Tanka Poetry Meditation Workshop

In this blog I will share how Tanka Poetry Meditation emerged in my life, as well as what to expect in a Tanka Poetry Meditation Workshop. Scroll to read the section that most resonates with you, but first let me share a Tanka Poem that I wrote about Tanka Poetry Meditation:

High School Japanese Class

My love for Japanese culture took root when I decided to take Japanese as my foreign language in high school. In the three years that I studied the language, I not only learned the intricacies of writing kanji and speaking Japanese, I learned about the culture. 

Learning Japanese in high school (though I can only speak a few words over 20 years later), opened me to gravitating towards anything Japanese as I built my life and embarked on my healing.

Reiki Master in Training

When I learned that Reiki originated in Japan as an energy healing technique to promote stress reduction and relaxation, I was so excited to continue my study of Japanese culture.

My journey has taken me to becoming a Reiki practitioner and continuing my studies as I work to achieve my Reiki Master certification in a few months. 

My mission is to empower all those who wish to have the education and practices to infuse Reiki into their daily lives to bring balance and energy to the world.

In order to do this, my personal practice and learning continue each day, and I am always seeking opportunities to merge my life with this work.

An amazing opportunity arose when I was looking for a workshop to expand my knowledge and deeply connect with my best friend on his 40th birthday in Milwaukee this past Fall.

From Student to Teacher

I found a Waka Poetry Meditation Workshop that a Reiki Master, Cassandra  was teaching at a beautiful metaphysical shop, Angelic Roots.

Through this workshop, I learned about Waka Poetry and how to incorporate it into meditation. 

In addition to the learning on Waka Poetry, Cassandra gave an overview of the foundations of Reiki and during our meditation, came around to give Reiki to each participant. This inspired me to expand on this format when teaching my own workshop.

This experience propelled me into the practice of Waka Poetry Meditation and researching more on Waka and how I can incorporate it into my teaching. 

I quickly realized that I needed to create my own workshop to spread this amazing gift to others, and work towards my mission of empowering others in infusing Reiki into their lives for balance and energy.

Learning and Creating

As I did my own research, I learned that ‘waka’ translates into ‘poetry’. The format of poetry that I was practicing and loving, historically, is called ‘tanka’, which translates to ‘short’.

When I felt the calling to create my own workshop, I played with the idea of calling it a ‘Tanka Waka Meditation Workshop’. 

Although ‘Tanka Waka’ translates into ‘short poem’ – it reminded me too much of something I might have heard when enjoying Fraggle Rock as a child. (Fun Fact: I just discovered that there is a Fraggle Rock revival scheduled for January 2022!)

So I landed on ‘Tanka Poetry Meditation Workshop’.

What to Expect in a Tanka Poetry Meditation Workshop

This workshop is designed to not only teach you about the history and structure of Tanka Poetry, but gives you an opportunity to expand your creativity. 

Tanka is short and structured similarly to a Haiku, making it accessible to everyone – even those who are feeling a little rusty in the creativity department.

The beauty of this workshop is that it brings both relaxation and balancing. This comes from stepping safely beyond your ‘comfort zone’ and getting into the zone of creative expression.

As a licensed, veteran teacher, I always ensure that my students feel supported. I have designed the workshop to provide scaffolded structure to provide poems or poetry starters to ensure everyone feels successful.

We go beyond the exploration of Tanka by diving into the topic of meditation and making it accessible to embed into daily life.

This includes infusing some Reiki techniques that participants can use, even without being formally Reiki trained and attuned, to bring energy and balance into their meditation and life.

Attend a Workshop

I have created two formats for this workshop – in person and online.

Eventually I plan to teach the workshop in person and have students sign up to attend, but for now, I am booking it as a type of ‘private party’.

We learn best together and the energy of sharing personal development with your ‘people’ is powerful.

Currently, in-person workshops are being booked by a host who welcomes her friends into her home or designated space. Then I come in to guide the group in a two-hour workshop.

Each participant gets a beautiful, bound workbook to learn from in the workshop and continue the work beyond the time together.

The online format provides participants with two-one-hour sessions from the comfort of their own home.

My first pilot of this format is Monday, 12/13/21 and Wednesday 12/15/21 from 7- 8pm. 

You get an electronic version of the workbook and the same amazing outcomes of the in-person workshop.

Contact me to see if space is available in my next online workshop, or to book your own Workshop for a party with your people.

You can email me at robinswellnest@gmail.com and connect with me on Facebook and Instagram.

Or you can book a consult call to discuss more details here.

Hoping to see you in a workshop to empower you in relaxation and energy balancing soon!

With love and light,
Robin