"The Frank Arjava Petter Interview"

Andalusia welcomes one of the most respected "Reiki Gurus" to Malaga Province from the 9th-17th February. "Frank arjava Petter" is well known throughout the world. He is the Author of many Reiki books including 'Reiki Fire', "Reiki, the Legacy of Dr. Usui", "The Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui", "The Original Reiki Handbook", co-author of "The Spirit of Reiki", "Reiki Best Practices" and "The Hayashi Reiki- Manual".

I recently contacted Frank and asked him a few questions prior to his visit. I hope you find his replies as inspiring as I found them.

Firstly I asked Frank or "Arjava" as he is better known, What happened in your life, to receive the calling to the Reiki path? What is your Lineage?

He replied " I came across Reiki accidentally, if there is such a thing. From age sixteen I was exposed to meditation, yoga, mysticism and the oriental healing arts. When I learned Reiki, many years later, it clicked instantly. But I did have to overcome a few obstacles. The first Reiki treatment I ever received was boring and did not touch me at all. Yet I did not loose my interest. My first Reiki Teacher, my brother, was found out not to have taken a teacher’s training himself. That disappointed me, but I accredited that to human nature, and not to Reiki. In fact, this made me hungry for the origins of Reiki: I thought it marvelous that Reiki had been used and abused in so many different ways, and yet it had retained its original purity, its essence. And this essence was what I was interested in. "

"My second teacher was an old friend, Agehanand Popat, who had learned from someone (Peter Gilgen) belonging to the Reiki Alliance. What I learned from him was wonderful, but still it felt incomplete. Five years before I met with Reiki I already lived and worked in Japan, knowing its culture, its people and its fragrance. I was married there and ran a language school. This first hand experience made me look deeper for the roots of Reiki. I knew that what I had learned was a delicious New Age cocktail. To put it lightly, Reiki History and Teaching at that time (1993) was filled with questionable “truth”. So I made an effort to research both."

After one year of teaching, one of my students “found” a ninety- year old Japanese gentleman, who was one of the few teachers of the original Reiki Society. He was kind and taught us some of what he knew, but before I could formally train with him, he passed away. Six years later, I met my third Reiki Teacher, Chiyoko Yamaguchi. She was 78 when I met her, having practiced Reiki since she was seventeen. What I teach today is mostly what I learned from her.


Secondly I asked him "What are your feelings about the way in which Reiki is taught around the world today?"

Answer: "Reiki is such a beautiful spiritual path. It is clear and simple in its essence, but so many artificial flavours have been added to it. It is time to look at what the essence of Reiki really is, and to peel of all the layers of what was added later on. Simple is Best. The reason why so much has been added is to avoid the inner insecurity, the inner lack of trust that one has in oneself. If this issue is properly addressed and solved, life can be lived in simplicity."

On a practical level Reiki is a serious healing art that needs to be treated with devotion and respect. Devotion and respect need time to grow. In Japan Reiki is seen as a way of life, a love affair with existence that never ends. I have witnessed so many healings on all levels when Reiki is practiced seriously.
One of the main subjects in the original system is to learn how to find problem areas in the body with your hands. You are taught how to increase your perception, and how to understand the body’s inherent healing process. Once you know how to do that, you can successfully treat your clients. Before you do, you are fishing in the dark.

Thirdly I asked Arjava "Do you feel there is a right way and a wrong way in teaching Reiki?"

Answer: "Absolutely. The only right way to teach Reiki is to live it. If the teacher does not incorporate the teaching into his own personal life, it has no meaning. So in a way I would like to rephrase your question.” Is there a right or a wrong man to teach Reiki?” If the teacher walks his talk, he is worth studying with. Someone whose being radiates love and compassion can teach you something- just by being in his presence. Someone whose mind and heart is filled with all sorts of junk, is better to be steered clear of as a teacher. I am not saying that a Reiki Teacher must be a saint, but the fragrance of the process of awakening must be felt in his presence. Reiki is not about curing a headache. It is about finding yourself, and not everyone can teach you that."


This week I continue with the second part of the Frank Arjava Petter interview. He arrives here on the 9-17 February and will be running workshops and giving talks about the History of Reiki as well as various Reiki healing methods and meditations. He will be conducting these in Alhaurine de La Torre.
**Unfortunately this event has been postponed until a further date..

Question: As Frank had had a good grounding of meditation and healing arts behind him, I was intrigued to know "What was the distance between you taking Reiki 1 to Reiki 2 and then furthering to Reiki Master and Teacher?"

Frank Arjava Petter replied; "Chiyoko Sensei (respected teacher) as we called her, taught Reiki One and Two together on five consecutive days. This is how her teacher, Chujiro Hayashi, taught her. Chujiro Hayashi was taught by Mikao Usui who re-discovered the Reiki Energy in Japan. She allowed me to begin the teacher’s training after two years under her guidance. Just before I finished my training
she passed away in 2003, so I completed the training with her son, Tadao
Yamaguchi in 2004."

There are so many off shoots of Reiki these days ,what are your feelings about
the many off shoots of Reiki, eg Angel Reiki, Wiccan Reiki, Rainbow Reiki
etc...

He replied, "We can do without most of them… During Mikao Usui ‘s time he word “Reiki” originally meant “Soul Energy”. I find it amazing that someone may think that he can improve upon that! As I said earlier, one reason for wanting to improve upon “Soul Energy” is insecurity. Another one is financial. Both are to be examined and let go of if you want to proceed on the path."

Knowing and understanding that Reiki helps to change a persons life for the highest good, I asked Arjava, How has Reiki changed your life?

He answered, "Usui Sensei Reiki called Reiki “ The secret art of inviting happiness, the spiritual medicine for all illnesses”. This is exactly what it has done to me; I have become happy and content with what is happening inside and outside of myself. In the first part of my life- before I met Reiki- I revolved exclusively around myself. Reiki has shown me love and compassion…"

This is Frank Arjava Petters first visit to Spain and Andalucia. so I asked Frank "What are your aims and reasons for coming to Spain? Why have you waited until now to connect with the source in Andalucia?"

He replied, "Reiki is my boat. Wherever it takes me, I go. I don’t know why the wind did not blow this way before, but I feel it in my hair now…"

Dedication to Maybritt Telefessen-Reiki Master/Teacher

I recently received a letter from Maybritt, informing me that she is now back in Norway. Maybritt was my first Reiki Master who taught me Reiki 1 and 2 levels. She has worked tremendously teaching Reiki for many years, creating a Reiki network in Spain and Norway. Teaching people to heal themselves and others is an incredible gift. Maybritt has recently been diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid, as well as a possible detection in metastases. On Tuesday the 6th of June she was admitted into hospital and on Thursday the 8th she underwent an operation. She has asked if healing and prayers can be sent to help her with her recovery. Please send the healing between 10pm-llpm.

Maybritt has made her mark in the world. A footprint within the lives of many. I feel it is important to remember teachers we have been fortunate to nave met within our lives. She has touched the lives of many individuals to bring forth a dedication to heal the human spirit. This is one of the greatest gifts that we as humans can offer. Teaching is a beautiful gift, whether teaching kids, creating their foundation in their educational system, teaching music and drama, art and expression, dance and creativity, teaching adults new skills, and so forth, as well as teaching members of the human race to love and heal themselves. I reiterate how important it is to work on the self. By stopping we can allow ourselves to become disillusioned with life. We all need to remain strong, have faith and, most importantly, Learn to Trust.

Trust is perhaps one of the hardest lessons to learn. How can we possibly trust knowing that she has given so much to the world? She helped so many people to help themselves as well as others. So why is it that the healer, the teacher, is given a burden of illness? I feel it comes down to one main ingredient. Working on healing "thyself". Sometimes we can become so focused upon helping other people, that we tend to forget about ourselves. Each one of us as an individual is important. We all have our place within the universe. Working as a healer or teacher, i feel, it is paramount to find time for the self. I feel for one, that spirit is giving her time to put her her life in a good working order before taking place once more on the spiritual path. She is being given time to heal herself as well as be on the receiving end accepting the love from others. For what we give out to the world we also receive.

Please visualise Maybritt in a healing pool. See the waters of unconditional love gently wash over her. Visualise the waters washing away pain and anguish associated with the past, Visualise all the people that she has helped to heal, sending their love to her. Visualise her standing under a waterfall. Your energy and love is the water of life. Visualise her cleansed and bathed in light. The light of Love. Unconditional love. Now see her walking away from the waterfall, dancing in a meadow surrounded with summer flowers, the golden sun shining giving her light to her life.

By Jason Ritchie

Reiki - Footsteps to Serenity

Imagine a life where you are able to tap into the Universal Consciousness everyday of your life to give you the strength to confront every hurdle thrown in your direction. Imagine learning to love and accept yourself every day. Imagine healing your thoughts, your emotions and even physical pain. Imagine being in touch with your soul.

As you connect with the Reiki energy, a whole new world awaits. Re-united with like-minded people, whom you once read about begin to cross your path opening new doorways so that your soul can further develop and discover its own uniqueness and individuality as well as its soulful path to freedom.

It is possible to connect to the Universal Cosciousness, to the energy that runs through every living thing. Would you like to experience that energy for the rest of your life?
Would you like to develop yourself?
Would you like to learn to heal the self and others as well as the world in which you live?
Do you find yourself lost, spiritually, yet in need for something, a new path ?

If you have answered yes to the above questions then it maybe your calling to re-connect with the Universal Consciousness and begin taking that all important step forward to help humanity and most importantly helping yourself.

Once you begin to know who you are, you can begin to manifest your dreams and aspirations as well as healing your fellow man. More lightworkers are needed to raise the vibrations of the human consciousness. Together we can do that...are you ready?

Reiki- An Introduction from my heart

The spiritual path is a long and winding path. Once you make the initial step on the path, a sense of knowingness and the beginning of the return "home" comforts the soul. But the voyage is often long and hard. The attraction to the spiritual path often arises when a trauma, illness, accident(or series of accidents),crisis, relationship breakup happens. The soul then needs to be replenished. Once realizing this and knowing that the material world can no longer offer or sustain the deep passion that lies within, the awakening process then begins to unfold.

The spiritual path is in no way a means of escape from every day life. It is however the return home to the self. It is the knowingness to what lies below the surface. It is the ultimate essence of the soul and the human spirit. It is a cry for freedom of the soul upon the journey of awakening to a new beginning.

Reiki is a vehical for a portal opening. A transitionary door to lead you to the first step of your spiritual journey, Reiki is the spiritual consciousness that knows all things and runs through all. It is the essence of life itself. It is also the light, the unconditional love that knows how to heal. Reiki is energy that can assist with taking you forward to the next level of consciousness. Your soul needs to be fed. Perhaps it had to take that illness or accident or relationship breakup to make you realize there was something more that your soul needed. Perhaps that was the only way you would learn to ascend to the next leg of your evolutionary journey.

Reiki is energy, unconditional love that is channeled by a Master/Teacher of Reiki arts and through the ancient art of a lineage of Master Teachers deriving from Japan (buddhist Monks) to the student.
Once embarked upon the Reiki energy opens your portal to the next evolutionary stage of your consciousness. The next stage of your personal evolutionary journey.

I have seen so many peoples lives change , so much for the better. Many now are practising either Reiki or other Holistic Therapies. Many are teachers of Yoga, Pilates or working around the world helping other people to believe in themselves. Primarily Reiki helps you as an individual. Reiki helps you to love and approve of the self. Reiki helps you to heal all aspects of the self, be it the mental, emotional, physical and the spiritual. Reiki also takes you to a place, so that you can embrace your next lesson. You may help a loved one pass to the light, you may need extra strength for a sick reletive. You may open new avenues for work opportunities that once before thought about, but now the energy helps you to make it a reality.

Everything is possible. Miracles are waiting to occure.