Getting Rhythm

Today I’d like to share with you a super easy and awesome drumming practice on the rhythm of EARTH.

“Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God.”
—Lionel Hampton

Repetitive use of sound, music, and body movements are some of the oldest “forms” of practicing contemplative meditations while in action.  Drumming is one of the practices that combines all of them into one.  I LOVE drumming! 

I have been a percussionist since elementary school.  I didn’t really understand the impact drumming has made on my healing journey until I started to explore shamanic healing practices and I “officially” added it in as part of our contemplation and healing practice to help me creator the container I needed to hold “bigger” emotions light anger and frustration while in a state of joy. 

While drumming has been utilized for centuries in pretty much all types of spiritual practices, shamanic practices, and in celebration ceremonies, it is more recently thanks to science catching up that it is now considered a body-based contemplation and mindfulness practice.  You can now find healing drumming circles and work in pretty much any modality from trauma work to helping boost executive functioning skills in classrooms across the world.    

So why did I pick the rhythm of EARTH?  A few reasons:

• Earth helps support our ability to feel grounded, connected, supported, nourished.
• Earth balances and supports our system to help release worry and doubt
• Earth unlocks our ability to shift into a felt sense of connecting with trust and faith.

So how does drumming work?

We are going to have a dive deeper into WHY and HOW drumming works for healing in an upcoming episode of “Connecting with Joy” from our guest Toby Christensen, but in the meantime let me give some quick highlights. 

The repetition in the movement and sound of a steady beat requires mental and physical focus at first.  This focus shifts the drummer’s state of consciousness out of monkey mind mode and into body awareness.  Once focused consciousness drops into the body, our mind releases further and it opens up a new state of expanded state of consciousness that allows our body to start to share, move, and step into the healing state 

There have been studies that link the healing brain wave states to drumming.  Natural “killer cells” in our body start to increase after just 30 minutes of drumming a repetitive rhythm.   Once drumming we start to unlock and change our relationship with what is connection and control.  Our body starts to move in the flow of the rhythm and naturally begins to release that which is no longer serving it, especially if you bring an intention to practice.  Okay, I can keep going on this but I’ll save it for later ☺

Let’s get drumming!

I hope you enjoy this little EARTH rhythm! May the rhythm help restore and boost your own natural rhythm, connections, and joy! 

Mindful Tip: Trust your body to move intuitively and playfully, if you miss a beat, no worries!  That is the mindfulness skill at work, simply notice laugh it off and jump back in. 

If you feel called, record your own little EARTH rhythm video and share it – the more we can connect and support through collective joy right now, the better!

Sending light and love,