One of the things that practitioners grapple with the most is charging for their healing work. I am no exception to this. Is it a balancing act or a moral dilemma or both?
I have been thinking of writing this post for a very long time, but today is the day!
Firstly I when I see lists of “Reiki Rules” published by people who have never met Mikao Usui and never looked at the roots of Reiki I raise an eyebrow. Along the list of, probably 10 or so, rules is one that says payment must always be made for healing. I dispute this! Try telling that to the pidgeon, the bat, the bee and the spider all of whom I have given healing to at one time or another. Sometimes genuine gratitude is enough and it certainly gives the healer the most beautiful gift when gratitude is received from any other being. Sometimes that is enough.
HOWEVER, my mind has become somewhat more focused since I became a single income family – me and my 4 dogs. We didn’t ask to be a single income family, but life happens and when one is maturing in years and like an old car becoming creaky the lure of a new flashy model is far too tempting for some chaps and so here we are, me and the pooches, whom I adore!
I find that because I am a healer some people think that all I do should be for the love of it, the healing and the groups that I run and it is! I absolutely love it! Helping people and animals is the thing that makes my soul sing. Communicating with an animal in another country; listening, understanding and feeding back to the animal’s ‘parent’ so that they can make a difference is a joy beyond words and I would not change it for the world.
Sending healing to a person in the next town or village or another country and then receiving a report that they ‘suddenly perked up’ is amazing, but it takes time, energy and dedication.
Consider this as a scenario for a moment:
Monday: Went to the supermarket and asked for my groceries for free because I am a healer and practitioner of the spiritual arts. Result: laughter and the door.
Tuesday: Called the utility companies and asked for gas, electric and water for free because I am a healer and practitioner of the spiritual arts. Result: laughter and the phone hung up!
Wednesday: Needed fuel for the car, you know what they wouldn’t do it for free! Can you believe it?
Thursday: Went out for lunch with old friends. No concessions for healers.
Friday: Mobile phone broke. It is the device that my clients contact me on, surely the phone company would understand and give me a free one. Guess what ? Nope!
Now this sounds like a pretty crappy week, but you know what? Crappy weeks happen – even for us spiritual folks!
Why am I writing this? Because I have chosen to spend my life helping others. Do you know how many people ask: “can you just send some healing to / can you just connect with my animal to get to the bottom of what is bothering them with no thought of an exchange or a sharp intake of breath if they find a cost is involved and a comment of: ‘can I pay you later because I am broke right now?’
I believe that healing should be available for all regardless of ability to pay and so I have some slots each month for GENUINE hardship cases. That is for healing, not for teaching and the other things that I offer as part of my work. I also often spend time on the telephone with people who are needing to talk if they are feeling upset, this is part of the work that I do and again I value being able to help people, this is something that I do not charge my clients for, but this goes to make up a full time occupation.
I have played around with my pricing structure asking for a donation and sometimes asking for fruit and vegetables (as this is part of my weekly expenditure) but it doesn’t work in western society and so I am faced with the dilemma; to carry on or to stop my calling and go and get what some people have referred to as ‘proper job’. We are told as spiritual practitioners to follow our calling and trust that all will be well and we do for the most part, but we need a roof over our heads and food in our bellys too!
