You know the scenario well. Reiki is mentioned in conversation and your new friend or business associate says, “I’ve heard about Reiki, but I don’t know exactly what it is.”
There you are, poised at the moment you’ve been waiting for, eager to share the practice that has helped you sleep better, love your husband/wife/child more, be less anxious and more productive, feel better about yourself and face life’s challenges with greater equanimity and creativity.
This is your moment. Now what?
If you’re like most Reiki practitioners, you jump in, heart and mouth open, and make one or more of the following mistakes.
Then you wonder why the person doesn’t ask for a Reiki session. And you leave feeling many shades of bad about the interaction. Again. You’ve been here before. Many times.
Would you like that conversation to play out differently? That’s easily done. Change your approach and you’ll transform the interaction. And leave feeling good about yourself and your practice.
Here are the most common mistakes Reiki practitioners make when asked about Reiki, and easy tips to avoid them:
1. Talking at a person instead of having a conversation.
When someone asks you about Reiki, he/she has not bought a ticket to your (very enthusiastic) monologue. Don’t let your enthusiasm for your practice overpower your relationship with the person you’re speaking to.
If you want the person to pay attention to what you’re saying, pay attention to him/her. Don’t take that person’s attention for granted. Stay more interested in your companion than you are in what you are saying. Relationship is the foundation for sharing information.
2. Talking abstractly instead of sharing your own experience.
Reiki practitioners are so enthusiastic about our practice that we say too much, and we say it vaguely, or in belief-laden terms. Keep it simple, direct and relevant.
People are hard-wired to be interested in stories of how other people like them have overcome pain and solved a life challenge.
Hasn’t your Reiki practice helped you overcome some kind of pain and solve a life challenge?
Tell that story, in an engaging way, without burdening your listener with too much detail.
If your Reiki practice hasn’t helped you overcome some kind of pain and solve a life challenge, I’ll bet you don’t practice daily hands-on self Reiki.
Start your daily practice today and within a week, you’ll have a story of your own to share, even if it’s as simple as easing the pain of a headache. To people who suffer from headaches, that’s a big deal, especially if they don’t like taking medication.
3. Speaking other people’s words instead of your own.
It’s challenging to put an ineffable experience into words, and maybe you’ve never even tried until the moment when someone asks you about Reiki. When we aren’t prepared, or we lack confidence, it’s easy to reach for what we’ve been told instead of risking our own words.
Prepare for your next Reiki conversation now.
Start writing, “My Reiki practice” and let your heart continue. Write until you are out of words. Then start again.
The step of putting your practice experience into words is crucial. Words give form to an amorphous experience, a form that others can relate to, that helps them see the possibility Reiki practice holds for them.
And when you use your own words, your authenticity shines. People see the truth within your words.
Take that all-important step of finding your own words, and you create a bridge that will lead people to have their own amorphous, life-enhancing experience.
As you find your own words, you’ll become more comfortable talking about Reiki. And when you’re more comfortable, so is the person listening.
Wish you were more comfortable sharing Reiki practice with potential clients, or family and friends? Let’s make that happen. Take a look at this free video series How to Help More People. Then consider the 4-Step Balance System for Communicating Reiki or join me for WRITE REIKI.
I thought one would be giving away for free! I never feel people fully appreciate it as much as when an exchange is done…
Liz, I didn’t say these are the only three mistakes we can make! 🙂
If we don’t communicate effectively about Reiki practice, we won’t get the chance to decide whether to charge or not.
And neglecting to offer a sample mini treatment (IF setting is appropriate) and letting the reiki do the “speaking!” With love, Rebecca
Yes, I couldn’t agree more Rebecca. It’s tricky trying to put ‘The Reiki Experience’ into words. Reiki is such a unique experience for everyone who receives. Working in a way that is most appropriate for the person at that time. When I engage in conversation about Reiki, I always add that Reiki has to be experienced to be appreciated.
So I will offer Reiki at a much reduced price or for free for the first time if people feel unsure.
Agreed, Rebecca. The only reason we ever talk about Reiki practice is to move people closer to having an experience.
I think of it as a sample of Reiki touch rather than treatment, mini or otherwise. All I want is for the person to experience that this practice can gently influence them in a good direction. In my experience, that can happen very quickly.
When I give public presentations, or at a medical conference, I ask local practitioners to attend and help me give everyone an experience — those who want one, of course. We move through the room and place ours hands, one on each of two people’s heads, sometimes for 30 seconds if it’s a large group, and most people notice that they become calmer, more relaxed, etc.