This week, I’d like to share a bit about the importance of experience. This is something that is key in being the best professional you can be!
Traditionally in the human Reiki world, only a Reiki 2 class is required to begin calling yourself a professional and charging money for your services. For my Animal Reiki students, I have found they are better prepared when volunteering their services for a period of time first, before coming out to the world as a “professional Animal Reiki practitioner.” This is why I ask all of my Level 2 graduates to do what I call a Volunteer Internship after their Level 2 Animal Reiki certification.
This internship is self-paced and self-managed, and involves students committing themselves to 100 hours (or 100 sessions, whichever they choose) of volunteer Animal Reiki sessions, before they start their business and begin charging for services. I recommend they widen their horizons during this internship time, by practicing with as many species and in as many varied environments as possible.
There is no substitute for experience and this internship gives students a way to gain a good foundation in applying the techniques they have learned in real-life situations. They will learn how better to communicate what they are (and aren’t) doing in sessions to animal caretakers. They will also get clarity on what they want their business to look like, and their favorite species to connect with and environments to work in. This is also a great time to create relationships with a variety of animal lovers and organizations, which can turn into testimonials and word-of-mouth recommendations (a great foundation from which to start your business). Perhaps most importantly, being able to offer services free of charge at first can often open doors to organizations that might otherwise be less open to trying something new.
I recommend that students keep track of their volunteer sessions in an Animal Reiki journal. I’ve created a sample format of information to collect and contemplate at the end of my book, the Let Animals Lead® Method Meditation Journal. This journaling doesn’t focus on the animal’s ailments and outcomes, but rather is all about grounded self-reflection, letting go of expectations and learning to listen more closely to what animals are teaching us.
Once you have completed these hours, you will be much more prepared to begin your professional journey. I have received such positive feedback from my students since I have begun recommending the internship! Having a wealth of experience in the field will make a world of difference in how you navigate your new business!
Next week I’ll be speaking more about the internship and more in
July’s Animal Reiki Talk:
Topic: Being the best professional Animal Reiki practitioners we can be! Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at 6pm Pacific time CLICK HERE to join online live or listen in to the recording later. OR Call in: 1 605-562-0444, Show ID: 85041
And finally, this week’s Q and A video is about opening ourselves to the possibility that something even better than we can imagine can happen for animals when we share meditations with them!
Stay safe, be well and may the animals light your way,
