Reiki, Lamaze, CPR...What do you think?

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In the earlier part of this year I became reiki I and II certified. My plan was to have my own reiki practice, but I just wasn't sure if it would appeal to many people. I starting thinking becoming a CPR instructor and teaching Lamaze classes to supplement the reiki practice. Of course these are all ideas. What do you think so far? Or do I need to go back to my full time 3 12's a week. All feedback is welcome.

Thanks

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Specializes in OB, Women’s health, Educator, Leadership.

I think you should do the Reiki if that is what you want to do but you will have to do some educating as in free workshops/classes or seminars. From there you can begin to get a feel of what it would be like to develop a practice. You also need a business plan because this should be set up as a business. If you set up your own practice you can add anything you would like to it as long as it is in your scope of practice. You can still work as an RN part-time or PRN.

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Passionflower,

Thank you! That is exactly what I plan to do. I wanted to keep working part-time. Yes, you are right about developing a business plan.

Thank You

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Specializes in cardiac CVRU/ICU/cardiac rehab/case management.

Pts are very much looking for an east meets west health approach.I see clearly you are a teacher. If with you are happy with what your doing,then go for it.

What I do see as working is combining reiki, visualization/stress management, meditation and life coaching is very much what pts are both seeking and responding to. Combining different modalities of healing can make for a more inclusive pratise.

Examine what you love the most....and work from there . (eg teacher/wholistic/healing )

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Thank you, thank you! That's why I love coming on here. Yes, I do love to teach. Thank you for all the great ideas. I guess I just did not realize that there is truly a market out there for the holistic approach. I certainly do not want to replace the traditional approach, but my goal is combine it with alternative treatments. I believe that you are right. We are moving now towards preventative measures and individual health promotion. That is part of my passion. Thanks again.

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You have four days a week to develop your business. No reason to stop working the other three days until you have reached critical mass and are sure you will survive on your new business revenue and profits alone.

I am involved in a considerably more involved business startup and I resisted doing a business plan for some length of time. I had already successfully started my own travel company without one and have been going 8 years now without one. But that is a simple business not requiring investment and facilities (to do it solo anyway). I did develop a business plan for my new startup, primarily because I thought I might take on investors (they understandably would require a viable business plan). I had a significant investment to make, and I needed to figure out my break even point; expenses; revenue; and potential profitability given various assumptions. I also wanted to identify who my customers were, marketing, possible other businesses that could use the base I built if primary idea failed, and identify who might be interested in purchasing a successful business later. I made a spreadsheet with multiple variables so I could determine initial investment and ongoing expenses and revenue.

So my business plan turned out to be an invaluable tool for me, not for the investors I didn't need anyway. While you won't need anything quite so ambitious for your business at the beginning (although it doesn't hurt), you do need to figure out the rent on the space and utilities you need, who your customers will be and how you will attract them, and what you will charge. Only then will you know if you have a shot at a viable business. You will probably also be interested in whether or not it will pay more than your day job, or how much it will take to make you happier with your own business than a day job. I suspect most micro small business make far less than employee status, but there are other rewards. If possible, try to get going without paying extra for space at first, perhaps your own home will do.

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Thank you so much for the tips. I really appreciate it. I have been advised to come up with a business plan before making any major decisions. These are great tips! Thank you again.

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I have been practicing Reiki professionally for 26 years and teaching for 22, and I encourage you to develop yourself as a Reiki practitioner by giving yourself a full hands-on Reiki self-treatment everyday without fail. Nurses understandably often approach Reiki as a health care intervention, but it is actually a spiritual healing practice, and the best way to develop a deep understanding of what is possible is by experiencing the benefits for yourself, especially if you are thinking of teaching some day.

It is certainly possible to have a Reiki business, especially today, but it requires the development of three very different skill sets, those of a business person, a Reiki practitioner, and a teacher. You will find much overlap from your nursing experience, but not all of it will translate.

For the past year, I have been training nurses in the peri-operative department of a hospital in NYC, and the focus is on self-care practice first. Nursing is a profession with a serious burnout problem -- I'm sure I don't have to tell you that! :-)

From the foundation of self-care (which my students often describe as life-changing), nurses begin offering patients moments of Reiki touch, or a brief modified treatment, and quickly see the results. So if you continue your nursing job (which seems like a good idea for now), you might start by integrating Reiki moments into routine care, and let your experience deepen while your patients teach you.

Here are some resources you might be interested in. You'll find a free recording of a Reiki presentation I gave at a medical conference at Reiki In Medicine.org, and Reiki research papers, including a study we did at Yale published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, at the Medical Papers page.

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pmiles,

Thank you so much for the encouragement. That is so wonderful that you have your own reiki practice. A big part of what has been holding me back is fear. Thank you for reminding of us what it is all about. Who can be a better a witness of the healing power of reiki other than yourself? Again, thank you. I will also go that website to view your presentation.

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