Uncovering a Gem

Like all “Reiki” people I have met, Christina is a gentle, kind and giving soul. She had the table across from mine at a trade fair a few years ago. I was suffering with a headache as a result (I strongly suspect) of the fumes from a candle company (who shall remain nameless) a few tables down. She immediately leapt to my rescue, offering one of her home made salves with essential oils to rub on my temples. And it worked! I don’t know if I have ever thanked you for that, Christina. So thank you.

And thank you for being our featured Goddess this month!

Here are some bits and bytes from our talk:

GS ~ What led you to Reiki?

Christina ~ I always had a general interest in new age stuff, and several years ago I started taking various workshops, smudging, auras, etc. I started hearing people talk about Reiki and more and more was becoming interested  in learning about it. One day I just decided it was time to take level 1, with no real intention of going any further. I just wanted to learn about it. But when I took the class, it all made sense to me. Energy is  all around us. Everything is energy, and we use our own energy constantly, whether we are aware of it or not. And of course we can heal with energy. Again, we do it all the time. Think of how great a hug feels. That's sharing energy. Think of all the babies in NICU....they are so much better off when they are allowed to be held by their moms. Energy. And my favourite example of using energy in general, for the nay-sayers out there.... how do you think an iPhone operates? It's the energy from our bodies that the screen picks up on. Winter is the best time to demonstrate....you can't operate an iPhone screen with gloves on! (not counting the special ones they have recently come out with)
So, like I was saying, it just made sense to me, and feels great too! Next think I knew, I was taking all the courses, and here I am, a Master/Teacher.

In terms of how I ended up starting my Reiki practice, it was time for a change. I had been going the M-F 9-5 thing for a long time, and was finally at the management level, the path I had always planned. But I started feeling like the work version of me wasn't really me at all, and it was causing a lot of inner conflict. Finally I realized it was time for something drastic. I was going to quit, and start my own Reiki practice. I tend to make big decisions very quickly, to  the point where outsiders might think it was spur of the moment, but in actuality a considerable amount of thought has gone into it.

GS ~ What is your Vision?

Christina ~ I want to focus on teaching Reiki to others, especially to other practitioners of various modalities, so they can incorporate it into what they already do.

GS ~ Tell me about Amethyst Answers

Christina ~ My new baby! As I have been meeting tons of fantastic women who also have their own practice of some sort, or who just have their own small business of any kind, I have realized that many of them aren't as familiar with all that the internet and social media has to offer them. As I mentioned, I was a nerdy kid, but now I like to embrace the term "geek". Most people I know who work on computers all day don't really like to come home and get back on their computer for too long. But me, I love my computer! Sometimes I just sit with it on my lap as I watch tv! I  get giddy talking to people about Google Analytics, how to use Twitter, why they should be on LinkedIn.

It recently hit me that this could be a great opportunity. So I started Amethyst Answers, "helping small businesses manage their online profile". Of course, really I'll help anybody with anything, but that's the focus. Google is the new Yellow Pages, and if can't be found easily on Google, you may as well not exist.  Small businesses need to be online. They need to have a webpage. Most should really have a facebook page. And every business person should have a profile on LinkedIn.  But not everyone knows how to do it. I don't promise to get anyone on the first page of a search. I'm not a marketer. I'm an account technician and trainer, if you will. I will set up accounts and get them running, and then show you how to keep it running on your own. I teach the basics of navigating the sites, the lingo, and the etiquette. I can also help with tips and improvements to existing accounts that need tweaking.

GS ~ Thank you so much for sharing your time & talents with us.

Christina ~ You are welcome!

p.s. Here are some of Christina’s tips & tricks for using Social Media:

- The name of the game is getting found. If google can’t find you, neither will anyone else.

- By upping your online presence, you build your ranking and credibility.

- Connect and engage with your “audience”, create community. For example, read industry blogs and leave comments.

- Track what others are saying about you, address concerns in a timely manner.

- Upload your contact lists and make sure to repeat this every few months.

- Use Synching sites such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck or Nimble to streamline your accounts.


Christina also showed us in a few simple steps how to update our Linked In accounts (for example, where to customize your website names- you can add up to three) as well as a cool tool called websitegrader.com

She made it all easy to understand and follow and even implement on our own.

If you are interested in having Christina help you with Reiki or with Social Media Answers, you can contact her here.