March/April 2003 Living Now
Ta Ke Ti Na
A New Paradigm for Learning Through Rhythm

For our ancestors, rhythm was indispensable. Pulling fishing boats on land, pounding grain, weaving - all of these tasks could be accomplished more easily if the movements of the participants were coordinated in a natural rhythmic flow.

In these cultures, a rhythmic process was integrated into daily life from early on. A process that everyone was part of, a process that bound the community together and encouraged personal as well as collective evolution. This process stimulates the senses, strengthens primal power, and provides moments of deep inner silence. At these times, not even desire stands between us and the moment. Our core being begins to surface and the chatter of our constantly shifting thoughts fades into that deep silence, inviting a state of profound fulfillment – a state that reminds us of being in love.

Whether you are experienced with the power of rhythm, a man or a woman, a spiritual student or an agnostic – this process creates a path on which you encounter such questions as: "Who am I?" or "Why am I here?" These questions transcend the ego and connect you to a "bigger picture." They expose you to a deeper sense of the concept of "knowledge." Without these questions, knowledge remains a meaningless collection of information.

So then, how can we feel more connected to rhythm in our modern world? On the one hand, we are constantly surrounded by rhythm, an irresistible primal force in our life. Yet, the mind set with which we grew up – the one that downplays forces that are not easily accessible and comprehensible by our rational minds – tempts us to ignore rhythm and deny its affects on our lives

Reinhard Flatischler discovered through the story of "The Buddha is My Refuge" by Gustav Meyrink, that rhythm is a power that unites all things. Flatischler began his own journey into rhythm at the age of four on the keys of the piano. By the time he was 15, he had become an international performer as a classical pianist. An illness at age 14 almost caused him to lose his eyesight. However, the constant pulsation he felt while lying in his hospital bed returned him to his earliest childhood experiences playing the drums. That, and his memories of a concert by Ravi Shankar and Ustad Alla Rakha he heard while traveling in India with his parents when he was eight, motivated him to learn the drums.

And by the time he was 15, Reinhard had taken off in search of the foundations of rhythm, the rhythmic archetypes that cut across cultural and geographical boundaries. He immersed himself in the cultures that surrounded the drum in Korea, India, Africa, and Brazil studying intensely. This led him to develop the system of Ta Ke Ti Na.

Flatischler observed that a common bond existed between the rhythms of diverse cultures. However distinct the drumming specifics in India, Korea, Brazil and Africa might be, there remained an underlying unity, which Flatischler formulated as a "unified field theory" of rhythm.

Ta Ke Ti Na can be described as a system for reawakening people to their natural rhythmic sense. With workshops based on this system, he says, "I want to be able to lead people back to their own primal rhythms, their own inner rhythms. And, in that way, to their own inner being."

" Rhythm archetypes are a mirror of natural laws and our being," he continues. "Primal rhythmic knowledge is passed down through all the generations. We’ve never actually lost access to rhythm…it can be awakened and nourished in you at any time."

The Ta Ke Ti Na process gives an opportunity to experience rhythm directly. Connection with the "inner teacher" can lead into self-responsibility, into freedom, and towards deeper meaning in life.

(Contributors: David N. Blank-Edelman, Robert Hicks, Niki Doering and the Ta Ke Ti Na Institute)

Reinhard and his wife and partner, Cornelia will perform together at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 27 at 8:00 P.M. Join us for a magical example of what the male energy balanced in complete synergistic harmony with the female energy looks like through the play of drumming. A lecture and group rhythm experience will follow.

The Flatischlers have been coming to Portland from Vienna, Austria for over 10 years with their unique program and teaching method. They will be in Portland once again during the month of March for an on-going student program as well a 3-day workshop.

Concert/Lecture: Thursday, March 27, 8:00 P.M.
Workshop: Friday-Sunday, March 28-30, 10:30 A.M.-6:00 P.M.
Portland Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland
Contact: Niki Doering: 503-246-4238 or ndiam@hotmail.com