Drumming As Medicine

One to One Drum Assisted Mentoring, Journeying and Personal Energy Exploration.

To Book a Session Contact: sue.spiritunleashed@gmail.com
Time: Depends on the type of session
Cost: Pay as you wish

I was first introduced to the frame drum over 20 years ago. I loved the sound, the way it resonated deep in my being. When I listened, I felt more relaxed, calmer, more centered and connected to my inner being. A kind of remembering something that had become buried or lost. However, I thought it wasn’t for me as I wasn’t musical! In my normal way at the time, I went looking for a teacher or course I could go to LEARN. I was clearly shown that this was not the route for me!

Fast-forward and I realized there was nothing to learn, just a leap of faith to play and engage with my drum as a living sacred being. From the beginning I found that the drum and her rhythms played me. It took time as we got to know each other and how to meet in harmony and curiosity.

For the drum journey sessions, whether group or individual, there is a shamanic structure, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. A container for the journey. When I drum for an individual the drum knows what is needed and I drop into the space of purity and love and my drum plays me. I have a few drums and the client, or the drum, chooses who wants to come and play in that moment. Now, my hope is that I can enthuse and encourage as many people as possible to find their own medicine with the drum.

A little bit of history from: When The Drummers Were Women by Layne Redmond The Shamans Drum (page 39 – 40)

In most historical forms of shamanism, the sound of the frame drum generates the trance state in which the shaman travels back and forth among the three realms –  the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. The interconnectedness of these realms is universally represented by the Tree of Life, which is rooted in the underworld, bears fruit on earth and reaches with its topmost branches into the heavens. This central image of shamanism figures prominently in the myths of Inanna, great mother goddess of Sumer, in the early cultures of Indus Valley and Egypt, it also represented the spinal column, the channel through which divine energy travelled in conscious-raising techniques. The continuing beat of the shaman’s drum maintains the link with everyday reality so the shaman can safely return to the earth realm of the living. The drum is not only the voice of the earth but also the voice of the shaman’s power animals.

The science aspect is that Shamanic Drumming primarily affects brain waves by inducing entrainment, where the brains electrical activity synchronizes with the rhythmic beat (3 – 7 hz). This process slows brainwaves down moving the listener from alert beta states into relaxed meditative alpha or deep theta wave states. This shift facilitates deep relaxation, calm and shamanic trance states.

Sohie Messager states the following in her book: The Beat Of the Drum on brain waves:

Our brainwaves normally oscillate between five states: Gamma waves – these are linked to higher cognitive function, such as learning, memory and perception. Bete waves – these are associated with focused awareness, problem solving and active thinking. Alpha waves – these occur during Relaxed wakefulness, light meditation and when the mind is calm but alert. Theta waves – these are associated with deep relaxation and meditation, light sleep and dreaming (the betwixed and between) Delta waves these occur during deep, dreamless sleep and in deep meditative states.

In his online course. Beyond Shamanism, drummer Jeff Strong shows live recordings of the electroencephalograms (EEG) of people who are listening to drumming tracks and/or meditating. When people are already meditating, their brainwaves are often in alpha. He then adds a shamanic drumming track, and you see their brainwaves almost instantly dropping down to theta, which is a much deeper meditative state. Fifteen studies have shown that RMM (rhythm -centered music making) has led to improvements in anxiety, depression, anger, stress, mood, self-esteem and motivation. Review paper by Yap et al. Drumming can also support nervous system regulation.

Drumming as Medicine
This is a moment to reconnect with your true self, which may have been forgotten amid life’s distractions. Engaging in drumming, or listening to drum rhythms, elicits a beneficial physiological response by facilitating the body’s transition from the sympathetic state of fight or flight to the parasympathetic state of rest and digest. This mechanism is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced and high-stress environment. Having access to such an effective and accessible tool for self-regulation and support is truly wonderful.

To Book An Individual Session Contact: sue.spiritunleashed@gmail.com
To See the Dates for the Drum Journey Circle Go to: Drum Journey Circle.