Communications between Reiki people
So, today I sent out an email about the remaining places on my Reiki & Yoga retreat. All UK Reiki Federation registered teachers and practitioners are listed on the site, for the public to find Reiki people, listed geographically. I'm on there too, and many people find me that way, or through google. Some contact me with things I'm not that interested in, but that's what happens when your contact details are in the public domain. I used the site to gather names of Reiki colleagues in the nearby area, as they maybe interested in the retreat. So I sent around a nice email inviting people to book on the remaining places. Instantly, I got an email back from a fellow Reiki Master, also in the SE London / Kent borders. Here's what it said: I am not aware of passing my details to you or giving permission for you to contact me for the purposes of promoting your business. In the circumstances, contacting me breaks data protection protocols. Would you please therefore delete me from your database immediately.
I have to say, I am a bit shocked to receive an email like that from a fellow Reiki Master. I know you can't really get 'tone of voice' from emails, but you almost could from that one!! I really think a simple 'Thankyou, but I'd prefer not to be contacted by you in future' would have done nicely actually. Other practitioners have been in touch to let me know what they are up to that weekend, thanking me for my email, in the way I would expect from a colleague.
The thing is, I get contacted pretty often about things like this. Events, courses, networking things, online communities, publications etc etc - not randomly sent out as spam, things that are related to Reiki, so they may interest me. They obviously find me through the Federation, or perhaps Reiki Evolution, or even just googling 'Reiki London' or something. Usually it's not something I follow up on (although I have done) but I am normally interested to have a quick look at the content, since this is my profession and it's good to know what people are doing, you know? Even if I wanted someone to take my email off their list, I would never send an email like that. They're not corporations, they're people with small businesses like me, most of us are sole traders, and frankly if I don't want to join in I tend to wish them luck with their event. I also sometimes get contacted by Reiki people looking for a bit of advice, about setting up or finding shares, about who to contact about certain things related to our profession, about where to go for information, how to find specific practitioners or teachers who are (for whatever reason) not me :) And not once have I not helped those people either, much less been rude to or short with them.
The work we do involves helping other people. It is a core principle of Reiki that we should behave to others with compassion - so is it really naive of me to expect that other Reiki people will always be nice to me and wish me well? Perhaps so. There should be a sense of community among Reiki people, and in some parts of the country I have come across that. Why is it so difficult to foster a Reiki community in London? As I discovered recently, there are so many of us doing this work in the area!! And I know from speaking to the federation rep in South London, it is almost impossible to get people together here.
I think I will have to do something about helping to get more Reiki people together in this part of the world. *cogs start to turn*
I have to say, I am a bit shocked to receive an email like that from a fellow Reiki Master. I know you can't really get 'tone of voice' from emails, but you almost could from that one!! I really think a simple 'Thankyou, but I'd prefer not to be contacted by you in future' would have done nicely actually. Other practitioners have been in touch to let me know what they are up to that weekend, thanking me for my email, in the way I would expect from a colleague.
The thing is, I get contacted pretty often about things like this. Events, courses, networking things, online communities, publications etc etc - not randomly sent out as spam, things that are related to Reiki, so they may interest me. They obviously find me through the Federation, or perhaps Reiki Evolution, or even just googling 'Reiki London' or something. Usually it's not something I follow up on (although I have done) but I am normally interested to have a quick look at the content, since this is my profession and it's good to know what people are doing, you know? Even if I wanted someone to take my email off their list, I would never send an email like that. They're not corporations, they're people with small businesses like me, most of us are sole traders, and frankly if I don't want to join in I tend to wish them luck with their event. I also sometimes get contacted by Reiki people looking for a bit of advice, about setting up or finding shares, about who to contact about certain things related to our profession, about where to go for information, how to find specific practitioners or teachers who are (for whatever reason) not me :) And not once have I not helped those people either, much less been rude to or short with them.
The work we do involves helping other people. It is a core principle of Reiki that we should behave to others with compassion - so is it really naive of me to expect that other Reiki people will always be nice to me and wish me well? Perhaps so. There should be a sense of community among Reiki people, and in some parts of the country I have come across that. Why is it so difficult to foster a Reiki community in London? As I discovered recently, there are so many of us doing this work in the area!! And I know from speaking to the federation rep in South London, it is almost impossible to get people together here.
I think I will have to do something about helping to get more Reiki people together in this part of the world. *cogs start to turn*