For the longest time I was of the opinion that Reiki should be free for everyone… and to some extent I still believe this to be true… however, there are limitations to this and I would like to take a look at them here.
First of all, virtually everyone I’ve taught Reiki to for free has done absolutely nothing with it. Even back in the early days I was always careful about who I agreed to teach Reiki to, yet after their lessons they showed very little or no interest in it at all, even though they know Reiki works, they understand Reiki’s value and they really do know what Reiki is all about (or what it all be like 😎 as I’ve always been fond of saying). I was therefore led to contemplation of various adages like “if you don’t pay for something it has no value” or “you only get what you pay for” or “something is only worth as much as you pay for it” and other such sayings, and it provided a great deal of food for thought… and I was begrudgingly forced to change my way of thinking.
Looking at the flip side of the coin, virtually all of the Reiki practitioners who I’ve charged for Reiki training have stuck with it. And those who I’ve charged more seem to have proportionally respected it more. In fact the more the payment it hurt the more it was respected. I guess this goes in line with the adages above and also explains Mrs. Takata’s rather exorbitant fee structure as well as some of the early Reiki fallings out of Dr. Usui’s students who wanted to spread Reiki teachings for free even though Dr. Usui and Dr. Hayashi seem to have strictly adhered to the “something is only worth as much as you pay for it” philosophy.
In Reiki & Money I talked a little about peoples attitudes towards money and the ability of Reiki to “cleanse” it and these attitudes, of course, come into play, but I still don’t feel comfortable charging for Reiki training and when it comes time to collect I’m not at all comfortable. I know for some people Reiki is seen treated as a business, and I have no problem with that, for me, however, this is simply not the case. And fortunately I have recently come up with a solution that works for me. All profits I make teaching Reiki I donate to UNICEF… plain and simple. I don’t want any of it… but I recognize the necessity of collecting it in terms of the laws karma which basically suggest that if you are in debt to anyone for anything you carry that debt with you into your successive lives until it is repaid. Whether its true or not I don’t want that responsibility.
My solution may not be for everyone. It does however work for me for the time being and I believe I actually sleep better at night because of it. Think about it…
For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!
7 responses to “Reiki Remuneration”
Hello Duane,
You talk about remuneration for Reiki training, but what about Reiki healing sessions? I was introduced to Reiki by some friends who moved to our village here in France, and have since left. The friends were master teachers and attuned me for level one without payment. When they moved away I sought out a master who could attune me for level 2. We provide gite accommodation here and I even did ads saying that I’d give a week’s free accommodation in return for the Reiki level 2 attunement.
One person showed some interest, but charged so much for the two day attunement, that it was far more than the week’s accommodation and I couldn’t justify that expense, as well as giving the accommodation for free. The question here is how much is the attunement worth? Can a price be put on it?
I eventually found someone who introduced me to a Reiki master who attuned me for free for the Reiki level 2. I appreciate the Reiki very much and use it every day, sometimes for people, or animals, plants, situations, healing Mother Earth and so on, all for free.
If I do a “full” session, I still don’t charge. Sometimes people offer me something in exchange, perhaps a tart or a service and so on, which is appreciated. However, you make me wonder whether I should charge. I don’t know. I received the attunements for free and therefore don’t feel inclined to charge people for healing sessions. I feel that I was meant to be a Reiki, or I wouldn’t have been given the free attunements and I therefore consider that the people that I help, needed that help, and so I don’t consider it as business. It is an universal energy. Should it therefore be universally available for those who need it, without payment?
Gosh, I’ve written an essay here and should be getting on with other things.
Angel cuddles,
Sarah
Hi Sarah!
What a wonderful (and difficult) question!!
Personally, I don’t charge for Reiki healing sessions either… although I generally only perform them on my friends and/or family. I do, however, make sure they understand my beliefs about karma and the possible consequences of non-retribution. The rest is up to them…
I think there are two ways to look at the karma issue here… one is that of returning the karma specifically to the person the energy exchange was made with… and the second is that of returning it to the universe in general… so I suppose it all comes down to which you believe is right.
As far as putting a price on Reiki I believe this also comes down to the personal question of “What is Reiki worth to you?” that is the karmic debt that must be paid and no one can answer that question but you… and deep inside, you know the answer…
Thanks for a lovely question!!!
Light & Love,
Duane
i agree with you, duane
and so i’m also happy to say that i do not charge for the reiki i pass on.
every attunement i’ve recieved has been, basically, free
and so i ask nothing in return when i’m able to pass it on
however
i might also say that i am repaid in full
or give reiki as a repayment
as money is inherently valueless in itself
i have paid and been repaid
in kindness and friendship
and things otherwise as priceless as the gift of reiki
and so i say to you again, duane and everyone else here
thank you!
Who can put a value on a smile? Especially when it is delivered just at the right time!!
You are absolutely right though… repayment can come in many forms… notice the attunements I gave from Mt. Kurama weren’t exactly free…
🙂
true, true
but it’s the type of repayment that also pays the payor
😆
Even though I am no master yet. I am going through an internal struggle and anxiety filled day right now. it started after reading a page in the level 2 manual about losing reiki powers if doing some exercise wrong. well anyways:
I have always felt, that after my Reiki Journey(being attuned by many people and learning many styles of reiki…which is going verrry slow right now since im a 20 year old college kid) I will Set up a Reiki clinic or just be a practitioner in some room in my house, BUT after a healing session I will offer them a chance to stay awhile and attune them to reiki level 1 so they can self heal, for free. The implications of that offer are risky because you might lose a client, but at least you spread the light around 💡 😀