This article first appeared on the old Holistic Vancouver Board, listed for Articles under Holistic Vancouver - Healing Vancouver. It was contributed on Sunday September 14, 2003 10:19 PM to by Jennifer Lundin Ritchie (Thanks Jen), a member of the Vancouver "The-Hand-To-Hand-Exchange" The article talks about a Reiki Retreat held in April 2003 that I unfortunately missed due to attending a LightBody seminar in Oregon. How I wish I could have been in 2 places at once. The weekend retreat was held in the countryside about an hour from Vancouver. Both Wanja and Rick are Reiki Masters taught by Mrs. Takata here in British Columbia, Canada. This article and photos are © Copyright 2003 Jennifer Lundin Ritchie ...when the fire alarm started an impromptu
Pajama Party outside Abbotsford's Heritage Valley Resort's dorm,
with everyone showing off their "best PJs". Luckily, even though it
was the hot water tank that burst, we all had hot showers to greet
us in the morning. ![]() ![]() While Wanja's points were revealed through her amazing storytelling, Rick expounded upon his philosophy of Reiki's uses, scope, and depth. Wanja spoke at length about her early experiences with Mrs. Takata. Rick From the start, Mrs. Takata kept telling Wanja that she was to become a great Reiki Master and Teacher. Wanja recounted how she would nod and smile and think: "I will humour an old lady, since I cannot possibly afford to be a Reiki Master." Remember that to become a Reiki Master it cost $10,000 USD. That was quite a bit for anyone in 1979, let alone a newly-single woman with small children to support. So finally when Wanja admitted to Mrs. Takata that she couldn't possibly take the Master's class, that she barely had enough to take care of her family, that she had so much on her plate that she couldn't possibly add any more, Mrs. Takata, in true form, said "That'll be fine. I'll let you know when I'm coming." As it tends to follow on the Reiki path, Wanja's tuition was paid through the classes she assembled. Mrs. Takata maintained that money has to do with energy: People should want the value of the Reiki, and feel the call to come. She didn't believe in advertising in newspapers. It always was for her a tradition to be passed hand to hand. ![]() He coined a phrase with fellow student Phyllis Furomoto, "Reiki: Experience the Wonder, and Wonder about the Experience." Even though Rick was always very down to earth in his talk, he did have a few stories of his own which delighted the crowd. A favorite was a vivid retelling of a dream he had involving our favorite Reiki Teacher, a certain Mrs. Takata. Rick used to use dreams while composing music, in order to sidestep his internal editors. The song which emerged from the following dream became an anthem of the Kootneys for many years. Rick dreamt he was coming down the clear-cut, and saw a huge bear. Rick thought, I should run! But he couldn't, and as the bear approached, it reared up on its hind legs, raised its paws on each side of its head, showing its face to be that of an oriental woman. Rick lay down in front of it in surrender. Then he was safe, and went to a cabin where there were 5 women he called "witches or grannies, or something in between". They were serving tea and cookies, and "something else". In real life some time later, Rick found himself at a similar cabin in the woods, in the company of Barbara Brown, Phyllis Furomoto, Wanja Twan, Fay Brown, and Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Takata greeted Rick by putting her hands up next to her face, reminiscent of the dream bear, and saying, "Reiki very powerful!" It was enough to stand Rick's hair on end. Rick is very much about honoring Teachers. He felt Mrs. Takata embodied the Reiki energy, and he has tried to follow her example: by living the Reiki Principles, and by seeing Reiki as a living thing, not just as bodywork. He has "learned to move much more lightly in the world", not just on a physical level. By reducing the number of needs in life, you see more clearly, and have more "space". He sees simplicity as the antidote to modern life, and the Reiki Principles a key to simplicity. ![]() Wanja's soft melodious faint Swedish accent danced through Mrs. Takata's antics. She told cowboys that Reiki was great for their cows, told doctors that their wives should learn Reiki to help their poor overworked husbands, then told the doctor's wives Reiki could erase their wrinkles! A master business woman, her confidence in Reiki shone through every word she spoke. Also a consummate politician, Mrs. Takata had to negotiate her way through post-Pearl Harbour Hawaii in a time where being of Japanese descent and spouting idealistic Japanese healing methods were not terribly welcomed. It is supposed that this is where the present-day confusion over Usui's roots began. It would have been much easier to sell the American public on a Christian University Teacher who admired the Christ, than on a Buddhist lay-monk martial artist who searched the Buddhists monasteries and religious texts for healing secrets, before becoming enlightened on a Japanese fasting meditation. The second big surprise of the weekend (the first being Friday's fire alarm) came late Saturday as the resort's hosts came down to tell us our singing and chanting was disturbing the dinner theatre upstairs, so could we please keep it down. That is likely the first time a Reiki group has out-partied the theatre community! So unfortunately, our jam session was cut short, but a few die-hards stayed up reading cards and chanting quietly. ![]() There were many questions peppered through the weekend, all of which Rick and Wanja were most gracious to answer. In between talks, the group did Reiki Exchanges, browsed the Reiki sales tables for items like sage, crystals, Reiki T-shirts, aromatherapy, Rick's music CDs, and Wanja's book. I even managed to sneak off and enjoy the indoor hot-tub at one point between the bountiful and frequent meal breaks. Wanja demonstrated the Reiki Hand Positions, and a few little known tips and tricks for Reiki treatments. Rick spoke at length about living the Reiki Principles, and the importance of using Reiki first and foremost among your immediate family. They retold Usui's Reiki Story, and spoke of Reiki's path into the future, including the Internet, and the mainstream medical profession. An experience not soon forgotten, everyone left with a deeper appreciation for this amazing body of work called Reiki. ![]()
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