Thank you again!

This is why, in public events, I give only Reiki samples without charge. A few minutes of Reiki touch is enough for people to see what is possible and then pursue it if they want it enough to pay for it.

We could just as easily interpret it as saying to the world that Reiki is to be respected as a profession in the way, for example, acupuncture is, and we are modeling how to be in the world and be of service. Being paid for our time and skills does not mean that we are serving money; it means we are paying our bills. How can that be a bad thing?

If we don’t take care of ourselves and our responsibilities, how can we be of help to others? That’s why I stress to my students that as Reiki practitioners, our most important service to the world is our daily self-treatment.

We all find ways to give back to our communities that go beyond our billable hours. I was first brought into conventional health care to serve the disenfranchised portion of our population that received care at inner-city hospital HIV clinics. In the beginning, I offered this work as community service. If I had not been paid by my clients so that I could support my family, I would not have been able to offer this service. Look at how much good has come out of that work–but it had to happen on the foundation of meeting my responsibilities first. And as Reiki treatment is seen as a viable option in health care, it will become even more available to disenfranchised people.

In life, there are always obstacles, and there are always ways to address them. For some people the obstacles seem to be money, for others lack of health, for others wrong understanding. But no one alive escapes the need to overcome obstacles. And when we overcome obstacles–especially the inner obstacles–we have so much more to give.

Although he speaks of visual art, I draw parallels to other beautiful offerings such as Reiki.

Looking at the quality of his work, I’d say he could be labeled a “professional” although he does not charge.

I feel it is a tug of war between charging and not charging. To what degree are we supporting elitism or class structures by keeping our good from one another based solely on money as a form of exchange?

Do we not see this pan out in hospitals where, unfortunately, people are denied support because they are not covered monetarily? Is this not a challenge we ought to overcome?

By charging a fee, we are saying to the world, only some are worthy of our time and attention – those with money. In essence, we are serving money, not people. We are upholding the modern dependence on money as the only form of thrival. Perhaps this is merely a personal challenge…

How we price our services is, in part, a personal journey—simple for some of us, painful for others. Reflecting on the points I mentioned in the blog-post helped me to see where I tended to be muddled around money.

For the past 7 years, I’ve also sponsored a monthly clinic with some of my Reiki students and friends. This has been a rewarding way for me to care for people who otherwise would be unlikely to receive Reiki. All donations go to the local Head Start which sponsors us. People can attend as often as they like—some have come for years.

(My email access is sporadic this week—I’m in Minnesota for a family funeral.)