Being the Best Spokesperson of Reiki Healing to Hollywood and Beyond

New to Reiki? Starting to give presentations or promoting a class? What if you run into someone interested in your work? Here are 8 important keys for the Reiki spokesperson to keep in mind.

Last week I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the Hollywood and TV star Brent Spiner (Data on the Star Trek Next Generation series) at an exposition and explain to him the benefits of Reiki.

The brief presentation I gave was effective, professional and reminded me of what it takes to be a successful spokesperson of Usui Reiki.

1.       Always carry business cards with you.  You just never know when you might need them-whether it be conferences on holistic health, career training classes for alternative medicine, or wellness networking events, someone is going to ask you what you do.

2.       Be grounded in your profession as a Reiki therapist.  Nothing says “I’m not sure” when you stumble on your own description of what you do or how you say it.  It’s Reiki pronounced “Raki” but NOT spelled Reike.

3.       Healing and Reiki go hand-in-hand, but be wary of calling yourself a ‘Reiki healer’.  The client is the one who is doing the healing, you don’t possess magical powers.  If you think you do, go back to Reiki 101.  Reiki healing is not about you, it’s greater than you.

4.       Also related is being clear about just exactly what skills you possess.  If you are a counselor, then it is appropriate to announce that you are a mental health professional and offer counseling in your energy healing.   So don’t feel you need to do more if you are not a counselor.  Don’t claim to be one.  You will violate ethics and possibly do a disservice to your clients.

5.       If a person asks you about what Reiki is, I have always found it helpful to be brief with room to elaborate if the interest is there.  Some are interested in the practical applications of Reiki, or on Reiki instruction.  Others are more curious about Reiki symbols and meditation associated with practice.  Tailor your presentation to what the client (or audience) is asking for.  You will keep them engaged and interested to ask more questions about your work!

6.       Read up on other forms of energy work such as healing touch or shiatsu to have a comparison for dialogue if your listener is not familiar with the concept of ‘energy work’.  I often use the line, ‘Reiki is like acupuncture without needles’.  It’s a quick, visual statement that clarifies for the listener what your topic is about.

7.       If you are a Reiki master, always offer to train your listener in a beginning class, such as Reiki 1. There is no substitute for learning Reiki (out of book or online) than an in-person class.

8.       Finally, be prepared to be surprised.  Your client or audience will often ask questions you weren’t expecting.  One person asked if he should address me as ‘Sensei’ (the Japanese word for Master).  I answered that the term was not used in the tradition I was trained in, it’s much too formal and depicts me as being all-knowing, which I am far from..

So in summary, be prepared, be a good listener and if you don’t know what to say, you can always take the person’s information and get back to them when you do.  The path to becoming a proficient spokesperson takes time, dedication and patience, just like the practice of your Reiki healing art.