A View Of Reiki

by Rick Bockner
 
Reiki is a Japanese practice using “Ki” (life energy) to promote health and well-being. Ki is used in various ways in many Asian arts like Akido, Tai Chi, Feng Shui, QiGong, and acupuncture. Reiki was developed in the 1920”s, by Dr. Mikao Usui.  Reiki moved to Hawaii in the 1930’s, and to North America in the 1970’s.  Today it is a world wide practice.
 
I was taught Reiki and initiated as a Reiki Master by Mrs. Hawayo Takata 30 years ago.  She brought Reiki out of Japan and made it available in the West. At that time there was not a large international Reiki community as there is now.  There were 22 people trained by Mrs. Takata to teach Reiki in the world, and from that group grew the huge number of Reiki practitioners that exist today.
 
As Reiki has spread and grown in the world, so has the tendency to explain, embroider, and improvise on the practice.  This is a natural effect of any fast growth, and to some extent is hopeful.  However, I also see a distance forming in students’ ability to get back to the fundamentals and basic concepts of Reiki, or to be aware of the elegance and simplicity that Mrs. Takata embodied in her life’s work with Reiki.  So it has become part of my work to offer my experience and knowledge of her teaching to students today.

I learned Reiki as an oral tradition.  The voice and stories of the teacher were an integral part of the process.  When a student forgot something or wished to hear it again, they were encouraged to reconnect with other students or find some time with their teacher.

This is the way our community formed and grew.  Takata told us to “let the Reiki teach you”.  She believed that with time, intention, and practice, the deeper levels of Reiki would reveal themselves. There were no books about how to do Reiki and no handbooks or manuals used in the classes.  When we got too heady about it all, she would say,
”watch my hands!” This would bring our attention back to the moment and keep us present.
 
Mrs. Takata constantly referred us to Dr. Mikao Usui’s 5 Precepts as a way to clarify out daily life and give us a set of guidelines to cultivate the “heart-mind”, as he referred to it.  They are:
 
Just for today, don’t anger
 
Just for today, don’t worry
 
Honour your parents, teachers, and elders.
 
Earn your living honestly.
 
Show gratitude to every living thing.
 
 
They are not rules, and not judgements.  They are there to help Reiki students to evaluate and align their lives when they feel the need. It is interesting to me how they begin with the personal internal perspective of anger and worry, and move from there to a broader view of the family and community, then on to how we support ourselves in
the world, finally bring us to see our place in the web of life, and our dependence on everything else.  This is the soul’s journey.  It is also the life of a human from the newborn to the grave.
 
Mrs. Takata treated herself with Reiki every day, and she applied the 5 Precepts to every action and decision.  From her initiation to Reiki as a young woman in the 1930’s as a young woman, up until her death in 1981, she grew into a fullness and awareness that Reiki supported and instructed her.  Her response was humility and gratitude for her life.
 
I am offering Reiki students in the Ontario area a workshop to explore more of the philosophy and origins of Reiki.  I am calling this weekend “Water From The Well”, and the image is about going back to source again to see, with new eyes, the simple things we can do have healthy and balanced lives through our Reiki practice.
 
We will spend the weekend in a beautiful retreat centre in Orangeville.  The program will combine discussion, daily treatments, meditation, music, and movement.  The oral tradition of Reiki is alive and well, and we will create a relaxed and intimate environment where we can learn more about ourselves, and our roots in Reiki.
 
 
Rick Bockner
 
(Photos by Phil Slade)
 
 

 For more information and registration……..
 
 
Rick Bockner Reiki Retreat  - March 28 - 30, 2008
 
 
We are pleased to invite you to a weekend Reiki Retreat with Rick Bockner.  Rick Bockner is a Canadian Reiki Master who has been practicing Reiki since the 1970's.  He was the last of the 22 Masters initiated by Hawayo Takata before she died in 1980.  Rick is an internationally renowned singer-songwriter and guitarist, and inspirational story-teller.
 
Rick will be joined on the retreat by his Dutch wife Carina Verhoeve who is also a Reiki Master.  Carina will be offering a special workshop session on "Dancing the Five Reiki Principles," a wonderful way to feel the principles energetically without the need for words.
 
Theme Outlines

Water From The Well- A Reiki Retreat With Rick Bockner
My Reiki Master, Hawayo Takata, told a parable about appreciating and focusing on what we have been given. In it she asked the question- “If you want to find water, do you dig 12 holes one foot deep, or 1 hole 12 feet deep?” She had carried Reiki with her for more than 45 years when she asked me this, and I often marveled at how she radiated strength and commitment, even in her last years.

In my own 30 years of practicing Reiki, I have come to see how knowledge comes in a series of small gifts. As we are able to understand more, we find more meaning in the things we take for granted, or think we already know.

In this workshop I will be teaching some of my approaches to keeping the glow of Reiki active and inspiring in your daily life. We will expand our definition of Reiki and what it means to live and participate fully in Universal Life Energy.

I will take you into some areas that may be new to you as a Reiki student. We will explore the importance of Dr. Usui’s 5 Precepts in depth. We will discuss ways to use the Reiki Lineage in your own practice of Reiki. We will move the focus outside of ourselves to be able to see the perfect web of energy around us every day and every hour.
I will share some of my experiences with Mrs. Takata, and her teaching.

We will make time for Group Reiki treatments every day, and will also use music and movement to bring the teachings to life and into the body. There will also be some free time for you to explore the beautiful site we will be on, and absorb what you are experiencing during the workshop.

Space is limited, so please register early to join me for this workshop.
I hope you can make some time to join me.

Rick Bockner
 
Where
The Ecology Retreat Centre in the Hockley Valley near Orangeville, is nestled among the Niagara Escarpment Hills of Mono, adjacent to the beautiful Bruce Trail and the Nottawasaga River.  Only 50km north of the Toronto Airport, the Centre is surrounded by 200 acres of natural forest, with hills and valleys, open meadows and spring fed streams, a stone labyrinth, a pond and an endless network of trails.  This is truly an unspoiled area of natural beauty in which to rediscover our true relationship with the earth.
 
Accommodation & Food
The Lodge and Bunkhouse are very camp rustic. Rooms are heated. The Ecology Centre takes great pride in offering exquisite international vegetarian cuisine. Fees include double or triple occupancy.
website: www.ecologyretreatcentre.com
 
Cost
$435.00 - Includes workshops, teachings and musical offerings with Rick, special workshop session with Carina Verhoeve, Reiki share, two nights accommodation, Fri. pm dinner, three meals and snacks on Sat., breakfast, lunch and snack on Sun.
 
Non- Residential Rate
$335.00 - Includes all of above, except the accommodation.
 
Registration
Please print off and send back the attached registration form with deposit or full payment.  
Any questions and registrations will be taken by Anne Hampson and Jennifer Walton-McCarron. 
email contact@creativetheatrecompany.com phone (905) 777-4647 (please note that this is a 24 hr voice mail only - leave your name, # and a couple of good times to call you back and we will be in touch within two days)
 
Reiki Treatments
Rick and Carina will be offering Reiki Treatments from March 31st - April 2nd.  The session will be with Rick and Carina and will cost $100 for an hour session.  There are a limited number of treatment slots available.  Please call Jen or Anne to book your appointment. Treatments will be given in Dundas, Ont. (Advance payment will be required to hold your spot.)