The waves of laughter, joy, authenticity, and trust continue to ripple though our lives and communities.

TaKeTiNa founder, Reinhard Flatischler, and us senior teachers-in-training (Tania Bosak, Justine Bristow, Andreas Wittwer, Sabine Bundschu, and myself) really enjoyed our time with you.

The foreign teachers especially remarked how wonderful “the Americans” were. Most information about America comes from news and movies, so it was refreshing for them to see the softer side of us.

With joy and celebration of rhythm, music, and life,
James Word

Clear instructions are given so that anyone can follow. The unique process allows for both beginners and advanced musicians to learn side-by-side, at the same time, and at their own pace.

When the group is ready, a musical conversation begins. The leader and group explore rhythmic and musical possibilities related to the underlying rhythm. Individuals are encouraged to go in and out of rhythm, to learn how to most effectively enter the flow of rhythm and music.

Each experience starts softly, gradually rises to a crescendo, and eventually fades into silence. Time is reserved for relaxation, integration, and discussion.

People tend to experience a variety of primary benefits like rhythm and music skills, as well as secondary benefits, like relaxation, freedom from old thought patterns, and the integration of brain hemispheres. What participants discover while they learn about rhythm and music tends to create positive effects in other areas of their daily lives.

TaKeTiNa is used worldwide in music conservatories and universities, research and therapy centers, and in corporate teams, individual sessions, and group seminars.

TaKeTiNa was developed over 40-years ago by world-famous, master percussionist Reinhard Flatischler. Reinhard and his wife, Cornelia Flatischler, continue to develop and refine the TaKeTiNa learning process.

“When I let go of what I am,
I become what I might be.”
Lao Tzu (~500 BCE)

Lao Tzu’s wise words ring true. They inspire us to look for something bigger than ourselves, something that society, education, and identity cannot provide: a sustainable connection to the living network.

The living network is not ruled by ones and zeros, or born of wires. It is the original network. It has always been, right here, right now — right before you. Learning how to stay connected to it is important.

Babies are constantly connected to it. Every sight and sound, motion and reaction informs them about who they are, and how they relate to their surroundings. We love to watch babies interact with their environments. We are amazed by their abilities to be in the moment. Their unhindered explorations give us a sense of awe.

Neuroscientists discovered that babies don’t really think. Their pre-frontal cortex is not yet developed, yet they fully experience themselves and their environments. Without a thought, they use their bodies to explore their worlds, absorbing every detail. Their explorations help to form their developing nervous systems.

As adults, our brains have already made sense of the world. We have associated thousands of causes with effects. We have learned which behaviors create certain outcomes. In essence, we have developed our identities, a necessary first step to becoming an adult.

However it is only a first step. Identity alone can create problems. Our identified thoughts and beliefs that once served a purpose become useless over time. Like a broken record taking up the airwaves, old thoughts keep us from hearing new information.

As adults we must take baby steps towards a more holistic understanding, and achieve interdependence.

Interdependence is the integration of our baby ability to be constantly connected to the moment, and our adult ability to make sense of previous experience. Like an expert jazz musician that knows music theory inside and out, yet lets go of thinking while playing, we too can learn how to let go and “let it rip,” using all of our understanding to spontaneously respond to the flow of the moment.

Rhythm has some special powers that can teach us how to develop these abilities. First it calls us, like our heartbeats, to the present moment — pulse after pulse. In order to sense rhythm we must sense ourselves — in the present moment.

Rhythm flows in the same time-space as thought. This means that it is impossible to be lost in an old thought while sensing rhythm. In the time it takes you to think a self-centered thought, you could instead be in rhythm — in rhythm with a drum, or in rhythm with your life as it plays out.

Once you are in rhythm, you are no longer held prisoner by old thoughts. You are free to creatively interact with your environment, while expanding your understanding of it. You gradually develop more spontaneous acting and thinking — and begin to integrate yourself with the living network.

You can recreate yourself. This is what Lao Tzu meant when he said, “I become what I might be.” 2,500 years later, Gerald Hüther, a neuroscientist from the University of Göttingen, writing about the effects of TaKeTiNa, wrote something similar:

“When one loses the ‘self’ and all
that is connected to it, one is
reunited with the authentic self.”

Come experience TaKeTiNa, and become what you might be.

Image credits:
Lao Tzu: asia-pictures.net
Baby: freedigitalphotos.net
Drum Image: nuchylee @ freedigitalphotos.net
Idea go: freedigitalphotos.net

It may surprise you that rhythm can be soothing. People usually associate rhythm with loud drums. That was my first experience with rhythm. I banged my first drum kit until my ears rang. Later when I played in an African drumming ensemble, my ears rang after every session. The energy was high, but the experience was certainly not soothing.

When I first encountered TaKeTiNa, I was shocked by how relaxing it was. There was a lot of energy in the room, but the sounds were rich, pleasant, and soothing.

A large drum in the center produced deep, velvety vibrations. It was softly played, and I could feel its low frequencies in my hands and feet. It felt like a sonic massage. The leader’s instrument was full of rich and bright overtones. It was a Brazilian instrument called a berimbau. The sound of the berimbau instantly carries people into deep relaxation.

The in-tune-ness of the instruments and their rich overtones enhanced the voices of the group. We sang rhythmic phrases, in call-and-response with the leader. I had never sung before, but it somehow felt natural and effortless. The group was full of beginners, but somehow sounded like a relaxed, groovy choir. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard.

Even during the high energy moments, I could relax. Each rhythm we explored would crescendo to an apex and then gradually fade into a deep silence, creating space for personal reflection and meditation.

Today as a TaKeTiNa teacher, I love that this process is both energetic and relaxing. It literally guides our brain waves while soothing our nervous systems. One rhythm at a time, it heals us with the soothing sounds of TaKeTiNa.

Natural leadership in action during the TaKeTiNa process.

Eleven years ago, when I participated in my first TaKeTiNa workshop, I was impressed by the natural leadership that was used to guide the group. The founder, Reinhard Flatischler, was gentle and genuine, and always seemed to know what the group required at any moment. When people shared their experiences or asked questions, he listened with compassion and responded with wisdom.

Today, after a lot of training and experience leading groups, it is clear to me that there is something inherent in the TaKeTiNa process that requires gentle leadership. And that’s an exciting fact. It is as if the TaKeTiNa process is taking care of itself, and that care extends to each participant, and each community.

When you participate in this rhythmic process, you quickly begin to realize that you are your own leader. TaKeTiNa teaches you how to lead yourself and others with wisdom and compassion. The lessons learned during the process become powerful metaphors that facilitate positive transformations in your relationships and communities.

TaKeTiNa is a fusion of rhythm and process: ancient wisdom and modern research for the concerns of the modern world. One of the main gifts it has to offer is the way of natural leadership.

Deep Breath by Weidner www.listenforjoy.com

The same deepening effect can be achieved by doing TaKeTiNa before Breathwork. Breathwork is a gentle-yet-powerful healing modality where participants actively breathe for a period of time in order to let go of past traumas, discover new ways of being, and detoxify the body.

We will begin with approximately 1-hour of TaKeTiNa, from 5:30-6:30, then continue with approximately 1-hour of Breathwork. Prepare to reach your depths, and feel incredibly alive!

The Breathwork session will be facilitated by Mary Gaetjens and Jeri Lawson, two very experienced, gentle, and wise practitioners. One of the reasons why I feel that TaKeTiNa is a good fit with them, is because they choose to omit the “heavy psychological processing” aspect that many Breathwork sessions tend to impose. Mary and Jeri’s philosophy (like mine) is in perfect alignment with TaKeTiNa: We facilitate with a gentle approach that allows people to go deeply into their own experience, in their own way. Individuals are free to share their experiences with the group, or to keep them private.

About Jeri Lawson:
Jeri Lawson is a ClarityBreathwork Practitioner and Healing Touch Practitioner with a private practice in Oakland, California. She is a graduate of Psychic Horizons Clairvoyant Program in San Francisco and a graduate of The National Holistic Institute in Emeryville. Jeri has studied Shamanism, Yoga, Dreamwork and Hypnotherapy. She has experienced Clarity Breathwork as a direct connection to spirit and loves holding space for others. She finds group Breathing circles to be extremely powerful for individual transformation and planetary healing.

About Mary Gaetjens:
Mary went to doctors, osteopaths, neurologists, physical therapists and surgeons looking for relief from injuries resulting from a near fatal accident. The ultimate recommendation was a lifetime prescription for pain medication and operations that might leave her paralyzed. She opted for constant pain and postural anomaly until February of 1996 when she began to discover natural healing alternatives. She now practices the techniques that yielded the greatest results. She is multi-cultural and has studied with healers worldwide to essentialize wisdom from a broad family of cultures. Her passion is to re-awaken and re-member peoples’ natural ability to heal and restore themselves to the full potential of their vital energy so that they can live active healthy lives in harmony and peace.

TaKeTiNa is accessible and engaging for any level of ability.