JC Music & Wellness Blog

One of my FAVORITE quarterly gigs is providing drum circles for Camp R.O.B.I.N., of old Bridge, New Jersey. There is not a time that I present there were I don’t look forward to it, and there is not a time when I don’t feel incredibly uplifted after presenting. I simply love this organization and this group.

“Several years running I was asked to facilitate a drum circle for Salisbury Behavioral Health out of the Philadelphia area.

Over the years, I have become familiar with and friends with many of the participants, most of whom are adults with various developmental disabilities…”

While working at Trenton psychiatric,  I have met all manner of interesting people.  Many of the people that reside at the facility, be it long term or short term,  often have some incredible skills, expansive minds, and innate creativity, and it’s rather inspiring to spend time with them. 

Ne such fella I met there I will dub,  The Spiritualist. This man was SO deeply aware of spiritual practices,  pagan theologies, and really, considerably high level spiritual practice understandings.  He and I would talk at length about astrology, lunar cycles, the pros and cons of organized religion,  and a lot about how Paganism fits into the modern world. He was always someone that I was excited to see at the Self Help Center.

I Had been practicing Reiki For Years,  I Just Didn’t Know It

In the midst of my double yoga certifications I also began attending Reiki shares,  and finding myself in the company of many practitioners. I had been familiar with the word Reiki,  but not so much the formal practice, sigils, or the history behind it all. Once I became aware of it all,  I found myself intrigued to learn and to practice more. 

In short form:  Reiki is an energy healing practice where the life force of a person or thing is able to be healed,  modified, or shifted to a place of greater love, functionality, and positivity. Reiki does not have to be a touch based practice (the laying of hands) but it also can be an effective way to deliver the healing.  It’s origins are japanese, and though such healing practices are ancient, the actual establishment of Reiki as a noted healing modality is still fairly new in the Western World.

An Unexpected Journey..

It’s been just about 5 years that I’ve been working with various special needs communities.  I didn’t set out to do this intentionally, it kind of just happened one day, and the fulfillment that it brought me was almost staggering.  There were some experiences earlier in my career that would hint at things to come, but those experiences didn’t initially fully blossom, instead they took root, and slowly developed,  and as I would realize later, they would set the stage in many ways for my future endeavors.

The Story Of Rick

One day I was walking through New Brunswick, New Jersey  doing promotion for my band Amber Blues. While cutting across a Rutgers Campus field I stumbled upon a man sitting on the steps of a building playing a guitar.