Breaking news! Reiki on the Dr. Oz show this week!

For the first time in our history, we're sending out a special breaking news email bulletin, because this news just can't wait until our next edition.

Reiki will be featured on the Dr. Oz show this week as part of a segment on alternative medicine. As most of our readers in the United States may know, Dr. Oz has a huge and devoted following thanks to his appearances on Oprah the past few years, and his wife, Lisa, is a Reiki Master. Reiki author Pamela Miles, who has worked with Dr. Oz in the operating room performing Reiki during surgeries, is a guest on the show (taped a few weeks ago) and she does a brief chair Reiki session on an audience member. Here's more from Pamela:

"Mehmet saves Reiki for the last, saying, 'The next one I'm going to talk about is one of my favorites. We've been using it in the Oz family for years.' Then he mentions that his wife is a Reiki master and that he and I worked together in surgery; then I demonstrate chair Reiki. (The audience member told me her headache improved but that's not on the show.)

Even though the segment is short, this is huge mainstream exposure for Reiki. The producers keep track of the viewership for different topics. If there is a large audience for this show, it signals them that the public wants more, so please tell your friends around the country. "

We urge our readers not only to record and watch the show, but to be prepared for the wave of interest in Reiki that is likely to follow this mainstream media exposure.

The Dr. Oz Show airs twice a day in many cities on Fox affiliates, with the afternoon show repeated the following morning. Here in the New York City area, for example, the show featuring Reiki will be on at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and again at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7. Click here to check your local listings.

Public relations consultant Jonna Rae Barges has this great suggestion:

"Contact your local station that airs the Dr. Oz show, and pitch them a local angle of the Reiki story by demonstrating how Reiki works. Dr. Oz gives Reiki great credibility, and you can give it the local practical application." That's a great idea, but act fast to give your local station as much notice as possible.

Other ways to prepare:

• Tell friends, family, and others to watch the show.
• Make sure your web site, and contact information, are up-to-date and correct.
• Offer to give a talk on Reiki at your local bookstore, community center, or other venues in your area.
• If you haven't already responded to our Global Reiki Census, do so as soon as possible as we will be using that information to help clients and students find qualified Reiki practitioners and teachers near them.
• Polish your elevator pitch: An "elevator pitch" is a quick description that can be delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator. Be ready with a brief, clear answer for friends, co-workers, neighbors and others who may be interested in finding out more about Reiki after watching the show. If you need help refining the way you describe Reiki, check out this backgrounder from the National Institutes of Health.
  
• Focus, focus, focus: When you talk about Reiki, stick to the subject. While Reiki can work well with other modalities such as aromatherapy or massage, including references to other natural healing practices may only confuse rather than inform people who come to you with questions.
• Take the ball and run with it: As every politician knows, when a reporter asks you a question, any question, it means only one thing: it's your turn to talk. So if you get questions from reporters, friends, or the general public, use that turn wisely.

To find out more about Dr. Oz's Reiki connection, check out these articles from our archives:

Dr. Oz mentions Reiki on Oprah (Feb. 2007) -- Dr. Oz says, "The next big frontier is energy medicine."

Mrs. Oz joins Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen for the "It's all about YOU!" tour (Aug. 2007) -- Mrs. Oz leads a crowd of 1,500 in a traditional Reiki meditation.

We'll have complete coverage of the show and its repercussions in our regular Digest edition later this week.