioners is greater than ever. We can state an intention such as, “If any Reiki practitioner needs assistance, please have her/him contact me.” Or “I am available to anyone who would benefit from my Reiki practice experience.”
Then, follow up with some concrete actions. Tell your friends and family that you are providing support to other Reiki practitioners, encouraging them to give your website or email address to anyone who would benefit by contacting you. You can also place this information on your own website. Another possibility is to form a community of Reiki practitioners. This may need to be done by Zoom, Skype or other formats during the pandemic.
Another way to provide support is sharing your own experience with opening your practice, both the things that worked and the things that did not, and what steps you took to correct those. For example, you can share your personal experience with renting a space only for your practice vs. sharing a space with others who provide healing modalities. You can discuss financial realities of rent and purchase of needed items.
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We can share what we learned through the school of hard knocks. One thing I learned is how important it was to consider other renters in the building. One business liked to cater lunches for their employees in the lobby – a loud gathering every Friday at noon. In another building where I rented, the landlord turned down the thermostat every weekend. This had to be addressed since I provided sessions and Reiki trainings on weekends.
If the practitioner lives in an area where massage therapy, Reiki and other services where personal contact is limited during the pandemic, special consideration must be given. Fortunately, Reiki practitioners are able to provide distance sessions and trainings. This can provide more opportunities for practitioners as clients do not need to live in the client’s local area. But it does require more thoughtful outreach methods in promoting a Reiki practice. Creating an appealing website, promoting Reiki on social media, writing a blog – the possibilities are endless.
However, more important than information is the emotional support we can provide to new practitioners. Be an active listener and give authentic encouragement when appropriate. If you have had a wonderful Reiki Master supporter, emulate him or her. If the experience was not that helpful to you, become the kind of Reiki Master you wish you had. This is one way to bring Reiki healing energies into our world!
Article by Deborah Lloyd, Reiki Master
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Deborah Lloyd is a Usui and Karuna Reiki® Master and certified holistic therapy practitioner, providing Distant Reiki sessions and training in Asheville, NC. Deborah is the author of two books, 22 Messages from the Archangels; and, Believe and it is True: A Story of Healing and Life Lessons. She is also one of the co-authors of Reiki 101: 101 Answers for Your Reiki Questions. Reach Deborah at [email protected] and on Facebook at Deb Lloyd Healing.
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