Reiki is a non-invasive, gentle, and effective energy healing modality that can be performed with light touch, or no touch. It can also be performed remotely (via distance).
Massage Therapists are in a unique position to enhance their client care by offering energy healing modalities, such as Reiki, to their practice. Due to its energetic nature, Reiki’s validity as an effective form of healing is often doubted by those with little to no experience with energy work. However, as healthcare professionals, Massage Therapists are respected in their field and are more likely to be trusted by clients who are new to Reiki.
As a Reiki Master Teacher and Registered Massage Therapist who has been teaching since 2015, I have had the honour of certifying many (many!) Massage Therapists; and I’m also aware that many of my colleagues are trained to practice Reiki. However, make no mistake – the realm of the Massage & Reiki Professional is far from saturated.
In fact, 90% of my new clients stated that they chose to work with me (as a Massage Therapist) because they knew that I also offered Reiki services. My most popular offering is my Massage and Reiki combo session, and these clients value their Reiki time as much as their massage time. And of course, I have clients who only book massage sessions, but chose to work with me because they knew that as an energy worker, I have practical insight into the mind-body connection.
So why am I sharing this with you? I have no desire to corner any market. I am a Teacher first, and a Practitioner/Therapist second; I want you to have the same success that I have (and more!). If you’re considering adding Reiki to your service menu, keep reading for 5 awesome reasons to get you started.
You Can Diversify Your Offerings
If you’re a Massage Therapist, chances are you consider yourself a holistic health professional who supports your clients’ wellbeing on a HOLISTIC, i.e., mind-body-spirit level. If so, it’s also likely that you’re a multipassionate practitioner who wants to offer their clients a wide array of services that meets a variety of their needs.
If you’re currently only offering massage therapy (or other similar bodywork modalities), adding Reiki to your offerings allows you to add a variety of new services to your menu in an entirely new domain. What I mean by that is that it’s not simply about adding “Reiki – x min” to your menu. You will also have the ability to offer both massage therapy and Reiki together, as well as create your own integrative healing sessions (a creative combination of Reiki, massage, and other modalities).
Which leads me to my next point, which is…
It’s Super Cost-Effective
Reiki is a super cost-effective modality to add to your practice! Reiki training is very simple and straightforward. Reiki is truly non-invasive, and the practitioner does not “lead” the energy to do any one specific thing; rather, the energy is channeled through the practitioner (i.e., does not come from the practitioner), and always goes where it needs to go.
In this day and age, you can find many high quality, comprehensive online Reiki trainings that are just as (if not more) effective than their in-person counterparts. At The Sacred Wellness School of Healing Arts, we have taught professional Reiki courses since 2015 and all of our courses are now available online, on-demand. In addition, a traditional Reiki session requires absolutely no equipment – at least nothing more than what you will already possess as a Massage Therapist!
While many Reiki Practitioners, myself included, like to include other forms of energy healing into their sessions (such as crystals, singing bowls, or tuning forks, for example), they are absolutely not required. As a Massage Therapist, you already have everything you’ll need to begin offering Reiki sessions.
Reiki is Gentle and Suitable For All Ages and Stages
There are no side effects to Reiki, and Reiki will not interfere with any medical treatment or medication. I always say, “The worst thing that can happen is that nothing happens”. Therefore, it is a safe and non-invasive way for clients to work with you.
There are many clients who will come to you wanting some sort of bodywork treatment, but unable to receive massage therapy. Sometimes it’s due to an actual contraindication, such as medical treatment or surgery; and sometimes your client may just be so fatigued from having had so many procedures done that they want to receive healing in a non-touch way, or using light, gentle touch. This happens far more frequently than you would think, and if you haven’t encountered it yet, it’s likely because you don’t offer Reiki! Once you start offering Reiki and energy work (and advertising it), this demographic will find you.
It Allows You to Give Your Body a Break
This is an important one. As a Massage Therapist, it’s crucial to take care of your body. Having the ability to offer effective treatments that are also less physically demanding could significantly increase the longevity of your career. These include modalities such as Hot Stone, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, and of course – Reiki.
As a non-physical modality, Reiki can be performed with little to no contact; and where there is contact, it is gentle and non-invasive. Having Reiki on your menu of services allows you to continue to serve your clients at a high level, while reducing the strain on your body.
You’ll Differentiate Yourself from Other Massage Therapists
Now, I know what you’re thinking: It seems like everyone has had a Reiki attunement, and Reiki Practitioners are everywhere. And while I don’t deny the fact that Reiki is certainly a saturated market, it doesn’t change the fact that for whatever reason, there are so many Massage Therapists who are not offering Reiki services!
Just because people can do something, doesn’t mean that they do. Many (if not most) people learn Reiki for the purposes of improving their own health and wellness. Some of these people may eventually decide to start their own Reiki practice, but the vast majority don’t. The same is true for Massage Therapists.
Over the years, I have met many Massage Therapists who have had some form of Reiki training, but of those therapists, very few were actually offering Reiki in their practice. And of those offering Reiki, even fewer were actually listing it in their menu of services! Most of them were simply offering Reiki “on the down low” to clients who requested it.
Make no mistake, adding Reiki to your menu of services will differentiate you from the other therapists in your area. When people refer me, they almost always say that “my friend is looking for someone who also knows/understands the energetic side of things”, i.e., someone who can give them both a therapeutic massage and Reiki treatment.
If you’re looking for a way to serve your clients in a truly holistic way – mind, body, and soul – add Reiki to your practice. People are looking for skilled Practitioners like you who they can TRUST to facilitate a complete healing experience.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to enrol in my Reiki Level 1 & 2 Practitioner Certification course! This course includes my new workshop, The Reiki Business Bootcamp, where we’ll cover everything from what you need to start your Reiki practice, pricing, and how to deal with difficult clients. This course is accredited, fully online, and has open enrolment. Plus, you’ll have access to me via email for any questions and I provide personalized feedback to your case studies.
I hope this post inspired you to take your massage practice to a new level! If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave me a comment.
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