Tag: conduct

What We Teach

Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila’s curriculum is grounded in the learning of our basic Reiki healing. In our rigorous Level 1class, you will learn how to visualize and manifest basic healing results in the Halau’s style, as well as the healing terminology that goes with it. In our Level 2 class and above, you will learn intermediate Reiki scanning techniques and will be introduced to the three major symbols involved in basic Reiki, in concert with an introduction to crystals and grid work. Knowledge of the Hawaiian and Japanese languages is not mandatory for enrollment in The Halau; however, during the course of your studies, it will be necessary for you to learn to sing or chant (kotodama) the sounds assigned to specific energies and ritual evocations.

Performance skills are incorporated into the teaching, and your training will be based on helping you develop into a skilled Healing Practitioner.  Performing healings is an essential aspect of our curriculum:  they provide the means by which we achieve our mandate as an educational institution.  However, there is never any guarantee that as a Halau student you will be included in any healing session.  Participation in healings is based upon need and skills as determined by the Instructor.

Be advised that preparation for a ritual healing session may require changes in the class schedule, including temporary cessation of regular classes.

 

Class Representatives (Group Classes only)

Each class has a representative who will provide students with information regarding upcoming events and performances. Be sure that you introduce yourself to your class rep, and that they have a way in which to get in contact with you (e-mail and telephone, as well as address). It is your responsibility to regularly check your e-mail or the AHA website for updated class and event information.

 

How We Behave

The origins of energy healing are lost in the distant past. The ways in which Reiki is taught and lived have changed dramatically over the years; the ways in which traditional Japanese Reiki is taught differs radically from the American Reiki techniques Mrs. Takata brought to the Western world, viz., the Hawaiian islands. Despite those changes, there are still rules of behavior that govern how we are to behave in the Halau, in our classes, and towards our kumu la’au lapa’au and their kokua (assistants). Following are the formal Policies and Procedures of Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila:

 

Non-Discrimination Policy

Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Halau. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, employment, and other Halau administered programs.

 

Personal Behavior Policies

Personal hygiene and grooming are very important in metaphysical practice.  All garments should be clean.  It is recommended that you take a ritual bath prior to attending class or receiving an attunement.

Attire for attendance in all classes is the Halau uniform:   royal blue T-shirts for both kane (male) and wahine (female).  Kane and Wahine practitioners recommended to wear white loose-fitting shorts or pants.  Master-Teachers may wear sky blue robes.  Grandmasters shall wear royal blue robes.

Kane (men) and Wahine (women) with long hair must have their hair up neatly in a bun, pulled back or braided.

Please be courteous to the class. If you are running late, are ill, or intend to not attend class, please inform your class representative before class starts.

If you have plans and know in advance that you are going to miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what was taught when you come to the next class, and to then learn it.

You may ask questions, but please do not disrupt the class. Ask at an appropriate moment, preferably during a break.

If you visit on-site with an interest to join Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila, we welcome you to sit and observe one class.  If you return the following week to observe again, you will be considered a walk-in, and will be required to pay the $25.00 walk-in session fee.

Parents of students are welcome to stay and watch. If young siblings or other family members are brought to class, we do ask that they sit quietly and watch without disrupting the class.

In addition to the formal Policies above, there are also important halau protocol which every Practitioner should know of and observe:
Always show respect to your instructors and kokua (assistants).  Instructors may be addressed by the acceptable honorific or title of “Uncle” or “Auntie”, however, Off-Island students might prefer to communicate with instructors on a first-name basis or by title, as indicated by the instructor.

At the beginning of class, if there is time, all students should help clean the Halau by vacuuming the floor, preparing the Temple area and making sure everything is clean and tidy. At the end of class, all students should help to close the Halau by clearing away leftover water bottles and trash. Restroom trash containers should be emptied at the end of each class.

When your Kumu is speaking or showing an example, please keep quiet and pay attention. Listen and learn from what is being said or demonstrated. You will benefit from paying attention.

Think before asking questions. Use your own eyes and ears first; learn by observing. Learn and practice what you are taught so that you can keep up with your class.  You are expected to memorize kotodama, symbols and new vocabulary by your next class.

Always take off your shoes before you enter the heart of the Halau (it’s OK to leave shoes just inside the doorway). When you go outside, put your shoes on so that you don’t bring dirt back into the Halau.

Beepers and cell phones should be turned off unless you are expecting an emergency call (if so, please explain to the kokua before class).

Handle your practitioner attire with respect: Robes and Halau uniform are considered to be sacred garments, and should not be treated casually or carelessly.

As you continue your training, you will often hear the phrase, “ai ha‘a,” which literally means, “bend down” or “go lower.” However, “ai ha‘a” also means to “be humble,” which is a trademark of healing and an important precept defining “Aloha”. Please remember to always respect your “Healer elders,” which means not only your teachers and their assistants, but also your practitioner sisters and brothers who have more experience in this Halau than you do.

 

Kauila

When you join a new class, show respect for your classmates by remaining at the back of the class. The front row positions belong to the more experienced practitioners; wait to take a front row position until you are asked to by an assistant or your Instructor.
If you visit a class that is not your own (for example, to review your basics), remain in the back of the class. Keep in mind that you are a guest when you are not in your own class.

Try to remember to ask the kokua to help you, and not your classmates. It is the responsibility of the kokua to help you, and they will be sure to show you the correct movements.

All students/haumana start in the Basics class and will be placed in an appropriate class based on skill level as determined by the Instructor.  Please be aware that ongoing attendance is necessary to be successful in any class, as techniques are learned in progression.
It is not appropriate to share what is learned at Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila with non-Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila members, including answering questions about practitioner technique, without permission.

 

And just a few final points to remember:

The Halau is not a playground; children should be discouraged from running, yelling, or playing inside the Halau.

Practice, practice, practice! Some people find it helpful to (audio) record the class so that they can practice at home; others make note of steps and choreography. Whatever you need to help you learn is recommended. Practice is fundamental: as Kumu Lana will tell you, “If you only practice a couple of hours a week, you will practice like a ‘couple-of-hours-a-week’ healer.” Keep in mind your reasons for wanting to learn Healing, and apply those reasons as part of the discipline of learning.

Lastly, if you eventually decide that Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila is not for you, please continue to show your respect for the Halau and its Instructors:  (1) let your Instructor know you have decided to leave and why; (2) let your Instructor know where you intend to go, and if you choose to study at another school; (3) please let your new Instructor know where you’ve been studying and why you left.

 

Mahalo nui loa … thank you very much … for reading through Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila’s Student Guidelines.

We hope you will find them helpful, and we hope you enjoy being a student of Halau ‘Aha Hui Lanakila!