Origins of Rutanda

In 1990, Era Martin began to undertake a spiritual practice under Takenori Sera while residing in Japan. Ten years prior to her arrival in the Far East, Mr. Sera had experienced visions (both visual and auditory) informing him that a Western woman would come to him, and he would spiritually guide her one-on-one in every aspect of his Eastern knowledge and wisdom. She would be the only person to receive such intensive and extensive spiritual training from him, very much like ancient, traditional Asian teacher-student relationships. He began ringing a bell and praying daily to meet his apprentice.

In 1982, while residing in Cairo, Egypt, Era developed a strong desire to live and work in Japan. When she finally reached Hiroshima in 1990 after residing for several months in Tokyo, they met in a dilapidated, post-war-built Koshinji Temple across the street from Peace Park in Hiroshima and began to develop their relationship. He came to realize through spiritual signs that she was the individual he was waiting for.

Era’s spiritual awareness and sensitivity expanded under Takenori Sera’s extensive guidance in Japan for eleven years. While meditating in her small, Japanese mountain home in 1998, she found herself moving her physical body, and could feel the qualities of profound compassion, strength, steadfastness, along with a solid base of wisdom. In months to follow, a voice clearly spoke to her in the right ear to move from one pose to another, creating two sets of movements – one symbolically expressing feminine qualities and the other representing masculine ones. Meanings to each pose and their connection to each other as idealistic life stories intuitively entered the top of her head like a rushing waterfall.

After Era explained and performed the two sets for Takenori Sera, he obtained the name “Rutanda” while sitting in meditation along with the overall meaning of this organized system of exercises. And it became understood that this practice has evolved over the centuries according to the needs of people at particular times. This ancient, yet timely practice is offered out of pure compassion.