| Reiki and charging money - a highly charged | | | | Quite rightly, these Reiki healers, although |
| subject indeed!If you are not of the Reiki | | | | on paper possessing the Reiki healer |
| community, you could be forgiven for thinking | | | | certificate, know that they are in no |
| that anyone working for free or almost free | | | | position to charge. Unfortunately, many of |
| is totally mad.So what is it about Reiki that | | | | these healers are simply unaware that Reiki |
| is contradictory to charging for one's time? | | | | is more than a quick initiation and nice warm |
| Nothing. As a matter of fact, Mikao Usui, | | | | feeling. No-one has told them! They have |
| the founder of Reiki, advocated an exchange | | | | been taught by a Reiki Master teacher after a |
| for the healing in order to empower the | | | | quick buck or (and this is more usually the |
| healee to take an active part in their | | | | case) just as ignorant themselves.Add to the |
| healing process.How did the Reiki healing | | | | above the proliferation of Reiki healers in |
| community get to this point?History has a | | | | the UK today, where competition drives prices |
| part to play. When Reiki first came to the | | | | down. If one has little or no business |
| West, people were charged obscene amounts of | | | | training, it is easy to make the assumption |
| money to become a Reiki healer. This was not | | | | that if you charge less, you will get the |
| a true reflection of the value of the | | | | work. The fact is that if you charge less, |
| initiation and teaching to the healer, and | | | | you starve. Hence many Reiki practitioners |
| healers rebelled against this at the first | | | | give up the idea of doing Reiki full-time, |
| opportunity.Then again, there is the way in | | | | as they need to make a living and cannot |
| which Reiki at a professional level spread | | | | survive on what they charge. This leads to |
| through the world. From a purely financial | | | | many Reiki healers competing for even less |
| point of view, it was largely, and for many | | | | money, as they can afford to offer it for |
| still is, a cottage industry for housewives, | | | | less part-time.There is also an element of |
| the disabled, retirees, and people already in | | | | self-esteem. Many Reiki healers have been |
| work looking for a second income. It is very | | | | drawn to Reiki in order to heal low |
| easy for anyone in this situation to | | | | self-esteem. Somehow along the line, they |
| miscalculate their true overheads. It is | | | | take professional training but do not |
| even easier not to need to make a living with | | | | complete their self-healing. I do not blame |
| Reiki if there is already a source of income, | | | | them, as often self-healing can be painful! |
| be it a loving husband, disability benefits, | | | | But if one doesn't value oneself, one simply |
| a pension, or a secure job.There is also the | | | | does not charge for services given or charges |
| driver which leads us to Reiki in the first | | | | very little.Then there is the weirdness of |
| Place. Most of us come to Reiki because of a | | | | the Reiki session as a process. To many, |
| need for physical or emotional healing. This | | | | this feels like just laying the hands on the |
| may be our own need or that of a loved one | | | | healee and "doing nothing". With time and |
| whom we know is suffering. Immediately after | | | | experience, a Reiki healer becomes an active |
| the initiation, a Reiki healer starts | | | | participant in the healing process, and even |
| self-healing each day, and soon progresses | | | | if this never happens, the results that |
| onto healing loved ones in need. The emphasis | | | | clients report back are too astounding to be |
| is on self-development and helping loved | | | | ignored! Somewhere along the line with many |
| ones. The Reiki healer then spends months or | | | | healers though, they begin to doubt that the |
| years in this relationship with Reiki, and it | | | | are "doing anything" and of course if one is |
| is very hard to suddenly switch to having a | | | | "doing nothing" then one has to charge |
| financial relationship with Reiki too.Then | | | | nothing!And then there are those erstwhile |
| again for many, Reiki is a spiritual | | | | healers that give Reiki sessions as part of |
| discipline, and for many, spirituality is | | | | their job, albeit unofficially. Since it is |
| misunderstood as being divorced from monetary | | | | unofficial, they do not view the Reiki as |
| gain. I feel that Reiki is about | | | | paid employment, even though they are being |
| unconditional love, and that spirituality is | | | | paid and are working as Reiki healers.My hope |
| about abundance for the highest good. Let me | | | | is that the forthcoming Reiki Regulation in |
| illustrate. Sandra goes to work on a chicken | | | | the UK will lead to the support of the Reiki |
| battery farm, where chickens are bred to have | | | | healers that do want to work professionally. |
| chests that are so heavy, these birds have | | | | Reiki healers working unoficially will be |
| been proven scientifically to be in constant | | | | recognised and more Reiki healers will be |
| pain. Sandra has also learned Reiki to | | | | able to work full-time. The result? Freedom |
| professional level but since Reiki is | | | | for chickens would be nice!Complementary and |
| spiritual, she will not charge for her Reiki | | | | alternative health education and empowerment |
| sessions. If she does charge, it is not a | | | | is my passion. My name is Suzanne Zacharia |
| sufficient amount to enable her to give up | | | | and I am committed to empowering people to |
| her job at the chicken battery farm. But | | | | take conrol of their health and wellness.A |
| Mikao Usui told us to be gracious to every | | | | virus caught along with 5 other students at |
| living thing, and Sandra tortures chickens | | | | university at the end of 1986, plus medical |
| for a living! Society's standards about | | | | negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at |
| spirituality, handed down over the ages for | | | | a relatively young age. In desperation for |
| the rich to control the poor, are to | | | | help with my symptoms and quality of life, I |
| blame.Reiki is gaining popularity in the UK | | | | turned to complementary therapy, and this is |
| as a healing modality. Many clients come to | | | | the 11th year I have outlived one doctor's |
| me for healing anxiety, depression, joint | | | | prognosis.I am now a complementary therapist, |
| pain, arthritis, and many other conditions | | | | author and trainer specialising in "energy" |
| with Reiki. At the same time, many healers | | | | therapy. My company is called New Age |
| have been received their Reiki | | | | London, with some carefully-chosen expert |
| professional-level training in a very short | | | | teachers and trainers of alternative and |
| workshop or even in half an hour over the | | | | complementary health working with me. People |
| internet! They do not have the necessary | | | | have come from Iceland, Norway, the States, |
| training for client care, clinical practice, | | | | France, Italy, and Pakistan to train with us |
| the law, tax, conditions requiring urgent | | | | or to learn natural, effective techniques for |
| medical attention, and health and safety. | | | | their and their families' health. |