‘EARLY DAYS OF REIKI, MEMORIES OF HAWAYO TAKATA’ – ANNELI TWAN

Hello and Blessings to Everyone!

I trust that you all enjoy the summer this year.
It was a blessing to see so many of you at Angela’s welcoming party in Long Beach. Thank you so much for coming and spending that evening with us.
My sister and brother in law were fascinated by people and the nature in States (they live in Poland and came to visit us ‘only’ for one month).
We traveled along the West Coast from one border to the other. Amazing trip, beautiful memory, exciting adventure.

And then I attended Reiki Master Network gathering in Vancouver, BC (the next gathering will be held in September 2005 - www.threshold.ca/reiki).

One of students of Takata-sensei, Anneli Twan, was invited to give talk and share her book with us during the meeting. Anneli was trained with Mrs. Takata in 1979 when she was only 10 years old.
She then received the second level attunements and Reiki Master Training from her Mum,
Wanja Twan, who is one of the 5 Canadian Masters Takata-sensei trained. Anneli at that time was 16 years of age (Master Training) and right after that she started to teach Reiki Classes as her Mum was often ‘double booked’. They traveled a lot around the world teaching Reiki. She mentioned that once she was teaching the class where she felt so wonderful as people she was teaching didn’t ask questions, didn’t use their minds to understands unknown – simply were practicing Reiki.
She also said that Takata-sensei didn’t talk about spirituality during her classes – it was simply physical talk, body talk. She wanted to keep Reiki pure without mixing it with any other healing art.

Anneli has just published a small booklet called "Early Days of Reiki, Memories of Hawayo Takata" - very interesting book and this is a short description of Mrs. Takata by Wanja Twan’s sister ‘Takata told some interesting stories. The impression I had of her, was that she wasn’t
spaced out like everybody else seemed to be who was into healing and new age stuff.
That’s what I liked about her, she was business like. She taught Reiki as a normal job,it wasn’t some kind of twenty four hour soul searching thing, it was business, like a nine to five job.’

If you have any question for Anneli or her Mum please check their website at:
www.morningstarproductions.ca

LARISA STOW ABOUT HER REIKI EXPIERIENCE

Larisa Stow is a singer with very angelic voice as well as a yoga teacher. She lives with her family in Long Beach, CA. That is where she creates and shares with people her soul-searching music and her other talents. Larisa attended Mrs. Takata Reiki Training when she was only 12 years old. What she said is fascinating and give us more Light about Takata and her teaching. Larisa’s story is based on our emails and questions she was asked by me.

‘What I remember is filtered through the eyes of a twelve year old and there has been a great amount of time that has passed sense. So I am aware that what I share is my perspective and perhaps not the full picture.

Yes, I studied with Takata when I was a child (12 years old) in Salem Oregon. I did the class with Takata either in 79' or 80'. I don't remember the exact month. I know that I was in 7th or 8th grade. She was invited by the Unity church in Salem to teach Reiki. My father heard about her class and asked me if I would be interested in learning Reiki.. I was ecstatic. When I showed up for class on the first the day with my mother and my best friend who was 11 years old Takata looked at my friend and I and told us that we were too young to learn Reiki but then she hesitated and decided to scan us. She then told me that my energy was much more mature than my years and invited me to take the course with the rest of the adults. She told my friend that she wasn't ready and that it could harm her to take the class when her energetic system wasn't fully developed. I felt so honored to be there and soaked up all of her stories and initiation. It was incredibly inspiring. I shared Reiki with all my friends. It deepened my connection to the divine. I was at that point the youngest person she taught Reiki too (at least that's what I remember her saying).

I seem to remember that the class I took was the main class and that you could take one more class with her to go deeper if we wished. I remember wanting to but was at the mercy of my father. There was a full room of people. Maybe between 20-30? I don't think we could take notes. I didn't... and I seem to remember her wanting us to be present in the moment with her and to take it in from an energetic level.

As for the initiation process...I remember that we would go in individually with her and she had a ritual to open our channels. Once it was open she said that was it...it would be open for life. I don't remember specifically what she did to open us...

I loved Takata! She was a bright, bright light! She had a lot of energy...an amazing amount for someone her age. I remember being in awe of her energy level. She was so inspiring with all of her stories of faith and her own story was probably the most inspiring.

I was blown away seven years later when walking through the Whole Life Expo with my now husband.. I saw a Reiki booth. I had no idea that it had become a thriving healing organization and that Takata was the inspiration. It amazes me to this day that Reiki is one of the most respected healing modalities. I see how it gives us permission and a structure to focus our healing energy and that's a beautiful thing’.


If you would like to listen to Larisa’s music, buy her new beautiful CD or attend her joyfully inspiring concerts and classes please visit her website or contact her:
www.larisastow.com
larisastow@sacredsoundsradio.com

www.reiki-healing-touch.com

FORGIVENESS - MEDITATION FOR EVERYONE

While reading Anneli Twan’s booklet, I came across the part about forgiveness. Barbara Brown during her interview was telling how important is to live life without resentments, hatred, blame. How actually opening our hearts to love and forgiveness can really heal us, turn around our lives completely. So I decided to share this beautiful and very simple meditation about loving kindness and forgiveness.

It’s an ancient practice – opening our heart and wishing well to ourselves, our loved ones and to everyonein the world. This is coming from the awareness that we are all effecting each other, the world and that others effect us. We all actively participate in this world – the way we think, eat, talk, act…Some says that if one person gains spirituality – whole world gain it too.

Forgiveness needs to be practiced as we all know. Day after day we need to remember ourselves how important is for our own sake to keep our hearts, our body and minds clear from that negative and destructive emotion. Sometimes it can be a long process though as you might first deal with pain and hatred to be able to go to forgiveness. But it’s worthy every step along the way as if you hate someone, blame or can not forgive – that person keeps you all that time in prison. In a very emotionally painful and poisoning from inside prison.

The practice may take only couple of minutes. Any time of the day is good.

• Sit quietly and open your heart for forgiveness, healing, love. You might say now and keep repeating during the meditation: ‘Hatred never ceases by hatred but by love alone is healed.’
• Now gently bring people you love to your heart – imaging them coming to your heart one after the other and feel your heart getting bigger and bigger. Stay with this beautiful feeling for some time wishing those people well.
• And now bring people who don’t mean that much to you – And make the place in your heart for them also wishing them well.
• And when you are ready and your big heart is full of love for all those you keep inside –
• Bring now people you can not forgive, people who hurt you or you hurt them, people who brought so much pain that you still can feel it…you don’t need to forget things and change the past, but you do need to forgive without sometimes even understanding the situation and motives of that person.
• If it hurts too much stop and come back next day or whenever you would feel stronger.
• If you can carry on – do so. Bring that person/people to your heart and share with them your love and wish them well.
• Bring also yourself to your own heart (you might want to do this as the first thing in this meditation),
  Let yourself feel your own love flowing over you and wish yourself well.
• If there is anything you need to forgive yourself – do so, gently, without judgment.
• You might also do it with the whole world – bring it to yourself, to your heart and wish Everyone well sharing your loving kindness, love and healing.

note: painting by Allan Darrow.