A Reiki share is a gathering for Reiki people to give and receive healing. I think they are an important place for us to gather as healers. We can practice giving healing – important for those who are not yet working professionally but want to, or for those who just want to gain more experience and don’t have many people to practise on. It’s also an opportunity to receive healing ourselves. Self healing and Reiki meditations are powerful, but there is something to be said for allowing others to serve you, especially if you spend most of your time in service to others (a common situation for healers). Surely all of us who are on a healing path are working on something that needs to evolve, be healed or released most of the time; a Reiki share is a safe place to receive a boost of energy and support for the work. It is also a great opportunity to meet others who believe in energy work, as we do. Not all of us have people in our lives who understand the journey.

When my healing practice was based in Kent many years ago, I ran monthly shares for years and they were always well attended. When I moved to Glastonbury 4 years ago I looked for shares and found nothing – where was my Reiki community? So I had to start up another one of my own! The groups are usually small, I find it takes time for such things to gather energy, but they grow all the time. Given the nature of Glastonbury, I often have non-locals attend who are in town for other healing training, many of whom tell me there is no share available where they live.

The answer? Start your own! So I thought I’d share some tips doing it and answers for questions you might have.

Who are shares for?

You need to decide who you’re supporting. Some Reiki shares are open to people who aren’t attuned to Reiki. There’s nothing wrong with that in principle; it is a way to introduce people to the energy of Reiki and it is possible they may become clients or students themselves. But it does mean that some of the people there are not contributing, energetically speaking, and the Reiki people there are essentially working for free. If you’re going to do that, I think the attuned attendees need to know that in advance.

I open my shares to all Reiki people, level 1 and above, from any lineage. Other teachers choose only to offer to people who trained in their own lineage, or as a support for their own students. If you do this, it can form part of a continued programme of training and support for the people you are guiding on the path. It can also feel more comfortable that way, as you’ll always know they people who come through the door.

Where to do it?

In Kent I had a permanent business premises, so it was easy for me to do it there at no extra cost to myself (other than my time). I have had a couple of shares in my home, but if you’re going to do that you need to be sure you know everyone who’s coming. Not something to advertise in the local paper or on flyers around town!

Here in Glastonbury I hire a room at White Rabbit, one of the shops on our magical high street, for a couple of hours one evening a month – that’s all you need although of course they can be longer than that. Some teachers run longer shares at the weekends, even a full day, which are lovely events as well. I’d suggest working up to that, and making sure you have enough people to help cover the costs of a bigger event.

How many tables do I need?

I have always used only one treatment table at my shares, but usually when I’ve attended other people’s shares there are multiple tables and people work in pairs or split into small groups. Both ways are fine, ultimately it’s personal preference – and of course how much space you have and how many tables there are available.

My preference is to practise the “shu chu” Reiki technique: one person on the treatment table and everyone else with their hands on (or hovering above) that one person. The treatments are short but intense – if you have a 5 minute treatment with 6 people treating you, that is the equivalent of half an hour of Reiki being delivered all at once. You can work with a fair amount of people this way, as long as you have enough time for the changeovers. In my old place in Kent there was a tradition of lying underneath the table to treat from underneath – we called that move “the George” after the first one who did it!

I was once at a retreat where one person, who was very sick, received healing from all 30 or 40 of us in one go. Those who couldn’t fit around the table stood behind the practitioners who could, with their hands on the shoulders of the closer healers, channeling energy through them to the recipient. It was a wonderfully powerful experience, and shows you can work with one table even if you have a good group of you present for a share.

Other things you need are blankets, chairs or cushions, access to water or other refreshments, a way to time the sessions and some music to help people focus and relax.

How do we do the treatments themselves?

Intuition in Reiki is a very important part of the work for me, and I like my students to practise working intuitively. So I don’t use standard hand positions, I ask everyone to work where they feel drawn so they can learn to trust themselves. It seems to work out – people don’t bump into each other or fight over who works at the head! You can ask people to take up different positions and stay there instead if you prefer.

I always ask people as they come to the table if there is any particular healing intention they’d like the group to hold for them, so they can share what they need if they like. Some people prefer to just say, I’m open to whatever comes, please just work for my highest good. It’s important to ask if people are happy with physical contact or would prefer hands off, and also that they know if it feels too intense and they want to stop, or even just to know that if they get cold they can ask for a blanket, or if they need to cry they can feel free. (Oh yes – tissues. It’s always good to have tissues.) The number one goal is to make sure everyone feels safe at all times, and that they can speak their needs and have them met.

In a similar vein, there is a desire for many healers to share what they have seen or intuitively felt, or give psychic messages after a treatment. A Reiki share is usually a safe place to say such things, but I always ask people in attendance to ask the person before sharing, and make sure everyone is empowered to say no if they’d rather not engage with that side of things – not everyone wants to talk and that has to be respected. I am blessed with a many psychics who come to my events and it always warms my heart when I see them engage so carefully with each other, always making sure they feel safe and supported.

The healers have to feel safe too: encourage the attendees to trust their intuition and to ask questions if they need to. Also, let them be comfortable in the work – I like to make sure people can work seated if they need to.

At the beginning of each treatment I restate the healing intention and ask all to connect in with the source and begin. At the end I ask everyone to finish up their work and seal over the energy body, before grounding back into their own physical presence after each session.

Is it just for treatments?

Reiki shares can be for whatever you want! Whatever pricing you go for (see below) reiki shares are not big earners, so make sure you have a great time! Many teachers lead a meditation to start, or give Reiju empowerments to everyone present (other Reiki Masters can assist with that if it’s a larger group), or spend the first half practising a particular technique – this is particularly pleasing to do if you are at the moment more focused on building your energy and confidence as a teacher, rather than as a healer. I have done all of these things in the past, and I have also led distant healing work and chanting.

These days, my Reiki shares are actually Reiki and Reiki Drum shares. I usually lead a Reiki drumming journey at the beginning (if you’re going to do that you need to have mats available for people to lie on) and I encourage people to bring their drums if they want to. Of course, this is because of the nature of my work – I specialise in that cross over space between Reiki and shamanism, with lots of sound healing work.

What is it about your Reiki practice that is unique? Your shares can represent that, so if you are also a qi gong or meditation teacher or tarot reader, say, then you can bring some of that to your work so your community can experience it. Remember to make sure your Reiki people feel safe and comfortable with it – explain any non-Reiki techniques clearly and make sure they know it’s optional. In the case of drumming I always ask people if they are happy with drums, and if they are to remind them they can ask for it to stop or be softer at any time. (Admittedly most of my students like to go harder! But it is important that people are empowered while on the table.)

Do I have to be a Reiki Master Teacher to start a share?

Not necessarily, although if you are working on premises and opening the shares to anything over than a private group of friends or family you will need insurance, so you’ll need to be Reiki 2 at least. Any Reiki practitioner who has been doing the work for a while can do it, just make sure you are representing your experience honestly so you can build trust in your community. What’s important is that you know how to hold space and that you are confident enough to lead the group in the work.

For Reiki 2s or new RMTs, it’s a good idea to choose a format you’re going to work in that will help you feel comfortable running the session. For example, you could give people certain hand positions/areas of the body to work with so that it’s easier to keep track of what people are doing, so to speak. You could also prepare and learn the wording you are going to use at the beginning or end of each session, until you get used to leading sessions and feel comfortable with people working intuitively (or climbing under the table!).

How much can/should I charge?

That’s up to you. I used to run a slightly longer share with tea and biscuits after, and people would donate a few pounds to pay for the sugary treats! It wasn’t costing me any extra room rental back then as I paid for my space monthly, so there were less real costs to consider – though, to be clear, I think it is also good to be paid for your time even if you are running shares at home. It is still work you are doing: you need to clean up, make time for it, hold space, answer questions, lead the work and have your adequate insurance etc. It is not only ok to be comfortable charging for that, it’s important.

These days I am paying for the room and for advertising across the year, so I suggest a donation of £10 per person. That way I never end up out of pocket and usually have a little something to take home. I call it a donation because I know that sometimes people may not be able to afford to come, or pay the full £10, and it is my policy not to turn healers away from a share on that basis.

Donations implies that it’s a “pay what you can” situation, so to keep your own energy engaged and feel good about what you are doing, you need to make sure that that is true. If it’s not, price them in accordance with what you need them to bring in. In my case, my shares are by donation and I also offer my monthly Reiki Skills Lodge teachings on zoom for free or optional donations. I get a lot out of both events and intentionally set them up for support, not profit. If you in fact need or want people to pay a fixed price and book in advance, then advertise that and stick to it – this keeps things clean and clear.

Do I get to have a treatment?

Hell yes! If you are running a Reiki share I do not doubt that you are always working for others and have a genuine need to surrender into having others care for you. Nominate someone else to state the intention and lead the beginning and end of the session and get yourself on that treatment table.

Sometimes, I don’t have quite enough time for a healing myself, and tell people so. This happened last month actually. I told the group to skip me as we were out of time. They mutinied, would not allow me to leave without a treatment, then stayed to help me clean up. That’s what happens when you build an amazing community of healers.

Come to my Reiki and Reiki Drum share!

My next share is on Thursday 20 March, 7pm at White Rabbit, 21-23 High Street, Glastonbury. All Reiki-attuned people are welcome, any level or lineage. Drumming optional 😉 Suggested donation: £10.