As reiki is an old practice (its founder Mikao Usui was born in 1865), it surprises me how much help I get from technology for my reiki practice. Without technology, I think I’d be alone giving reiki to my cats and husband!
So, I’m grateful and impressed the way today’s world helps a traditional practice. Most people find me with a Google search, which takes them to my Google business listing. From there, they either visit my website or my Facebook page.
Booking an appointment is often these days through the online booking service, Bookwell, which is very convenient and allows you to see when I’m available and choose your time. Clients also book through email, SMS and the request form on my website.
Then the magic of smartphones really assists us. I remember in my first year of reiki practice how upset I was when someone just didn’t bother to show up for their treatment. Because I wasn’t getting many clients, and hadn’t established my routine of setting up the room for clients, getting the room ready and then not even receiving an apology call made me not so peaceful and calm. But these days, as soon as I get a booking, I can send a client a confirmation by SMS, that includes helpful information for the treatment. Clients almost always respond affirmatively so sometimes if I don’t get a reply, I know to send an extra reminder.
Google Maps has been really helpful too. Part of Surry Hills’s charm is the small laneways and how you can get lost in them. But I’ve had too many clients get lost, and wander around in circles trying to find me. Now, I give instructions on how to find me by Google Maps and it works most times (it doesn’t work when clients don’t use Google Maps, or their phone loses charge!).
During the treatment, technology helps me again: I love being able to choose the music that is played during the treatment, and find the quality of my UE Boom speaker great. How amazing these days that I play my Spotify playlist through my iPhone to the portable speaker. And since I usually serve tea to clients before and after a treatment, my Bodum tea warmer is technology of sorts, even if it’s not electronic.
Finally, as you’ll know if you’ve had a reiki treatment with me, I always send a follow-up email after the treatment: I think this is important to make sure you can ask me questions if you have them, to report back if you want, and the email can also be a prompt for you to reflect on the treatment and if it brought you what you needed.
So, while the reiki treatment itself doesn’t actually need to use any technology, technology helps make the treatment happen. What an interesting world we live in.