1. How did you first become interested in practicing Reiki?
The most fascinating, empowering, and inspiring element leading me to learn the practice of Reiki was its beautiful, healing energy that works as well for treating oneself, once attuned to it, as it does for others. Because of some major auto-immune problems, I was gratified to find something I could implement naturally and with no other cost after the class. This means I now have direct access with my own inner power to bring forth at will for pain management whenever I choose, no need to run off to this practitioner or that doctor with every ache and pain. Other profound benefits are spiritual alignment with my higher self, more clarity and intuition, less anxiety and stress, and generally a calmer, healthier sense of well-being, even though I still have a compromised physical being. My initial interest blossomed into a sincere desire to become a Reiki Master Teacher so I could pass on this ability to others.
2. What do you see as the connection between your work as a Marriage and Family Therapist and your work as a Reiki practitioner and an author/publisher?
My current career, a blend of Reiki and writing/publishing books, arose from a background as a helper in the healing process. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I mostly worked with children, teens, and families. I was the 0 to 5 (California First Five) Program Therapist at our local Mental Health Center. I loved working with families and their young children, using techniques specifically designed to enhance attunement in relationships between the child, parents, and caregivers. Increased brain development due to the mirroring of feelings, eye-contact, healthy touch, and audio communication of talking, reading, and singing often brought much joy, closeness, and, sometimes, parental reunification. A child’s first five years sets up an entire life and what happens during those years will directly effect that individual in either healthy or unhealthy attachment and brain development. To be part of positively impacting children and families in this way has been an honor. Lucky Lucky the Love Puppy; A read-along, sing-along, feelings picture book grew from this work at Butte County Department of Behavioral Health in Northern California.
Additionally, I was a play therapist working individually with children, and I would at times create my own materials. When I was a private practice intern, my supervisor, Julie Tamminga, whom I met at my first therapist job, Children’s Bureau of Southern California, immersed me in Mindfulness Training via Zen-inspired Vypassana Meditation, a technique she called “Focused Watching”, a way to observe the body while following the breath. Because creators frequently use what they know to write or explore projects that interest them, I wrote a children’s story to help children identify emotions from how their body felt inside and to breathe through the difficult times when they were feeling upset. It also touched on other issues, including grief, problem-solving, compassionate caring, and general self-soothing. I presented the story to Joyce C. Mills, MFC, Ph.D., award-winning therapy storyteller, and Executive Director at StoryPlay Center, Arizona, at a workshop of hers I attended. I was fortunate that she agreed to consult and provide endorsement for the book for ages 7 to 9 that evolved into Mindful Max and the Mental Magic Club.
Before that, earlier in my career, Julie had introduced me to Reiki, practicing her new skills on me as I was beginning to show signs of health problems. But it wasn’t until many years later when a massage therapist used Reiki, and years later still, when an alternative health NAET practitioner, Vickie Van Scyoc, re-introduced it to me and a mutual friend, Casey Fickardt-Hersch, LCSW, invited me to attend a Reiki One Class that I wanted to learn it for myself. I did not know back when Julie or the massage therapist provided me with energy healing, that if one learned Reiki, one could use it for self-treatment. I now make it a point to inform people that we all are healers and all have this ability within us, and that Reiki is easily learned and accessed.
The next writing project sprung from spirituality and a psychologically inspired imagination: a novel I’ve been writing, revising, and pursuing editing for many years, originally called Rich with Wonder, but now titled, Beaming up Rosie. The story revolves around a quirky, nearly middle-aged dentist, Rosie Rich, who has managed to suppress her tumultuous history, but is dogged by a fear of being swallowed up in a pit of Hell for her sins. She meets young, cosmic surfer-hunk, Ken Wonder, and catapults onto a sexy, roller-coaster ride of metaphysical New Age antics and synchronicities, sending her into a tail-spin of emotional and spiritual challenges, as she desperately seeks redemption while encountering this odd, sensual conundrum of Mystical Magic Man vs. Dangerous Devil’s Delighter, alternate dimensions, and layers of synchronicity where healers, psychics, mediums, spirit guides, angels, entities, occultist proponents and past lives confront and intertangle with her present-day human dramas. I plan on releasing it this year, 2017.
Lucky Lucky the Love Puppy; A read-along, sing-along, feelings picture book, is the last book I wrote and the first one I published once I decided to start Waters N Light Reiki N Books. For ages baby to six, it follows Lucky, my true-life Golden Cocker Spaniel, as he emotes various feelings through doggy behaviors. The story began as a song that fell from my lips one day as I was petting him. Another incidence of allowing creativity to unfold naturally, I grabbed my smart phone and recorded it, knowing instantly it would be my next book. I wrote the song, had it transcribed and put to piano music by Gina Trenalone, then professionally recorded it at Heirloom Studios in Chico, California. At the end of the story/song, I present questions to invite discussion with teachers, parents, and therapists about feelings. Obviously, again, it was inspired from connections in my work singing and reading to children with parents for the above-mentioned attunement and brain development process. I am super proud of all my books, but this one is the most fun as I go out in the world singing and flipping pages for children in classrooms and libraries. The kids often spontaneously sing the catchy first part, “Oh Lucky Lucky the Love Puppy”. There is a Spanish version in the works. Now that I’ve moved to Hawaii, I seriously plan to create and collaborate on Lucky Lucky Aloha Puppy, the next version with English and Hawaiian translation. I see it as an enjoyable, interactive, and effective way to introduce children to emotional education.
Note: In addition to Amazon, you can also find my work on CDBaby.
3. What inspired you to start writing and publishing books?
As you can see, my higher self, or soul if you will, compels me to write entertaining projects with substance that offer healing to others, whatever age they may be. Self-publishing is now a viable way for authors to publish with many established authors who’ve landed traditional contracts utilizing self-publishing, or combining modes for their backlist. Thus, Waters N Light Reiki N Books stemmed from a sincere desire to bring my brand to the public while retaining all rights. However, Beaming up Rosie, may branch out into the traditional world on its own journey to self-realize. I am open to that unfoldment given the right situation.
4. Do you have an intentional goal as an author to help your readers in some way?
I intend to weave meaningful emotional and/or spiritual insight into each book without preaching or lecturing. I strive to make the reading experience one that is engaging, mesmerizing, and, perhaps, thought-provoking. To this extent, I envision a non-fiction series of miraculous phenomenal events as reported by healers of all kinds in the Sublime Healers 300 Series.
5. What else would you like people reading this interview to know about you and your work?
I consider it an honor and a privilege to teach, write, and record about healing. One mission I have is to bring Reiki to as many people on the planet as possible, so I co-developed a Reiki Volunteer Program at Enloe Medical Center. I encourage others to bring Reiki Programs to their communities. I love to assist and collaborate with other Reiki Teachers, which led to creating several tools for a more effortless and engaging process, including power points for Reiki I, Reiki II, and Advanced Reiki Training (Reiki 3 Part I), a free Reiki Intro accessed at www.watersnlight.com home page or at www.learnitlive.com, a tool for Reiki Grounding in the chakras for attunements, Harp Solo & Chakra Grounding Meditation, (see below) and chakra harp to play in the background of classes, and promoting my Reiki Master Teacher, Kathy Christian’s, CD, Reiki Meditation for Self-Treatment, an awesome way to get folks immediately started using Reiki for self-care. I administer a Facebook group called Helping Reiki Master Teachers Teach. I plan on continuing to teach Reiki so many others can experience its awe-inspiring benefits. I would like to teach it ocean-side here in Maui, and, also, continue as a Spiritual Expert Instructor online at www.learnitlive.com.
In 2016, I released a CD/Download with my colleague, Rev. Dr. Katy Valentine, Harp Solo & Chakra Grounding Meditation, (also professionally recorded at Heirloom Studios) that consists of a brief introduction, a 13-minute Harp Chakra Grounding Meditation of soothing voice against Katy’s lovely harp that is tuned in ancient modes to correspond with the chakras, followed by about 40 minutes of Divine Energy Harp Solo with more chakra-tuned harp and then a couple minutes of light Celtic harp, Katy’s original composition, Swift Wind, to bring the listener back to the present moment. I, my students, and others listen for grounding, prayer, meditation, attunements, background for massage, complimentary arts of all kinds, and yoga. Available as a CDAmazon, CreateSpace (Amazon’s creative Design Department) and CDBaby, also Katy’s website: www.agapeharp.com.
As far as books and the Lucky Lucky the Love Puppy Song, and links to our harp meditation CD/download, all may be found on my website or at my online store through my website: www.watersnlight.com/books.html and www.watersnlight.com/products/services.html. My author name is Robin Waters Casper, LMFT. It will be Robin L. Waters for Beaming up Rosie.
If you wish further info or communication, or are interested in Reiki classes, collaborative Hawaii Reiki teaching opportunities, tools, publishing collaborations, or submitting a phenomenal healing story for the Sublime Healers 300 Series, please visit www.watersnlight.com and drop me a note through the contact form. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks, Robin!
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