There is a general consensus that Rock ‘n’ Roll is dirty, ugly, full of sex and drugs. To a certain extent it’s true. Neil Young wrote in his song, ‘Hey, Hey, My, My’, that “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” More than a few musicians have taken this approach. But you would be surprised at how many have taken a different approach.
Rock ‘n’ Roll is not an easy life… I’m not complaining though. I’m just saying… it’s long nights of recording your music, marketing yourself on the internet, photo shoots, playing out, getting feedback (good and bad) and sometimes you’re playing in front of the bartenders and the kitchen help. It can be demeaning. But on the same note its the best high you could ever experience, standing on a stage, pouring your heart out and connecting with others. Nothing beats it in my opinion. What most fans don’t see is the guy sitting on the tour bus at the end of a show, or in most cases… a van, by himself trying to unwind after such an explosive experience. And most of us have day jobs that we go back to where you aren’t on stage anymore. You’re sitting in a cubicle where nobody that you work with has a clue what you were doing the night before and you are sleep deprived and still trying to unwind. It gets depressing for a lot of us. How do we cope? Again, a lot cope with sex, drugs or alcohol, or all of the above. For me it’s Reiki and Cycling. When I’m not doing either of those I’m a bear to be around. I have to force myself to do them. Get away from the computer for a a bit and get the endorphins going.
Being a Reiki Practitioner has helped me immensely. I consider myself a spiritualist, a seeker of higher knowledge… but when I was first approached with the idea of Reiki I thought it was bullshit quite honestly. When I got my first attunement (Level I) I would practice with my partner at the time. I didn’t buy it… yeah, my hands were tingling a bit, but was I just making that up in my head? Well… as time passed I got my second attunement (Level II) and started experimenting on others. Now my hands are on fire even at the mention of Reiki, like now as I’m typing this to you. I’ve done distance healings where I wouldn’t ask them what was wrong. I didn’t want to know. But when I would get the callback from them and they told me what they felt I knew there was something to this energy work. Reiki works. And knowing that Reiki works helps me to believe that there is more out there than we can see. It has helped me feel better about myself, and its another ‘tool’ for me to use other than cycling alone. I meditate more now and I am calmer.
This gave me an idea!
I’ve decided to start a collective of Rock Musicians and fans that are Reiki Practitioners, Massage Therapist, Yoga Instructors, healers, etc. out there to have their own community where they can share their experiences, share their craft, market themselves to a specific community and help grow it. It’s in the beginning phases as the moment. It’s just an ‘idea’ right now really. But I’ve put together a webpage and a facebook page. If you’d like to get involved with it, hit me up.
The Reiki Rocker Facebook Page
Peace,
D
