Let’s just pause to take a deep breath before we even talk about money. I know this topic can be a trigger for some people. It used to be a trigger for me too. I believe I’ve worked hard to come to terms with the concept of money and our human need for it to live in this modern world. Back in the old times, our ancestors barter traded goods for goods, before money was even invented. Some exchanges were perhaps even unfair, but that was just how it is, exchanging rice for sugar, fish for meats. Coming back to modern days, since money was invented, we have to pay for all kinds of services, from dentists to doctors, gardeners to lawn mowers, to schools and grocery shopping.
Now everyone has a gift to provide a service in this new paradigm of wellness industry. from meditation to breathwork, sound healing to somatic body work. I believe that everyone who is offering these services have gone through the essential training necessary to be able to offer their services with due diligence and responsibility. I am sure that everyone had put in the time, money and energy to be trained professionally. These services are no different from the services that teachers, doctors or dentists provide, even though they are considered holistic and some even spiritual. Naturally, there is payment involved or energy exchange as we call it. In the beginning when I first started venturing into sound healing, I was hesitant to charge a proper fee because I was new, and I had this blocked mentality of, ‘if this is meant to be for the good of people, how can I charge them?’ My teacher would tell me, there needs to be a charge because energy needs to flow. The energy of me providing a service, and the energy of the people receiving the healing, needs to come out with the energy for their healing, or else it is only one way, then the healing would not work, or my own energy would be depleted over time. That made total sense.
Here comes the issue of how to charge before it feels right? Well, I have long come to terms that no matter how high I charge my fees, I will never ever recuperate the investments I put into my sound instruments and all the training behind them. It’s just not possible. I don’t think there’s any sound healers out there going into sound healing thinking that they’re gona make back those money invested. That’s just not how it works. I like to believe that how we charge is a reflection of our own value and self-worth. I see some crazy prices out there for all kinds of modalities, and I find it hard to believe that people actually pay for it. Personally I feel that the value of any session, should reflect the value of what is being provided in each session, and the practitioner needs to feel comfortable with what they are charging. If they are feeling confident to charge an exorbitant amount and be Ok with it, good on them.
I have to say that since moving to NZ, I have lowered my fees, simply because of the exchange rate between SG and NZ. I have seen the fees practitioners charge back home grew significantly higher, and it likely is due to the growing community and higher standards of living back in SG. I know that those fees will not work where I am now because of the financial burdens of this community in the region I am in, however, I do need to honor my own time, energy, value and worth in the work that I do. I have offered 1:1 koha sessions since I arrived, and have also put up community healing programs for the months to come that offers sliding scale donations, and these sessions are meant for those who truly need it. My usual circles however will continue to be priced at a fee that reflects my value and worth.
Where is all this money talk coming from you might ask? Is money even spiritual? I have recently been asked to collab at a very low fee that I am not comfortable with, especially when it is catered for adults who have jobs and able to afford exorbitant amount of school fees for their children in the name of community and connection. I personally find it insulting to be honest, that a fellow spiritual practitioner whom I respect would give so little value to what I do. When I share my honest truth about being uncomfortable about the fee, I was judged immediately to be money-minded. Hey I judged my own mother of being money-minded all my life growing up, so I know what that’s like. I just did not expect judgement from someone spiritually aware and opened, a spiritual teacher no less. When I explained myself, I did not felt heard, only judged.
See, I explained in the beginning that money is an energy exchange, it is an energy flow, and the flow needs to feel smooth. If there is any kind of blockages in the sense of feeling discomfort, flow is not right, then it would not work well for anyone. I used to think that people who only work for the sake of money are ‘dirty’, and I promise myself that I will aim to work not only for money but for the greater good and it must be something I love. Now that I have discovered a ‘job’ in sound healing that is work that I love to do, and is able to pay me some allowances, and working towards hopefully someday allowing me financial independence and stability, so I no longer have to depend on my partner to pay the bills. I love my work, and I just hope that fellow spiritual people can see the value of what I bring when you ask me to collaborate with you, and not ask me to lower my worth, especially when it is not even for charity events. Community and connection does not require someone to offer sacrifices at their living expenses. You don’t go asking a dentist, doctor or builder to offer you a community rate when you need their services. I am providing a service in sound healing, and I hold my values. I am happy to provide community healing projects to those who need, but please don’t take my work for granted. We all need money to live in this modern world, have bills to pay and children to feed. Just because my work is of a spiritual nature, does not mean I get groceries for free in the supermarkets, or receive free medical treatments. As for spirituality judgement, that’s a topic for another day.
