What is Reiki Worth?

Q: 1 What is Reiki (spiritual energy) worth?
A: It is priceless.

Q: 2 What is a Reiki Teacher or Practitioner worth?
A: That’s another question entirely…

The base concept of the system of Reiki was developed in the early 1900s by a man called Usui Mikao. It is believed that he simply taught others what he practiced for himself. Originally a spiritual practice, it has become better known as a hands-on healing practice through the teachings of Hayashi Chujiro.

We have little factual knowledge of Usui Sensei’s life and are therefore unsure how he earned a living or what his business skills were – though it is stated on his memorial stone that he tried his hand at a number of jobs, not always successfully.

“Despite his will to succeed in life, he was stalemated and fell into great difficulties.”

Thereafter, moving deeper into a spiritually aware arena of his life, he began teaching others.

“Later on, as the ‘dojo’ became too small, in February of the 14th year (1925 A.D.) the new suburban house was built at Nakano according to divination. Due to his respected and far-reaching reputation many people from local districts wished to invite him.”

Usui Sensei died one year later in 1926. It is thought that he lived on donations from his students and supporters throughout these last few years. Traditionally, the local community would have supported such an individual as a respected spiritual teacher or shaman.

In our world today, however, that critical role of gifting financial support generally occurs within structured religions alone – with the system of Reiki falling outside these boundaries.

So how do Reiki practitioners, with the professional standards that are required from Reiki treatments and courses, make a living and how do they set up professional systems that provide quality ongoing support for their students without financial backers?

Reiki treatments today are provided in a more clinical manner than ever as they become integrated within the modern medical world. The practitioner is required to be a member of an organisation and pay fees accordingly, renew yearly insurances, have a current first aid certificate, pay for a suitable venue, have massage tables, music, and advertise to let people know that he or she is practicing. Many practitioners are also required to keep up with personal and professional development which includes paying for further education.

Reiki courses have altered greatly since their origins in the early 1900s. As a professional Reiki centre, apart from all the requirements that practitioners must have, a teacher is required to offer students a high level of Reiki education acquired through the teacher’s personal and practical experience. To ensure this at our centre we have studied various Reiki systems in a variety of countries around the world and continue that road of self-education. Education also comes in the guise of providing comprehensive material for students such as up to date Reiki information and student manuals. For the wider public we educate via The Reiki Show podcasts and other website information – this article for example. Student support is the other important element that belongs to a professional Reiki school – being able to find the time to offer a multitude of support systems perhaps through forums like our own and the availability of a teacher, student clinics and practise groups. Support to us is something that is a requirement. Students must be able to access education, inspiration and motivation from their teachers as well as a listening ear.

There is a small section of the Reiki community that believes that Reiki treatments and courses should be free – our question would be… how can you offer all that we have listed for nothing? You cannot. To be able to achieve all of this without payment would be ludicrous unless one is financially independent.

Naturally there are different levels of quality in the Reiki community and these will charge varying rates. Some may practice from home, some may offer brief classes, some may offer no support, some may offer no manuals, some may offer no personal experience of Reiki at all. In these cases the price of the course gets lower and lower as does the quality.

To ensure quality professional Reiki treatments and courses one must not become overwhelmed by the evergrowing list of requirements needed to practice today. To combat this and to ensure stability at a Reiki centre it is integral that practitioners and teachers understand the laws of tax, accounting and good business practices. This requires yet another layer of personal education for the professional practitioner and teacher.

There is one point we have not yet mentioned in relation to what a practitioner or teacher must also provide. “What there’s more?” you ask. “It must be something way over the top and unnecessary – you seem to have covered all the bases!”

Well actually, we haven’t. There’s also the point that Reiki practitioners and teachers need to earn a living – otherwise the ramifications for the client and student can be serious.

To earn a living means financially supporting a man, woman and child (in our situation where both parents work as Reiki practitioners and teachers). Earning a living entails enabling the family to be able clothe themselves, feed themselves, buy a car or pay for public transport, rent or buy a house, educate their child and themselves, have some spare cash for extra living expenses and even enjoy a holiday once in a while – everything you would expect a regular member of society who works hard to be able to achieve. These are the basic standards of living in modern society today.

After reading through these basic standards do you believe that professional Reiki practitioners and teachers should be worthy of being treated as equals to the rest of the workforce? We believe so – and everything listed above must come from the money earned from the Reiki treatments and courses if they are to retain their professionalism.

Without all these professional requirements something will have to be sacrificed and the client or student may end up seriously disappointed. Initially, by the quality of the class, and later by the fact that their practitioner or teacher has disappeared as the business was no longer viable. So much for ongoing support!

In the whole of Australia we can count on one hand the number of full-time Reiki centres teaching the system of Reiki. And that is no exaggeration. Most of these schools also have some by-line where they earn income from something vaguely related to their treatments and courses (eg. products) because otherwise it would just not be viable.

Apart from these few centres there are naturally a number of other Reiki centres which are run on a part-time basis being supported by a fulltime job in another field or an income earning partner.

Interestingly, the current situation for Reiki practitioner and teachers in Australia appears to be relative to that in most other countries.

Ultimately, Reiki practitioners and teachers should be afforded the same level of respect that other workers in the community expect and receive. This can only reflect on the system of Reiki as a whole, engendering respect and a more secure livelihood for the teachings and its practitioners and teachers.

Perhaps the only difference with other workers in the community is that – in contrast to many today – we love our jobs and that should never be a crime!

Translated quotes of the Usui Mikao Memorial Stone are by Hyakuten Inamoto.

Bronwen and Frans Stiene

Bronwen and Frans Stiene are the co-founders of the International House of Reiki and co-authors of The Reiki Sourcebook, The Japanese Art of Reiki, Your Reiki Treatment, The A-Z of Reiki Pocketbook and the Reiki Techniques Card Deck. Bronwen and Frans teach in the USA, Europe and Australia. Visit the Courses page to find a course near you.