Should I Charge for Reiki?
This question challenges many of us when we first learn an energy modality, but it seems to be more common with Reiki healers in particular.
Some believe that energy work is a gift shown to you only so you can help others and they feel charging somehow taints that gift and activates the ego.
I want to share my feelings on this to offer another perspective for consideration.
PROJECTING POVERTY CONSCIOUSNESS
We might hold deep-rooted negative beliefs about money and wealthy people such as:
‘Rich people are arrogant’
‘Money is the root of all evil’
‘Rich people are mean’
‘Money only comes from working for someone else’
etc
These beliefs create resistance that will strongly challenge our ability to generate wealth, no matter what the source. This is also true if we have a strong fear of owning a business, so avoid charging so we don’t have to face that challenge.
If we are predominantly in the energy of lack, we may have a tendency to project that lack or victim energy onto those we offer Reiki to and say things like:
‘They can’t afford to pay.’
‘These are hard times - no one will be able to pay.’
‘I feel bad for charging them when they are suffering.’
‘I should only charge very little.’
the energy of guilt
Several students have shared that their friends consistently offered to pay for their Reiki sessions but because they refused to charge them, those friends eventually stopped coming and sought their treatment elsewhere - The energy of guilt can keep people away.
Also, by assuming people can’t pay, we are subconsciously judging them as ‘not enough’. Some people are spending on themselves in many ways not visible to us, so who are we to judge them as too poor to afford to pay?
I remember a young lady wanting Reiki to help her with a recent diagnosis of throat cancer. I offered her several more sessions for free, thinking it would be wrong to charge her. Needless to say, she never came back. By sourcing and finding me on her own, she had claimed back some control of her health and life but I was taking that power away again by pitying her. I was pushing her into the energy of ‘victim’.
fearing being judged
People pleasing can lead to a lack of boundaries, causing us not to charge or to charge very little. We believe we will be judged as greedy and may even fear not being liked or losing a friendship. Again, it’s a projection. If we judge those with money harshly, it makes sense that we will expect to be judged in the same way by others.
limiting your energy
I deeply believe that the Universe wants those doing healing work to be abundant. Why? So we can do more healing work!
If we’re working 40 hours a week in a job that exhausts or stresses us, we are limiting the light we can channel for the work we’re doing in our spare time. We may even be unable to help more than 1 or 2 clients at a time.
Conversely, if we’re only doing what we love, we can channel more energy - which helps our clients. With an increase in time and financial resources, we can create powerful offerings, experiences and spaces for our clients to heal, like longer healing journeys, workshops or retreats,
ENERGY EXCHANGE
Deciding to charge doesn’t mean we will never do free sessions again. We can choose to do what aligns with us as we go. We might volunteer our services or offer concessions for pensioners, children, care workers and those on support benefits.
Money is not the only exchange
It doesn’t have to just be about money. We can offer our friends ‘mates rates’ or exchange healing for testimonials, case studies, practice time to gain confidence or we can swap sessions with someone trained in something else.
The key thing is, the energy within which we do these things, should be void of lack, victim mentality, guilt, fear or resentment.
It’s difficult to put a price on something that can drastically change someone’s life in a myriad of ways. We shouldn’t undervalue the impact we’re having and if we decide to change we need to ask for what we feel we’re worth in order to continue doing this invaluable work.
With love and light
Gwen x
