In 2014, I started having conference calls to some of my students in selected communities to support them in reviews, particularly to less frequented communities. I have found this to be a wonderful way of being with students in between actual, person to person reviews in my schedule of teaching. I have had 1st and 2nd degree reviews for 24 years supporting Reiki students after their classes. It is a tremendous support system that brings fruit to their Reiki practice and to me as their teacher.
Yesterday, September 13, 2014 was a very important Reiki Conference Call to my students in the Denver and Pacific Northwest, as I will be coming to teach in those areas. See details on my schedule of teaching from September to the end of 2014. The call was to address looking at the age old question,
How do I talk about Reiki to interested people wanting to know about Reiki?" We have spent time in looking at the history of invites to the classes, discovering that in the fast paced lifestyles of people, important parts of a Reiki invite to a class are being left out.
Let me share some samples of this talk.
Introduce Hira Barbara Reid
Hira is the co sponsor to this call. Hira, is my Identical Twin, we have known each other for 71 years. She has been doing Reiki for 29
years and has been a tremendous support to many people throughout the world and
to the support of the Pacific Northwest Reiki communities. She has been my
sponsor to classes and reviews in the Washington area. We always love her
insights and support. We thank you for being a part of this inspiring call.
This is a wonderful opportunity to look at
our Reiki invitations and refresh this very important invite to gather a Reiki
class. Dr. Usui had an unusual way of gathering his classes. We will share his
way of gathering classes a little later.
In 24 yrs. of teaching Reiki this process
has changed.
· We have to remember when I began teaching
there was no internet
· Notices were sent out via regular mail at
huge costs, I had groups folding, licking stamps and hand addressing mailers.
People received their mail and actually responded and acted upon sharing the
notice. They offered hands on Rx and further supported them by bringing them to
Fri night class.
· Today, we are all faced with the rapid
paced lifestyles –notices are sent out via emails but they go unnoticed for the
most part. Students may forward the notice via a click on the mouse and for the
most part and that is all that is done. Potentials students don’t receive any
further info. Or they go onto the Internet
and see what is there and don’t want to take Reiki. We are all amazed about what we
read and of all the misinformation. To my amazement in 2014, I had to cancel 4 classes because
of lack of enrollment. This has never happened before.
· It has become necessary for me to look at
Invitations to Gather Reiki Classes and to speak of this in reviews this year. This
brings us to this call and to share all the recent discussions of Refreshing
Our Invite.
In Looking at the invite I discovered
missing pieces and pitfalls of the Invite
What is missing—It was alarming to me when
I saw what was revealed.
1.
Oral tradition is missing. The very most
important Aspect and Element of our Lineage teaching. The incredible desire to
share Reiki from our experiential place has fallen from the way side.. There is
a palpable energy in telling our story and wanting to support others in their
hardships. Sharing changes us and others.
2.
Inspiration – is lacking in most invites. We don’t inspire them to come to the class. Dr. Usui gathered his classes by going into
the town square carrying a lighted torch at noontime. "Why old man are you
carrying a lighted torch. He responded by saying, if you want to learn of light
come to my class tonight." I have on
all the flyers, Reiki is a gift of a
lifetime. There aren’t many gifts we receive in our lives that last a
lifetime! Did you ever want to be a part
of something so special that you are literally making history, changing the
world and at the same time you are changing your own life. This 12 hour class
will change your life. Reiki is taught all over the world. These are
examples to inspire. Use these or think of your own inspirational statement.
3. Enthusiasm-
be strong in your invite, there
is an urgency to take this class, don’t wait for a better time, the time is now
and it is the most important time. If I
were you, I would definitely make it a priority and send in the registration now.
Be committed to your health. If you
need more info, call the sponsor of the class or refer them to my blog, Reikijeanferrisrm.blogspot.com. Just listen to their reasons why they can’t come and address each
one. Remember if their response, no is so big and bigger than their why, people will never move
forward. People for the most part are resistant to change.
Pitfalls - Making statements that are actually giving
interested people reasons not to come: we don’t do this intentionally but they are
just made.
1.
I know
it is a long class, 12hrs and the entire weekend. It will be an effort for you..
2.
I know
you will be tired on Friday night and may not want to come out in the traffic
3.
I know
it’s a lot of $, so maybe you can make the next class
4.
I know
if you take the class you would have to find childcare.
5.
Don’t
apologize for the event, or contacting the person. Ex: I know this might not be for
you.
Steps to create a
fruitful invite and follow up:
Let's Get Going:
· Speak to them to engage Oral
Tradition into the invitation.
· Begin your Reiki invite to inspire people with this
question:
Did you ever want to be a part of
something so special that you’re literally making History, changing the
world, and at the same time you’re
changing your own life? or Reiki is a Gift of a Lifetime!
·
Let me share
with you how Reiki has impacted my life...........,
·
Give them
the information about the class,
·
Follow up on
the registration process of payment deadlines to the sponsors.
·
Offering a “hands on treatment” to them prior to
the class. Hira can you share what your recent experience
you had the other day?
Insert
Story of friend: I have known this lady for 32 years. For 29 years off
and on I have been telling her about Reiki and she has been telling me
that she is too skeptical to ever take the class. Earlier in the month I
made my annual offer that Jean is coming to teach Reiki and she had
already replied, “not me I’m too skeptical.” Over the years is has
become an annual song and dance routine. While Jean and I were
discussing our own invites, I said, “it has been a long time since I
offered her a Reiki Rx.”Rather than tell her about Reiki, I should give
her a treatment and let Reiki do the talking. I hung up and called her. I
offered to treat her with Reiki, and let the universal love sooth her
heart, mind and spirit. She accepted my offer to give her a treatment
without hesitation. “Her pain and grief had gotten more than she could
bear,” she said. She was ready now to receive and she hinted she would
take the Reiki Class, next month. She thanked me for never giving up on
her.
·
Offer to take them to Friday night of the
class. This is so supportive to people. They don’t have to go alone or find the
location. People have lots of anxiety around anything new coming into their
lives. Be there for them to take this new step.
Hira
What is she up to now! Hira can you share how
you are using Facebook to invite prospects for the class. Go to her actual facebook page: Hira Barbara Reid and copy her invite and a wonderful poem, The Infinite Circle of Light.
1
Hira Presentation 13 Sept conference call- topic- Facebook Invites
Recently a Reiki Student from Seattle posted a wonderful Reiki Invite on her FB page. She wrote: Are you interested in Reiki? I know lots of my friends have expressed interest. . My amazing Reiki master will be making her annual visit to Seattle to do training in October. Reiki in Seattle (Burien), Wa. It went on to explain about Reiki and the class.
I thought this was such a wonderful way to reach people, so being inspired myself by her posting I decided to make one of my own. I added my own experience. Summarizing 29 years of Reiki is hard to do, but this was my effort:
Jean refers to Reiki as a, “Gift of a Lifetime”. Reiki has now been in my life for 29 years and creates a solid foundation from which I can address all of my activities. Reiki has been a pillar of universal energetic support for me. It has brought balance and clarity when I have been distraught, it has erased blockages from my being without my knowing it, creativity flows like a river from the stillness of my mind, it allows me to experience compassionate love and connects me to the universal heart of mankind. I continue to shed unwanted characteristics and gain conscious freedom. As my friends and family navigate their personal challenges I can support them from afar using second degree Reiki. It truly is the Gift of a Lifetime and the Gift that keeps on giving. I could not, nor would I want to live my life, without it.
You might want to give your experience, and ways you use Reiki in your life.
Let your friends share your posting with their friends.
If people ”like” or comment on your post then
Follow up with Reiki Class flyers and brochure by email and talk to them by phone or in person.
See my FB page to copy and paste it to a document for reference. Also have a copy of my Poem, Circle of Light.
Place your hands on your abdomen and begin your Reiki treatment. I want us to
remember and contemplate for a short period of time:
How did you find
out about Reiki and what words brought you to reiki?
I encourage
everyone to share why they came to reiki or how they discovered Reiki.
Hira, how did you find out about Reiki? listen to detail on recorded talk.
Jean also found about Reiki thru a newspaper article and a friend spoke
to her about the article.
Articles- Hawayo Takata and Dr. Hayashi used the Japanese radio and Japanese newspaper
articles to create large gatherings in Hawaii when they brought Reiki to the
west.
Group invites to specialty groups Example Rosemary and Alan Goto gave a Reiki presentation and demonstration with other Reiki students in 2013, which included a newspaper article. This brought 50 new
students to classes in Hawaii
Reiki circles - San Diego invites new
people to experience Reiki prior to my coming to teaching.
Club or interest groups newsletters – Metta, the Buddhist Study Center
Newsletter – Someone in Hawaii saw that I was coming to Hawaii and called
me to immediately sign up.
Go out and share what Reiki is about to outside groups. Patient Support
Groups
In closing:
We are the light bearers of the Usui System, we are the keepers of the
flame and we go out and share Reiki in oral tradition and in giving treatments.
Hira will you
share your inspirational poem about the Circle of Light.
It is more
important to have Reiki in our lives today then ever before. People’s lives are
in catastrophic conditions. I hope this call has inspired you to do your daily
practice, to share of this Gift of a lifetime to others and Refresh your
invitation. Ask, How I can change my invite if it is not bringing people to the
class? Why have I stopped sharing Reiki to others? How can I be enthusiastic in
my sharing.
Print out your cell
phone list, if they are important to be in your contact list, then they are
important to know about Reiki. Don’t make a list who is open to Reiki and who
isn’t. Just call and share from your heart.
This call has been recorded.
Call (712) 432 1202 access code 424996#, you will be promoted to enter reference number 4 # for the specific recording.
Thank you for creating the
time to join us,
See you soon. Jean and Hira