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To Charge, or Not to Charge?

© Reverend Dina Ely

The issue of whether Reiki healing should remain free or should be provided at a cost is one of much controversy. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal preference, for I believe that there is no right or wrong when it comes to performing Reiki for free or for a fee.

One school of thought, that of Usui Reiki traditionalists, maintains that in order for Reiki to flow successfully there must be some kind of exchange between the practitioner and the recipient of the Reiki. Usui himself performed Reiki for free for a long time, until he began to feel as though his gifts were being overlooked and abused*. It's not hard to see why he might feel like he was being taken advantage of - he gave Reiki for free in poor areas of Japan where he was often practicing on the homeless or those who could not afford traditional healthcare. He expected that good faith they would begin to turn their lives around. Instead, he saw the homeless remain homeless, the jobless remain jobless, without so much as a single effort to better their situation. And they kept on coming back to him for more free healing. Thus, he began to "charge" for his sessions. It wasn't about making money, it was about making Reiki more valuable and ensuring no-one ever took it for granted. He often accepted payment in forms other than money, such as exchanging Reiki for a favor, or for food, etc.

The other school of thought is that Reiki is a universal energy and those gifted with the ability to harness it have a responsibility to provide it to anyone and everyone free of charge. Though the community of practitioners who charge for Reiki is growing steadily, there is still a large population of practitioners who refuse to accept anything in return.

There are merits to both sides of the argument. Personally, I charge because I believe in Usui's findings. It increases the value of the gift I am providing if people have to make the effort to give something in return. On the other hand, if I am only doing quick Reiki sessions, such as I offer here on the free healing page, I don't charge. Because that isn't a personal connection and it isn't a full-blown Reiki healing, I feel it's fair of me to offer it at no charge. It's still an effective way to send Reiki, but it is not as all-encompassing nor as thoughtful.

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