The Shamanic Practice of Ancestral Healing

Ancestral healing is a profound aspect of shamanic practice that has been revered in various cultures worldwide for centuries. This ancient method involves connecting with the spirits of our ancestors to address and heal emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds that are often passed down through generations. By exploring the roots of these issues, individuals can experience significant transformation and liberation from the past. In this post, we will delve into the essence of ancestral healing, its techniques, benefits, and its relevance in contemporary life.
 

Understanding Ancestral Healing
 

Ancestral healing is based on the belief that the experiences and traumas of our ancestors can influence our present lives. These influences can manifest as recurring patterns, unexplained fears, emotional blockages, or even physical ailments. Shamans or shamanic practitioners work to identify and resolve these ancestral issues to bring about holistic healing.
 

In many traditions, it is believed that ancestors continue to exist in a spiritual realm and can communicate with the living. This communication is facilitated by the shamanic practitioner, who acts as an intermediary between the physical and spiritual worlds. By engaging with the ancestors, the practitioner can uncover the source of generational traumas and help release them.
 

Techniques of Ancestral Healing
 

1. Journeying
One of the primary techniques in shamanic practice is journeying. This involves entering a trance-like state, often induced by rhythmic drumming or other repetitive sounds, to travel to the spirit world. During a journey, the practitioner may encounter ancestral spirits and gain insights into the problems affecting the individual or the family. These journeys are deeply personal and can provide powerful revelations and healing.
 

2. Rituals and Ceremonies
Rituals and ceremonies play a crucial role in ancestral healing. These practices can vary widely depending on the cultural background of the practitioner and the person seeking healing. Common elements include offerings, prayers, chants, and symbolic acts designed to honor the ancestors and seek their guidance and support. These rituals create a sacred space where healing can occur.
 

3. Healing through Storytelling
Storytelling is another potent tool in ancestral healing. By sharing the stories of their ancestors, individuals can gain a better understanding of their family history and the patterns that may be influencing their lives. This process helps to humanize the ancestors, making it easier to connect with them and heal any unresolved issues. Practitioners often guide individuals in this storytelling process, helping them to uncover hidden truths and insights.
 

4. Energy Work
Energy work is also integral to shamanic ancestral healing. Practitioners may use techniques such as soul retrieval, where lost fragments of a person's soul are recovered and reintegrated, or extraction, where negative energies or entities are removed. These practices help to restore balance and harmony to the individual's energy field, facilitating deeper healing.
 

Benefits of Ancestral Healing
 

Ancestral healing offers numerous benefits, both on a personal and a collective level. Some of the key advantages include:
 

1. Breaking Cycles of Trauma
By addressing the root causes of generational trauma, individuals can break free from destructive patterns that have been passed down through their family line. This can lead to profound personal growth and transformation, as well as healthier relationships and a more positive outlook on life.
 

2. Emotional and Psychological Healing
Ancestral healing can bring about significant emotional and psychological healing. By releasing the burdens of the past, individuals often experience a sense of lightness and freedom. This can result in improved mental health, increased self-esteem, and a greater capacity for joy and fulfillment.
 

3. Spiritual Growth and Connection
Connecting with one's ancestors can deepen one's spiritual practice and sense of belonging. It can provide a greater understanding of one's place in the world and a stronger connection to the spiritual realm. This connection can be a source of guidance, strength, and inspiration.
 

4. Physical Healing
In some cases, ancestral healing can also lead to physical healing. Many physical ailments have emotional or psychological roots, and by addressing these underlying issues, individuals may experience relief from chronic pain or illness. This holistic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit.
 

Relevance in Contemporary Life
 

In today's fast-paced and often disconnected world, the practice of ancestral healing is more relevant than ever. Many people are seeking ways to reconnect with their roots and find meaning in their lives. Ancestral healing offers a pathway to do so, providing a sense of continuity and connection with the past. Moreover, as the awareness of generational trauma and its impact on mental health grows, ancestral healing provides valuable tools for addressing these deep-seated issues. It offers a holistic approach that complements modern therapeutic practices, providing a more comprehensive understanding of healing.
 

Integrating Ancestral Healing into Modern Practice
 

For those interested in exploring ancestral healing, there are several ways to integrate this practice into modern life:
 

1. Seeking a Shamanic Practitioner
Working with a trained shamanic practitioner can provide valuable guidance and support in the ancestral healing process. These practitioners have the expertise to navigate the spiritual realms and facilitate healing in a safe and effective manner.
 

2. Participating in Workshops and Retreats
Many organizations offer workshops and retreats focused on shamanic practices, including ancestral healing. These immersive experiences can provide a deeper understanding of the techniques and allow individuals to experience the benefits firsthand.
 

3. Personal Practice
Individuals can also explore ancestral healing on their own through personal practice. This might include creating a sacred space at home, performing rituals, or engaging in meditation and journeying. Reading books and resources on shamanic practices can also provide valuable insights and guidance.
 

Conclusion
 

The shamanic practice of ancestral healing is a powerful and transformative approach to addressing the wounds of the past and fostering holistic well-being. By connecting with our ancestors, we can gain profound insights, release old traumas, and experience deep healing on multiple levels. Whether through the guidance of a shamanic practitioner or personal exploration, ancestral healing offers a path to greater understanding, connection, and liberation. In a world where many are seeking meaning and healing, this ancient practice provides timeless wisdom and a profound sense of belonging.

The Key Aspects of Shamanic Drumming

Shamanic drumming is a traditional practice used in various Indigenous and shamanic cultures around the world. It involves rhythmic drumming to achieve a range of ecstatic trance states in order to promote healing, gain insight, and communicate with the spiritual dimension of reality. Ecstasy is defined as a mystic, prophetic, or poetic trance. It is a trance-like state of exaltation in which the mind is fixed on what it contemplates or conceives. The drum serves as a concentration device, enhancing one's capacity to focus attention inward. It stills the incessant chatter of the mind, enabling one to enter a subtle or light-trance state. One of the core beliefs of shamanism is that innate wisdom and guidance can be accessed through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. Practitioners enter altered states of consciousness to experience direct revelation from within. Here are some key aspects of shamanic drumming:
 

1. Purpose: The primary purpose of shamanic drumming is to facilitate communication with the inner self and the spiritual realm. It is often used in rituals, ceremonies, and healing practices. A key objective of shamanic ritual is to engage the spirit world to effect specific changes in the physical world. The material and spiritual worlds interact continuously, and a shamanic practitioner can gain knowledge about how to alter physical reality by taking direct action in the spiritual aspect of the world. From a shamanic perspective, all human experience is self-generated because the entire universe exists within human consciousness. Each human being is a hologram of the universe. Essentially, we are the universe experiencing itself in human form.
 

2. Technique: Practiced in diverse cultures around the planet, this drum method is strikingly similar the world over. Shamanic drumming uses a repetitive rhythm that begins slowly and then gradually builds in intensity to a tempo of three to seven beats per second. The ascending tempo will induce light to deep trance states, and facilitate the shamanic techniques of journeying, shapeshifting, and soul retrieval. Practitioners may progress through a series of trance states until they reach the level that is necessary for healing to occur. When ready to exit the trance state, the practitioner simply slows the tempo of drumming, drawing consciousness back to normal.
 

3. Instruments: One of the most useful drums for shamanic work is the hand or frame drum. Its resonance and versatility make it my drum of preference. Such drums are portable, affordable, and easy to play. They can easily be held in one hand, leaving the other hand free to stroke the drum. Though I highly recommend frame drums, any type of drum may be used in shamanic drumming. There is a myriad of styles and drum types to choose from. Congas, doumbeks, djembes, ashikos, tablas, and timbales are but a few of the drum types readily available. In selecting a suitable drum, play several and listen for the drum that calls to you. You will know it by its voice. It will strike a deep chord within you.
 

4. Experience: During shamanic drumming, practitioners often report experiencing visions, connecting with spirit guides or power animals, and gaining insight or guidance. Ecstatic trance is not always what many people anticipate it to be, and sometimes there may be doubt that anything at all takes place. There are, however, some key indicators that confirm a transcendent state of consciousness. Once you enter a trance state, the rhythm or sound of the drum tends to change. The drumbeat may appear to speed up or slow down while the sound may grow louder, softer or disappear. You may experience a change in body temperature, feel energy flowing through your body, or find yourself twitching, swaying or rocking. It is not uncommon to hear sounds or voices. You may even smell specific aromas. You may see colorful patterns, symbolic images or dreamlike visions. Some people may find that they have a highly developed inner vision, whereas others may rely more on an inner voice of insight or an inner feeling of certainty. Be prepared to experience ecstatic trance with any of your senses. The key is to observe whatever happens without trying to analyze the experience.
 

5. Cultural Significance: Shamanic drums have a rich historical and cultural significance, evidenced by their use in archaeological sites worldwide. The rituals of the earliest known religions evolved around the beat of the frame drum, which originated in Siberia, together with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. Shamanic drumming is an integral part of many Indigenous cultures around the world, including those of Siberian, Mongolian and European peoples. The history of shamanic drumming in Europe is rich and varied, spanning back thousands of years. Various European cultures, such as the Celtic, Viking, Germanic, and Sami people practiced shamanism, which involved connecting with the spiritual realms through drumming, chanting, and other rituals. Shamans in diverse cultures around the world used drums as a tool for trance induction and journeying to commune with spirits, seek guidance, and perform healing ceremonies to accompany life and death.
 

6. Modern Use: Today, shamanic drumming is also used in various contemporary spiritual and therapeutic practices to promote relaxation, self-discovery, and personal growth. Practitioners have found innovative ways to incorporate shamanic drumming into various healing modalities, while still honoring the traditional techniques. One notable adaptation is the use of shamanic drumming in sound therapy. This application harnesses the sound vibrations of the drum to induce deep relaxation and promote healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. Another modern interpretation involves integrating shamanic drumming into mindfulness practices. Here, the drum serves as a tool for grounding, focusing attention, and achieving a meditative state of nonjudgmental awareness of what's happening in the present moment. Mindfulness has gained widespread popularity as a means to reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and enhance mental well-being. Shamanic drumming continues to offer today what it has offered for thousands of years: namely, a simple and effective technique for affecting states of mind.

The Role of Sound in Shamanic Practices

Sound plays a crucial role in shamanic practices across various cultures. It is used to facilitate altered states of consciousness, perform healing rituals, and communicate with the spirit world. Sound is regarded as one of the most effective ways of establishing connections with the spirit realm, since it travels through space, permeates visual and physical barriers, and conveys information from the unseen world. Sound, therefore, is a means of "relationship" as well as a "transformation" of energy. Here are the key ways sound is utilized in shamanism:

1. Inducing Altered States of Consciousness

Rhythmic Drumming and Percussion:

• Repetition and Rhythm: Drumming at specific rhythms (typically 4-7 beats per second) can induce trance states. The repetitive, monotonous sound helps to alter brainwave patterns, promoting a shift from normal waking consciousness to a trance state.
• Instruments: Common percussion instruments include drums, rattles, and clappers. Each produces a distinct sound that can affect the practitioner's state of mind.

Vocalizations:

• Chanting and Singing: Shamans use their voices to produce chants, songs, and mantras. These vocalizations can have a calming, focusing effect, aiding in the trance induction.   
• Overtone Singing: Some traditions use overtone or throat singing, which produces multiple pitches simultaneously, creating a complex sound environment conducive to trance.

Ambient Sounds:

• Natural Sounds: Environmental sounds like flowing water, wind, and animal calls are often incorporated into rituals, enhancing the sensory experience and facilitating altered consciousness.

2. Facilitating Communication with the Spirit World

Spiritual Dialogues:

• Invocation and Prayer: Shamans use sound to call upon spirits, deities, or ancestors. These sounds can include specific prayers, chants, or songs that are believed to attract or summon spiritual entities.   
• Response Mechanism: Sound can also be a medium through which spirits are believed to respond, with shamans interpreting these auditory phenomena as messages from the spiritual realm.

Ritualistic Soundscapes:

• Ceremonial Spaces: The acoustics of ceremonial spaces (like caves or specially designed ritual chambers) are used to amplify and enrich sound, creating an immersive environment that enhances spiritual communication.   
• Echoes and Resonance: Natural acoustics, such as echoes and resonances in caves or built structures, may be interpreted as the voices of spirits or deities responding to the shaman.

3. Healing and Therapeutic Uses

Sound Healing:

• Restorative Frequencies: Certain sounds and rhythms are believed to have healing properties, restoring balance and harmony to the body and mind.   
• Instrumental Healing: Instruments like drums, flutes, and singing bowls are used to produce sounds that are thought to facilitate physical and emotional healing.

Diagnostic Sounds:

• Listening to the Body: Some shamanic practices involve listening to the body’s sounds (like heartbeats or breaths) to diagnose illness or imbalance.   
• Healing Chants and Songs: Specific chants or songs are used to target different ailments, with the shaman's voice considered a powerful healing tool.

4. Enhancing Rituals and Ceremonies

Ritual Structure:

• Sound Cues: Sound signals different phases of a ritual, marking transitions from one state or activity to another.   
• Community Involvement: Collective chanting, singing, or drumming involves the community, reinforcing social bonds and shared spiritual experiences.

Symbolic Sounds:

• Animal Sounds: Mimicking animal sounds or using instruments that produce similar effects can symbolize the presence or assistance of animal spirits.   
• Elemental Sounds: Sounds representing natural elements (like thunder drums for storms or rain sticks for water) invoke the power and presence of these elements in rituals.

5. Cultural and Contextual Variations

Regional Practices:

• Cultural Diversity: Different cultures have unique shamanic traditions with specific instruments, vocal techniques, and sound rituals. For example, Siberian shamans might use drum patterns distinct from those used by Amazonian shamans.   
• Contextual Adaptations: The use of sound in shamanism can vary depending on the context, such as healing, divination, or community ceremonies.

Technological Integration:

• Modern Adaptations: Contemporary shamans may integrate modern musical instruments and technology, such as electronic soundscapes, to enhance traditional practices.

Conclusion

Sound is an integral element of shamanic practices, serving as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. Through rhythmic drumming, chanting, and the use of resonant spaces, shamans induce altered states of consciousness, facilitate communication with spirits, and perform healing rituals. The study of these acoustic practices through archaeoacoustics can deepen our understanding of ancient shamanic traditions and their enduring impact on cultural rituals and spiritual practices today.

The Key Benefits of Drumming

Drumming offers a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Here are some of the key advantages:

Physical Benefits

1. Cardiovascular Exercise: Drumming is a form of aerobic exercise that can help improve cardiovascular health. The physical activity involved in drumming can increase heart rate and promote better circulation.

2. Improved Coordination: Drumming requires the use of both hands, often in complex patterns, which enhances hand-eye coordination and overall motor skills.

3. Muscle Development: Regular drumming helps in building and toning muscles, particularly in the arms, shoulders, and core.

4. Burning Calories: Drumming can be an effective way to burn calories, similar to other forms of physical exercise.

Mental Benefits

1. Cognitive Enhancement: Learning and playing complex rhythms can improve cognitive functions, including memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.

2. Stress Reduction: Drumming is known to reduce stress and anxiety. The rhythmic and repetitive nature of drumming can have a meditative effect, promoting relaxation.

3. Mood Enhancement: Playing drums releases endorphins and other feel-good hormones, which can elevate mood and combat depression.

4. Improved Focus: The concentration required to keep a steady rhythm and coordinate different limbs can help improve focus and attention span.

Emotional and Social Benefits

1. Emotional Expression: Drumming provides an outlet for expressing emotions, which can be therapeutic and help in processing feelings.

2. Sense of Achievement: Learning new drumming techniques or mastering a complex rhythm can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of accomplishment.

3. Community and Social Connection: Participating in group drumming sessions or drumming circles fosters a sense of community and belonging. It can also improve social skills and teamwork.

4. Cultural Awareness: Drumming often involves learning about different musical traditions and cultures, which can enhance cultural awareness and appreciation.

Therapeutic Benefits

1. Drum Therapy: Drumming is used in various therapeutic settings to help individuals with mental health issues, PTSD, addiction recovery, and other conditions. It can improve emotional regulation and promote healing.

2. Motor Skills Rehabilitation: Drumming can be part of rehabilitation programs for individuals recovering from strokes or other injuries affecting motor skills.

Educational Benefits

1. Enhanced Learning Abilities: Drumming can aid in the development of language skills, mathematical ability, and spatial-temporal skills, especially in children.

2. Discipline and Patience: Learning to play the drums requires practice, discipline, and patience, which are valuable skills that transfer to other areas of life.

Overall, drumming is not only a fun and engaging activity but also a powerful tool for enhancing physical health, mental well-being, emotional expression, and social connectivity.

How to Do a Therapeutic Drum Massage

A therapeutic drum massage is a profound way to restore the vibrational integrity of body, mind and spirit. Through the natural law of resonance, the sound waves produced by the drum impart their energy to the resonating systems of the body, mind and spirit, making them vibrate in sympathy. When we drum, our living flesh, brainwaves and spiritual energy centers begin to vibrate in response. This sympathetic resonance forms new harmonic alignments, opens the body's energy meridians, releases blocked emotional patterns, promotes healing, and helps connect us to our core, enhancing our sense of empowerment and stimulating our creative expression. A single-headed frame or hoop drum works best for a drum massage. The larger the drum, the greater the resonance. You will need a partner to act as your client. The basic steps are as follows:
 

1. First, have your partner lie down on his or her back on a blanket spread on the floor of a quiet room. During the drumming, the client's only task is to remain still and relaxed with eyes closed and to stay aware of what they are experiencing.
 

2. Kneel down next to the client and hold the drum so that the lacing or open end opposite the drumhead faces the client. Most of the sound energy from a single-headed drum flows out through the opening opposite the head of the drum. By holding the drum over the client in this manner, a resonating energy current will flow readily into the client when you strike the head of the drum.
 

3. Starting at the feet of the client, begin drumming a rapid cadence of about three to four beats per second. Find the drum's sweet spot and make it sing and hum. Work the drum to build up the hum of the overtones. These are the best frequencies for healing.
 

4. Crawling along beside the client, gradually move the drum from the feet to the top of the head. Keep the drumhead parallel to the client and 18 to 24 inches above the body.
 

5. Listen very carefully to the sound and resonance of the drum as you move it back and forth over the body. It is not unusual for the drum to go flat or lose its resonance over a portion of the body that is in need of healing. When this happens, continue to drum that area until the drum begins to sing again. Let the drum do the healing.
 

6. Upon reaching the top of the head, make your way gradually back down to the feet.
 

7. Upon returning to the feet, make certain that you drum this area for at least a minute to firmly ground the client back into his or her body.
 

Standing Drum Massage
 

A standing drum massage should also be explored. Have the client stand with his or her feet parallel and about six inches apart. Their knees should be slightly bent, removing any strain on the lower back that would occur if the knees were locked. The arms should rest easily at the sides of the body. You should stand about two feet away, facing the client, and perform the basic steps of the exercise as outlined above. You will have to kneel or squat down to effectively drum the client's feet, and then gradually stand as you bring the drum up the body. It is not unusual for the client to rock or sway while being drummed.
 

A variant of the standing version can be undertaken with up to four drummers. Have the drummers stand at the four cardinal points with the client standing in the center, facing whichever direction he or she feels most appropriate. The four drummers should drum in sync as they move up and down the body. It is not necessary to move in sync, since each drummer may find that a different portion of the client's body requires more attention. Be careful that you don't overwhelm the client with an energy overload. Four drums will generate a powerful vortex of energy and move it up the body from the feet to the top of the head. This ascending surge of energy tends to give the client the sensation of leaving the body through the top of the head. It is very powerful and ecstatic--a peak experience. When the drummers reverse direction, they bring the energy back down into the physical body and help ground the client.
 

Finally, there is a very powerful group variant of the standing version. The group version works well with eight or more participants. I have facilitated this exercise with groups of up to 40 people. First, divide everyone into two equal groups--one group of drummers and one group to be drummed. All participants in the group to be drummed should stand shoulder to shoulder in a circle, facing outward. The drummers should then form a circle around this inner circle and perform the exercise as outlined above. Upon completion of the exercise, the participants in the inner circle should exchange places with those in the outer circle, then repeat the exercise. 

Allow your intuition to guide you when performing a drum massage. Experiment with different postures, tempos, and rhythms. There is no single right way to do it. Each person must ultimately go within to find his or her own way.

Healing with Acoustic Resonance

Drumming is a profound way to promote healing. Through acoustic resonance, drumming helps restore the vibrational integrity of body, mind, and spirit. Acoustic resonance is the ability of a sound wave to impart its energy to a substance such as air, wood, metal, or the human body, making it vibrate in sympathy. For example, when you tap a tuning fork in proximity to another one of the same tone, both will vibrate. Acoustic resonance is an important consideration for instrument builders, as most acoustic instruments use resonators, such as the strings and body of a violin, the length of tube in a flute, and the shape of a drum membrane. A single-headed frame or hoop drum works best for acoustic resonance healing--the larger the drum, the greater the resonance.
 

The drum is a powerful tool for healing. As we play the drum, the drum then plays our bodies. The various frequencies of the drum interact with our own resonant frequencies, forming new harmonic alignments. Through the natural law of resonance, the sound waves produced by the drum impart their energy to the resonating systems of the body, mind and spirit, making them vibrate in sympathy. When we drum, our living flesh, brainwaves and spiritual energy centers entrain or synchronize to the sound waves and rhythms. This sympathetic resonance has the following key effects:
 

1. It produces deeper self-awareness by inducing synchronous brain activity. Research has demonstrated that the physical transmission of rhythmic energy to the brain synchronizes the two cerebral hemispheres. When the logical left hemisphere and the intuitive right hemisphere begin to pulsate in harmony, the inner guidance of intuitive knowing can then flow unimpeded into conscious awareness. The ability to access unconscious information through symbols and imagery facilitates psychological integration and a reintegration of self. Drumming also synchronizes the frontal and lower areas of the brain, integrating nonverbal information from lower brain structures into the frontal cortex, producing feelings of insight, understanding, integration, certainty, conviction, and truth, which surpass ordinary understandings and tend to persist long after the experience, often providing foundational insights for religious and cultural traditions.
 

2. It releases negative feelings, blockages, and emotional trauma. Drumming can help people express and address emotional issues. Unexpressed feelings and emotions can form energy blockages. The physical stimulation of drumming removes blockages and produces emotional release. Sound vibrations resonate through every cell in the body, stimulating the release of negative cellular memories.
 

3. It accesses the entire brain. The reason rhythm is such a powerful tool is that it permeates the entire brain. Vision for example is in one part of the brain, speech another, but acoustic resonance penetrates the whole brain. The sound of drumming generates dynamic neuronal connections in all parts of the brain even where there is significant damage or impairment such as in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). According to Michael Thaut, director of Colorado State University's Center for Biomedical Research in Music, "Rhythmic cues can help retrain the brain after a stroke or other neurological impairment, as with Parkinson’s patients...." The more connections that can be made within the brain, the more integrated our experiences become.
 

4. It induces natural altered states of consciousness. Rhythmic drumming induces altered states, which have a wide range of therapeutic applications. A landmark study by Barry Quinn, Ph.D. demonstrates that even a brief drumming session can double alpha brain wave activity, dramatically reducing stress. The brain changes from Beta waves (focused concentration and activity) to Alpha waves (calm and relaxed), producing feelings of euphoria and well-being. Alpha activity is associated with meditation, shamanic trance, and integrative modes of consciousness.
 

5. It helps us to experience being in resonance with the natural rhythms of life. Rhythm and resonance order the natural world. Dissonance and disharmony arise only when we limit our capacity to resonate totally and completely with the rhythms of life. The origin of the word rhythm is Greek meaning "to flow." We can learn to flow with the rhythms of life by simply learning to feel the beat, pulse, or groove while drumming. When drummers feel this rhythmic flow, especially at a slower, steady beat, they can shift into a state of deep relaxation and expanded awareness. It is a way of bringing the essential self into accord with the flow of a dynamic, interrelated universe, helping us feel connected rather than isolated and estranged.

Combat Veteran Drummer Helping Veterans with PTSD

Abigail Edwards is a 13-year combat veteran who served in the 82nd & 101st Airborne Divisions (Two tours of duty in Afghanistan). In her spiritual work, she helps fellow veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury to self or others. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD can have an acute onset soon after the trauma, or a delayed onset in which the symptoms occur more than six months after the trauma. PTSD alters the way the body responds to stress, effecting mediators such as stress hormones and neurotransmitters.

Abigail uses plant medicine, Reiki, shakers, and her most powerful weapon--her shamanic drum--to treat victims of PTSD in Kentucky and Ohio. Drumming enhances recovery through inducing relaxation, stimulating the release of emotional trauma and producing deeper self-awareness. The aim of treatment is to reduce the symptoms by encouraging the affected person to recall the event, to express feelings, and to gain some sense of mastery over the experience. To date, Abigail has helped over 57 veterans and facilitates this healing work for FREE.

According to Abigail: "There is no better gift you can give someone than to help return their consciousness. It's an honor to remind the others of their missions on Earth and to remove the proverbial 'lint' from their astral bodies."
 
In one of her spiritual journeys, she was gifted activations and explicit directions on how to facilitate the healings for the people. The exact phrase of cosmic wisdom they shared was, "It will be like dominoes in the sea of consciousness, raising the frequency with each of the healings. HEAL THE LIONS!"
 
Abigail is a shining example of compassionate people reaching out to help those in need as they navigate their spirit path in this life. Aho!

How Brainwaves Affect Our Well-Being

All of our thoughts, emotions and behaviors are rooted in the communication between neurons. Each of the millions of neurological synapses in our brain operate on electrical impulses which create an overall frequency. The frequency (wavelength) can be fast or slow, harmonious or discordant, but whatever it happens to be will affect our consciousness dramatically. Our brainwave state affects our ability to focus and many other important functions in our lives. Knowing how to identify your brainwave state is the first step in empowering you to consciously shift these patterns as needed throughout the day.
 

There are four brainwave states:
 

Delta brainwave activity (1-4 HZ or beats per second) is associated with deep sleep. This state is crucial for restoration of the body and healing. Delta has to do with the subconscious, the place where intuition arises. 

 

Theta wave activity (4-8 HZ) reflects the dreamlike state between wakefulness and sleep. Theta rhythms are associated with meditation and shamanic states of consciousness. Theta increases creativity, enhances learning, reduces stress, and awakens intuition.
 

Alpha brain waves (8-12 HZ) are associated with relaxation, imagination, visualization and integrative modes of consciousness. This state of mind is considered a gateway to deeper realms of consciousness and is essential to well-being.
 

Beta brainwave activity (13-30 HZ) is associated with concentration, cognition, alertness, and focus. This state of consciousness allows you to make connections quickly and come up with solutions and ideas.
 

Consciously altering brainwave activity
 

People have meditated, used music, dance, and art for millennia to alter consciousness. Neuroscience research has demonstrated that certain external rhythms can cause entrainment of brainwaves. This idea has been applied with biofeedback, binaural beats, and other advanced forms of technology but it is basically rooted in the ancient rhythm of the shaman's drum. Indigenous shamanic cultures have been using rhythm to alter consciousness for thousands of years.
 

Rhythmic drumming induces altered states of consciousness, which have a wide range of therapeutic applications. A groundbreaking study by Barry Quinn, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in neuro-biofeedback therapy for stress management, demonstrated that even a brief drumming session can double alpha brain wave activity, dramatically reducing stress. The brain changes from Beta waves (focused concentration and activity) to Alpha waves (calm and relaxed), producing feelings of euphoria and well-being. This ease of induction contrasts significantly with the long periods of isolation and practice required by most meditative disciplines before inducing significant effects. Rhythmic stimulation is a simple yet effective technique for affecting states of mind.
 

The reason rhythm is such a powerful tool is that it permeates the entire brain. Vision for example is in one part of the brain, speech another, but drumming accesses the whole brain. The sound of drumming generates dynamic neuronal connections in all parts of the brain even where there is significant damage or impairment such as in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). According to Michael Thaut, director of Colorado State University's Center for Biomedical Research in Music, "Rhythmic cues can help retrain the brain after a stroke or other neurological impairment, as with Parkinson’s patients..." The more connections that can be made within the brain, the more integrated our experiences become.

Group Drumming Better than Antidepressants

A study published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS) scientifically validates what so many drum circle participants have already experienced first hand: group drumming produces significant changes in well-being, including improvements in depression, anxiety and social resilience.
 

With the World Health Organization identifying depression as the #1 leading cause of disability, globally, and psychiatric medications causing severe side effects, including permanently disabling the body's self-healing mechanism, drug-free alternatives are needed now more than ever.
 

Could group drumming provide just such a solution?
 

Titled, "Effects of Group Drumming Interventions on Anxiety, Depression, Social Resilience and Inflammatory Immune Response among Mental Health Service Users," UK researchers enrolled thirty adults who were already recipients of mental health services but were not receiving antidepressant medications in a 10 week program of drumming versus a control group of 15. The two groups were matched for age, sex, ethnicity and employment status. The control participants were informed that they were participating in a study about music and mental health but were not given access to the group drumming sessions. The treatment group received weekly 90-minute group drumming sessions over a period of 10 weeks. The drum group sizes were between 15-20. Each participant was provided with a traditional African djembe drum and sat in a circle. Twenty percent of the session time involved instruction and talking, whereas 80% was direct participation in music-making. The control subjects were enrolled in community group social activities (e.g. quiz nights, women's institute meetings and book clubs). Both groups were monitored for biomarkers related to immune status and inflammation, e.g. cortisol and various cytokines, to track the biological as well as psychological changes associated with the intervention.
 

The results of the study were remarkable. Significant improvements were found in the drumming group but not the control group. In summary, by 6 weeks the drumming intervention group experienced decreases in depression, increased social resilience; by 10 weeks they saw further improvements in depression, alongside significant improvements in anxiety and mental wellbeing. These changes continued to be maintained 3 months follow-up. The drumming intervention group also saw their immune profile shift from a pro-inflammatory towards an anti-inflammatory response.
 

This remarkable research opens up the possibility that group drumming may produce positive psychospiritual changes that, in comparison to conventional treatment with psychiatric medications like Prozac, support side-effect free improvement in parameters beyond symptom suppression.
 

Additionally, when one considers that the benefits associated with conventional pharmaceutical treatment of depression may actually result from the placebo effect and not the chemicals themselves, as well as the fact that antidepressants can cause severe adverse effects including suicidal ideation, the findings of this exploratory study becomes all the more promising.
 

Another important discovery here is that group drumming down-regulated inflammation within the immune profiles of study participants. Could the dysregulation of inflammation be a root cause of a wide range of psychiatric disorders and anti-inflammatory interventions a solution? The inflammation-depression link, in particular, explains how interventions such as turmeric have been clinically proven to be superior to common antidepressant medications like Prozac, presumably because of turmeric's broad spectrum and systemic anti-inflammatory properties.

Your Guide to Shamanic Drumming

I am pleased to announce the publication of my first online course, Your Guide to Shamanic Drumming, on Insight Timer. Insight Timer is a free smartphone app and online community with over seven million meditators, making it the most active meditation community on the planet. The meditation app made Women's Health and Time magazine's list of best apps. Three thousand meditation teachers publish free guided meditations, music and talks on the app. With 130,000 free guided meditations, including six of my shamanic drumming tracks to support your shamanic journeys, you can meditate on Insight Timer for as long as you want without ever paying a cent. Please note that courses are a premium offering and require either an individual purchase or an active subscription. You can purchase my course for $19.99 or start your 7 day free trial then subscribe to unlock all 1,871 Insight courses, playlists and premium features. Download the Insight Timer app here.
 

Course Description 

In this four-part audio course, best-selling author Michael Drake teaches about the power of shamanic drumming to improve well-being, promote spiritual growth and deepen our understanding of the inner self. Shamanic drumming is a form of repetitive rhythmic drumming. Its purpose is to induce ecstatic trance states in order to access innate wisdom and guidance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring and developing the true self. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self, you can find help, healing and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Drawing from 30 years of shamanic practice and teaching, Michael presents the first practical guide to applying this ancient healing art to our modern lives. Through a series of simple lessons and exercises, he teaches the basic shamanic methods of drumming, journeying, power practice and healing the earth. You will learn how to alter your state of consciousness to access higher wisdom, renewed power and untapped insight. There are no prerequisites to learning shamanic drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this course will help you harness the power of drumming. 

 

Drumming is a spiritual practice that can help us heal and restore ourselves and our communities. It is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to open the heart and connect with a power greater than ourselves. The drum is a time-tested vehicle for healing and self-expression. It can be used to address any number of health issues including trauma, addiction, depression and chronic pain. Recent research reviews indicate that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma and reintegration of self. You can listen to the introduction and read the course outline here.

Rhythm Healing

The key to understanding the shaman's world is to realize that the universe is made of vibrational energy. According to quantum physics, everything in the universe, from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest star, has an inherent vibrational pattern. The entire universe is created through vibration and can be influenced through the healing vibrations of shamanic drumming. The shamanic drum is a tool for altering the vibrational state of the shaman and/or the healee or a particular situation in the community. To put it simply, shamanic drumming is an ancient form of rhythm healing.

Rhythm healing is an approach that uses therapeutic rhythm techniques to promote health and well-being. Rhythm healing employs specialized rhythmic drumming patterns designed to influence the internal rhythmic patterns of the individual and harmonize those which are thought to be causing the illness or imbalance. When administered correctly, specific rhythms may be used to accelerate physical healing, stimulate the release of emotional trauma and produce deeper self-awareness. This technique has been used for thousands of years by indigenous cultures around the planet to treat a variety of conditions.

Rhythm healing relies on the natural laws of resonance and entrainment to restore the vibrational integrity of body, mind and spirit. In resonance, the sound waves produced by the drum impart their energy to the resonating systems of the body, mind and spirit, making them vibrate in sympathy. When we drum, our living flesh, brainwaves and auric energy field entrain to the sound waves and rhythms. This sympathetic resonance forms new harmonic alignments, opens the body's energy meridians, releases blocked emotional patterns, promotes healing, and helps connect us to our core, enhancing our sense of empowerment and stimulating our creative expression. A single-headed frame or hoop drum works best for rhythm healing -- the larger the drum, the greater the resonance.

Finding the right rhythm

A rhythm healer may have a repertory of established rhythms or improvise a new rhythm, uniquely indicated for the situation. Determining the right rhythm in each case is a highly individual matter. No predetermined formulas are given. The rhythmist needs to create a dialogue between the sounds he/she produces and the responses of the person being treated. The drumming is not restricted to a regular tempo, but may pause, speed up or slow down with irregular accents. The practitioner may stop playing altogether, or suddenly hoist the drum skyward and bang it violently, throwing the disease into the heavens, returning it to the spirit world.

Tuvan shamans, for example, often improvise sounds, rhythms and chants in order to converse with both the spirit world and the healee. The sounds produced by the shaman and the drum go out and certain frequencies and overtones are then reflected back. Information is generally received as subtle vibrations, which the shaman then interprets as sounds, images or as rhythms.

To find the right rhythm, invoke the spirit of your drum, and ask it to come to you and become your ally. State your intention -- what you desire or expect to accomplish -- in a clear and concise manner, and then sit and meditate with your drum for a few minutes. By stilling the mind, you will be able to connect with the spirit of the drum. When you feel ready, pick up your drumstick and begin to play whatever feels appropriate. When you focus on the spiritual intention or the energy of what is being played, it allows the music to become very loose, spontaneous and innovative.

I learned that when I trust my intuition to play the appropriate rhythm, which I do not know in advance, I cannot go wrong. I know that when I open up and play what I feel, the drumming is fresh, different and spontaneous each time. Rhythmic improvisation is a musical expression of the soul. It is a way to let spirit work through you for the purpose of healing and helping others.

Rhythm healing is about finding the right rhythm. Rhythm and resonance order the natural world. Dissonance and disharmony arise only when we limit our capacity to resonate completely with the rhythms of life. The origin of the word rhythm is Greek meaning "to flow." We can learn to flow with the rhythms of life by simply learning to feel the beat or pulse while drumming. It is a way of bringing the essential self into accord with the flow of a boundless, interrelated universe, helping us feel connected rather than isolated and estranged. To learn more, look inside The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming.

Experiencing Rhythms in the Body

Rhythm is a universal vibrational language. We respond to rhythm whenever we sense it and seek it out when it is not present, for we are innately rhythmic. Every rhythm has its own quality and touches you in a unique way. To experience this for yourself, try playing some different rhythms. Whether you drum or merely tap your fingers, learn to "feel the beat" by allowing it to sink into your body and consciousness. Notice how your body responds to each pattern. Keep in mind that the manner in which you play or shape a rhythm will affect your response. One of the paradoxes of rhythm is that it has both the capacity to move your awareness out of your body into realms beyond time and space and to ground you firmly in the present moment.
 

Begin by playing a steady, metronome-like rhythm with uniform time intervals. A clockwork drum beat generates a dynamic energy that is yang, creative, and expansive in nature. Dynamic energies are ascending forces that carry consciousness into higher realms. At a rapid tempo of three to four beats per second, a steady, rhythmic pattern, or "eagle-beat," will arouse and vitalize you. It creates the sensation of inner movement, which, if you allow it, will carry you along. As you continue to drum, you will become more ecstatic. You and your drum will seem to merge. You may speed up or slow down. That is perfectly normal. Shamanic trance is characterized by its range and flexibility, so don't get hung up on trying to maintain a certain speed. It can be distracting and your hands may get tired. Follow your inner sense of timing as to both tempo and duration.
 

After drumming the eagle-beat, simply relax and bathe in the sonic afterglow of physical and spiritual well-being. When the final drumbeat fades into silence, an inaudible, yet perceptible pulsation persists for a brief period. This silent pulse is ever-present within each of us, but our awareness is rarely in sync with it. Sense this silent pulse resonating within your body. You may experience the sensation of every particle in your body pulsing in sync with the rhythm you just played. This inner pulse entrains to the rhythmic pattern as soon as you begin to drum.
 

Next, try playing the steady pulse of a heartbeat rhythm. A two-beat rhythm produces a different sonic experience. The soft, steady lub-dub, lub-dub of a heartbeat rhythm has a calming and centering affect. It reconnects us to the warmth and safety of the first sound we ever heard -- the nurturing pulse of our mother's heartbeat melding with our own. According to Ted Andrews, author of Animal Speak, "a rhythm of two is a rhythm that helps connect you to the feminine energies of creative imagination, birth, and intuition." At a more rapid tempo, the heartbeat rhythm stimulates a downward flow of energy within the body. It generates a magnetic energy that is yin, intuitive, and receptive in nature. Magnetic energies are descending forces conducive to great healing, mind, and regenerative powers.
 

These two simple drum patterns are the healing rhythms I use most often in my shamanic work. Moreover, they are rhythm archetypes representing yin -- the form giving principle of energy, and yang -- the principle of life and consciousness immanent in all phenomena. Yin and yang are the binary elements that generate between them the totality of existence. A binary progression underlies the structure of reality. At a fundamental level, the laws of the universe are written in a binary code. The binary mathematical system forms the basis of computer languages and applies to nearly everything from crystalline structures to the genetic code. The binary basis of the genetic code is formed by the plus and minus strands of DNA.
 

The human experience is a microcosm and reflection of binary progression. The archetypes of rhythm are the fundamental patterns that underlie our resonant field of reality. Entraining to these archetypal rhythms, we experience them directly and discover our rhythmic interconnections. Each pattern pulsates specific qualities of energy that give inherent structure and meaning to the possibilities of being. They exist in every human being from the moment of conception to the final breath. Each human being is an integral composite of the archetypes of rhythm. Each of us is a series of rhythmic patterns summed up as a single inner pulse, the essential aspect of our being.

"The Shamanic Drum" July eBook Sale

Mark your calendar! I am taking part in the 14th annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale, taking place Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 31 2022. For the entire month of July, all of my ebooks are 50% off list price: The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide, The Great Shift, Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism and Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology. Choose from multiple file formats including .epub, .mobi for Kindles, and PDF. Click on the following link to my Smashwords author page and you will receive the 50% discount automatically by adding my books to your cart: Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale.
 

Why does Smashwords call it "Summer/Winter"? Here in the Northern hemisphere, it's mid-summer. Readers are loading their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and long-awaited vacations. South of the equator, readers are now in the middle of winter. They're ready to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a great read too! Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. They make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers and thousands of libraries. The Smashwords Store provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word.

The Rainbow Bridge

As a rhythm seeker, I spent much of my life exploring the rhythms of many of the world's shamanic and spiritual traditions. As I learned the drum ways of various world cultures, I found the same rhythmic qualities underlying all of them. Like the colors of the rainbow, each culture has its own hue or identity, yet each is a part of the whole society. Although the focus or intent differs from culture to culture, rhythmic drumming invariably has the same power and effects in all traditions. The resonant qualities and attributes of these rhythmic phenomena are universal and come into play whenever we drum.
 

The universal power of rhythm is the effects it has on consciousness. Recent studies have demonstrated that rhythmic drumming produces deeper self-awareness by inducing synchronous brain activity. The physical transmission of rhythmic energy to the brain synchronizes the two cerebral hemispheres. This shared resonance integrates conscious and unconscious awareness. The ability to access unconscious information through symbols and imagery facilitates psychological integration and a reintegration of self.
 

The ethereal rainbow arching high into the heavens symbolizes this harmonious union of intuition and intellect. In her book Voices of Our Ancestors: Cherokee Teachings from the Wisdom Fire, Dhyani Ywahoo states, "We are the rainbow, each of us. When we speak of rebuilding the 'Rainbow Bridge,' it is to bring into harmony the left and right hemispheres of the brain, to renew the flow of our intuitive mind." Regarding rhythmic stimulation, she says, "Chanting and drumming were also a significant part of the learning, balancing activity of the right and left hemispheres of the brain."
 

In his book Shamanism: The Neural Ecology of Consciousness and Healing, anthropologist Michael Winkelman reports that drumming also synchronizes the frontal and lower areas of the brain, integrating nonverbal information from lower brain structures into the frontal cortex, producing "feelings of insight, understanding, integration, certainty, conviction, and truth, which surpass ordinary understandings and tend to persist long after the experience, often providing foundational insights for religious and cultural traditions."
 

Brain hemisphere synchronization connects us to the guidance of our own intuitive knowing. Intuition reveals appropriate action in the moment for a given set of circumstances. Synchronous activity appears within consciousness as the most natural thing to do. One can readily perceive what aims are in accord with the cosmos and not waste energy on discordant pursuits. By allowing the intuition to lead the body, one attains clarity in movement. So long as one follows one's intuitive sense, one's actions will be in sync with the true self and ultimately the cosmos.

Your Brain on Drumming

Created by Pamela Lynn-Seraphine, MS. CCTP-II: www.21stcenturydrummer.com

Drumming is the equivalent of a full brain workout. It engages practically every area of the brain at once. The reason rhythm is such a powerful tool is that it permeates the entire brain. Vision for example is in one part of the brain, speech another, but drumming accesses the whole brain. The sound of drumming generates dynamic neuronal connections in all parts of the brain even where there is significant damage or impairment such as in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). According to Michael Thaut, director of Colorado State University's Center for Biomedical Research in Music, "Rhythmic cues can help retrain the brain after a stroke or other neurological impairment, as with Parkinson’s patients..." The more connections that can be made within the brain, the more integrated our experiences become.
 

The above infographic was created by Pamela Lynn-Seraphine, MS. CCTP-II. She is a trauma therapist, specialized in neuropsychology, drummer, consultant and brain-based educator. Pamela's research merges the brain-mind-body relationship of neural integration with the neurobiological underpinnings of drumming to understand its dynamics and improve holistic and integrative interventions in treating trauma and stress-related issues. She has researched areas such as the neurobiology of drumming for interpersonal trauma recovery, the biology of trauma, neurobiology of empowerment, peak performance, longevity, and healthy aging. Pamela is the founder of the 21st Century Drummer Academy--an online certification training program for mental health professionals and non-licensed professionals who want to provide neurobiologically informed rhythm-based interventions to clients as part of their professional scope of practice to help individuals heal the effects of complex/interpersonal trauma and adverse life experiences.
 

Current research like Pamela's is now verifying the therapeutic effects of drumming. Recent research reviews indicate that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self. Other studies have demonstrated the calming, focusing, and healing effects of drumming on Alzheimer's patients, autistic children, emotionally disturbed teens, recovering addicts, trauma patients, and prison and homeless populations. Study results demonstrate that drumming is a valuable treatment for stress, fatigue, anxiety, hypertension, asthma, chronic pain, arthritis, mental illness, migraines, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, paralysis, emotional disorders, and a wide range of physical disabilities. To learn more read my article on Drum Therapy.

Milford Graves, Visionary Drummer, Dead At 79

Drummer, scientist, educator and improviser Milford Graves died in his Queens, N.Y. home around 3 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 12. He was 79. Lois, his wife of sixty-one years, confirmed that the cause was congestive heart failure. Mr. Graves was surrounded by Lois, his five children (four daughters and a son), his beloved granddaughter, Tatiana, and a cross-section of students across generations who had bestowed him with the honorific "Professor," a nod to his guidance in music, botany, martial arts and metaphysics.

 

Milford Graves was Professor Emeritus of Music at Bennington College in Vermont, where he taught the power and aesthetic of Black Music as a faculty member from 1973-2012. He used his platform there to express his many ideas, most well beyond the confines of the performance stage, operating instead as a kind of shamanic artist and teacher, whose emotional and intellectual connection to traditional music he fused with scientific inquiry and study.
 

Graves graduated from the Eastern School for Physicians' Aids in the 1960s, and worked in a diagnostic veterinary lab for two years. He purchased an album of stethoscopic heart recordings during a lunch break in 1973, and its content led him to pursue the path of his life's work: He began to record heartbeats and transcribe them into music notation. What started as a rudimentary documentation on reel-to-reel tape increased in sophistication with the adoption of advanced computing technology, culminating in Mr. Graves's use of algorithms to create visualizations and sound data that plotted the human heartbeat and its varied electrical states for the purpose of healing. His discoveries led to a patent for preparing non-embryonic stem cells from a tissue derivative, subjecting those cells to vibrations from a heart sound to control the degree of differentiation into several other types of cells. He once said, "Drumming should be taught in medical school. Know your beats. There are subtleties in the heartbeat that cannot be picked up through electronic imaging," and his scientific rigor on heart rates informed a non-linear approach to playing rhythm.
 

Graves was a prominent jazz drummer and percussionist from the 1960s New York avant-garde and free-jazz movements. New York City in the 1960s was an artistic cauldron, and the ideas of freedom and struggle coursing through the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements began to manifest in an expansive view of improvisation and music-making. The avant-garde, or New Thing, loosened certain strictures and gave improvisers like Graves an opportunity for wide-open self expression, and even established artists like Coltrane seemed to be drawing from the same creative well. "Milford played how he felt music should sound related to what was around him," says longtime friend and collaborator, drummer and composer Andrew Cyrille. The music felt like a departure from tradition, and some writers derided the striking new music with withering criticism. Meanwhile, Graves was transforming the role of the drums. He viewed his holistic approach to drums as an extension of how he lived with "outside forces having less control of you, allowing you to have more flexibility, more freedom and listening to the vibrations of the earth, that nature gave you."
 

Graves also began exploring martial arts in the late 1960s. He created a new form called Yara, from the Yoruban word meaning "nimble." He followed a teacher's interest in the praying mantis as a model. He subsequently bought and released these insects into his own garden, followed their movements and developed his own martial arts study based on their natural behavior. This inspired the title of a 2018 documentary on Graves, Full Mantis.
 

When his grandmother died, in 1970, Graves moved into her modest 20th-century home at the corner of Brinkerhoff Avenue and 156th Street in Queens, just blocks from the South Jamaica Houses he once called home. He personalized the lot and dwelling with a distinctive flair, adding stone and ceramic architectural elements to the exterior structure in a playful style akin to Antonio Gaudi. He created an organic garden to promote healing arts and added a dojo to teach Yara. Inside there's murals, sculptures and drums from around the world; a downstairs laboratory includes dried herbs and botany research, elixirs, Eastern medicine texts and acupuncture practice juxtaposed with electrocardiogram machines and computer monitors. And books. Lots of books. Graves was a generous polymath who openly shared his knowledge.
 

Mark Christman, artistic director of Ars Nova Workshop, has been measuring and curating aspects of Graves' immense contribution to music, science, botany and martial arts over the last several years. The collection spent four months at Philadelphia's Institute for Contemporary Art, with a five-week pause due to pandemic restrictions. The exhibit, A Mind-Body Deal, drew more than 2,000 attendees and over 5,000 participants to its many virtual events, including a solo performance from Moran. "Milford Graves offers a perspective that isn't limited by the way we've been forced to learn," says Christman. "That linear way of study doesn't allow a mixture or mash-up of thoughts and decision-making. That's why he's adored, and people looked to him for answers."

To learn more about Milford Graves, read “Taking Rhythm to Heart.”

What is Rhythm?

Rhythm, in music, is the arrangement of sounds in time. The unit division of musical time is called a beat. Rhythm is the way that music is systematically divided into beats that repeat a specific number of times within a bar (or measure of time) at a particular speed or tempo. Rhythm is characterized by the regular sequence of opposite elements: the dynamics of the strong and weak beat, the played beat and the inaudible but implied rest beat, or the long and short note. When a series of notes and rests repeats, it forms a rhythmic pattern.

 

Rhythm functions as the driving engine of a piece of music, and it gives a composition structure. Whatever other elements a given piece of music may have (e.g., patterns in pitch or timbre), rhythm is the one indispensable element of all music. Rhythm can exist without melody, as in the drumbeats of shamanic trance drumming, but melody cannot exist without rhythm. In music that has both harmony and melody, the rhythmic structure cannot be separated from them. 

Rhythm is music's pattern in time. Music cannot happen without time. The placement of the sounds in time is the rhythm of a piece of music. Because music must be heard over a period of time, rhythm is the most essential aspect of music. Having a sense of rhythm separates good musicians from those that don't. For the drummer, rhythm is about keeping time for they are one in the same. The pulse of the drum is the pulse of time. The drummer is the timekeeper. Keeping time is the most important function of any drummer.

 
The Soul of Rhythm

Neuroscience research has demonstrated the therapeutic effects of rhythmic drumming. The reason drumming is such a powerful tool is that rhythm is rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind and consciousness. Our relationship with rhythm begins in the womb. At twenty-two days, a single (human embryo) cell jolts to life. This first beat awakens nearby cells and incredibly they all begin to beat in perfect unison. These beating cells divide and become our heart. This desire to beat in unison seemingly fuels our entire lives. Studies show that, regardless of musical training, we are innately able to perceive and recall elements of beat and rhythm.

We respond to rhythm whenever we sense it and seek it out when it is not present, for we are innately rhythmic. Every rhythm has its own quality and touches you in a unique way. These qualities, in fact, exist within each of us, longing to be activated. It is this process of internalization that allows us to access the inaudible yet perceptible soul, so to speak, of a rhythm. One of the paradoxes of rhythm is that the audible pattern is the inverse of the "inaudible matrix." Every rhythm has both an inaudible and audible aspect -- silence and sound.

Silence and sound are the two fundamental aspects of our vibrational world. Silence is the unmanifest essence of the unseen world. Audible sound is the manifest form. It is the inaudible intervals between audible beats that allow us to hear the grouping of beats in a coherent cycle or pattern. We sense the interval as the offbeat, or light element, and the audible beat as the heavy element. The drummer establishes the audible beat, whereas the silent pulse quality unfolds by itself in any rhythmic pattern. 

Master percussionist, Reinhard Flatischler, in his book The Forgotten Power of Rhythm, established that all people perceive the unmanifest essence of this silent pulse in the same way, regardless of how the drummer shapes the audible pattern itself. As Flatischler puts it, "As the inaudible part of a cycle, this pattern exists in a universal archetypal realm. The audible shaping of the cycle, on the other hand, exists in the realm of uniqueness and individuality. In rhythm, both sides unite and thereby allow the individual to make contact with the world of archetypes."

The Healing Heartbeat Rhythm

According to new neuroscience research, rhythm is rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. As human beings, we are innately rhythmic. Our relationship with rhythm begins in the womb. At twenty two days, a single (human embryo) cell jolts to life. This first beat awakens nearby cells and incredibly they all begin to beat in perfect unison. These beating cells divide and become our heart. This desire to beat in unison seemingly fuels our entire lives. Studies show that, regardless of musical training, we are innately able to perceive and recall elements of beat and rhythm.

Rhythm is the heartbeat of life. It is the primal power that unites us all. All rhythm is healing, but the heartbeat rhythm is the most healing of all. The familiar lub-dub, lub-dub of a heartbeat rhythm has a therapeutic, integrative and calming effect. This healing pulse redistributes the energy from your head into your body. It has an almost instant grounding and centering effect. Moreover, it reconnects us to the warmth and safety of the first sound we ever heard -- the steady, nurturing pulse of our mother's heartbeat. When we drum the heartbeat, we connect to the feminine energies of creative imagination, birth, and intuition.

The heartbeat is a rhythm archetype representing yin, the receptive, feminine form-giving principle of energy. Yin energy is magnetic, receptive and conducive to great healing and regenerative powers. It is a descending force that draws the energy of the original cosmological pattern down into the earthly realm, helping to align the circle of life with the original intention for the Earth. One of the commonly held beliefs in shamanic cultures is that there exists a patterned cosmological order, which can be disrupted by human activity. When harmony between the human realm and the original intended pattern is disturbed, we drum the heartbeat to bring back the balance. In harmonizing the microcosm of the self with the macrocosm of the universe, we harmonize Heaven and Earth.

Every rhythm has its own quality and touches you in a unique way. These qualities, in fact, exist within each of us, longing to be activated. It is this process of internalization that allows us to access the inaudible yet perceptible soul, so to speak, of a rhythm. There are two voices to a drum. One is physical, having to do with the drum's construction, cultural context, and method of playing. To commune with the drum's second or spiritual voice, we must be carried away by the rhythm. We must soar on flights of rapture. It is this ecstatic element that today's drummers are rediscovering.

People are again hearing the call of the drum. As we hear and respect the compelling voice of the drum, we connect with our own inner guidance, which inspires us to heal our own place on the planet. The heartbeat of the drum is breaking through our soulless scientific misconceptions of nature to a new communion with our planet. The drum is calling us to a path of environmental sanity, to rejoining the miraculous cycle of nature. Indeed, it is the voice of our Earth Mother who is speaking through the drum, for the drum echoes the pulse of her heart. Her heart is crying out to the circle of humanity to attune our hearts again to hers. May we all heed the call of the drum.

5 Proven Benefits of Sound Therapy

Calming and soothing music can transform our mood and help us feel relaxed. Similarly, a hard rock song or a driving dance beat can get us pumped up and make us feel like we're on top of the world. While there are many claims about what sound healing can or cannot do, there are certain benefits that are proven by scientific studies. Here are 5 proven health benefits of sound therapy backed up by science:


 1. Reduces Anxiety

The most common mental health problem in the world is anxiety, and women are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders as men. A 2016 University of California study entitled "Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being: An Observational Study" found that "sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood," adding that "Tibetan singing bowl meditation may be a feasible low-cost low technology intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression, and increasing spiritual well-being."

2. Alleviates Depression

By helping people express their emotions, music therapy appears to be an effective treatment for depression. Twice a week, with the help of trained music therapists, the participants in a 2011 research study (published in The British Journal of Psychiatry) learned how to improvise music using a mallet instrument, a percussion instrument or an acoustic, West African djembe drum. Study results demonstrated that participants receiving active music therapy in addition to standard care had a significantly greater improvement in their symptoms than those receiving standard care alone after three months of treatment. According to a study by McGill University in Canada, music can increase the production of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for elevating our mood and is often referred to as one of the happiness hormones, meaning it can be used to help alleviate depression.

3. Helps Patients Suffering from PTSD

Music therapy is often prescribed as a self-management technique for PTSD sufferers. A study took place from 2010 to 2011, and enrolled 40 veterans with significant PTSD symptoms, half of whom were returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. The six-week intervention, which was conducted with assistance from the Guitars for Vets chapter at the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI, consisted of veterans receiving an hour of individual guitar training each week and a weekly group instruction session. Veterans also received a guitar, along with sheet music and other supplies that they were allowed to keep after the study concluded. In the study, it was found that music therapy did in fact positively benefit in terms of relieving symptoms of PTSD. In addition, findings suggest that the music therapy was effective in reducing depression symptoms and improving health-related quality of life.

4. Lowers Blood Pressure

Among the many benefits, it's found that relaxing music and sound therapy can help lower blood pressure. Lowered blood pressure reduces cardiac risks and keeps other health problems at bay. This was also observed in the 2016 singing bowl study conducted by the University of California. This study conclusively proved that sound therapy can reduce anxiety, depression, fatigue, and overall stress levels. Stress, according to current medical research, contributes to nearly all disease and is a primary cause of such life-threatening illnesses as heart attacks, strokes, and immune system breakdowns.

5. Promotes Deeper Sleep

If you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, you're not alone and lack of sleep has got to be one of the worst feelings ever. There have been several studies that prove sound can help patients achieve a deeper sleep. White noise, in particular, can greatly improve the quality of sleep in people suffering from sleep disorders. White noise is a special type of sound signal with a full spectrum of frequencies which is used to mask background sounds. When used to promote healthy sleep, white noise helps to drown out sounds which might otherwise prevent you from either falling asleep or waking up. The benefits of sound therapy for sleep deprived patients are so widely accepted that doctors prescribe white noise machines and even hospitals use them.

5 Good Reasons to Harness the Power of Drumming

1. To ground you in the present moment: Drumming helps alleviate stress that is created from holding on to the past or worrying about the future. When one plays a drum, one is placed squarely in the here and now. The drumbeat somehow manages to anchor you while simultaneously creating a sensation of movement. Another paradox of rhythm is that it has both the capacity to move your awareness out of your body into realms beyond time and space and to ground you firmly in the present moment. It allows you to maintain a portion of ordinary awareness while experiencing non-ordinary awareness. This permits full recall later of the visionary experience.

2. To become a vessel of healing: When you drum, close your eyes and focus your attention on the sound of the drum. Become one with the beat of the drum. Allow the drum to empty your mind of all but the rhythm you are playing. You must empty yourself to be filled up by the healing power of the divine. Emptiness is the true nature of reality and the goal of all meditative practice. When you get out of your own way to allow spirit to work through you, you become a vessel of healing for others.

3. To build community through drum circles: In a society in which traditional family and community-based systems of support have become increasingly fragmented, drum circles provide a sense of connectedness with others and interpersonal support. A drum circle provides an opportunity to connect with your own spirit at a deeper level, and also to connect with a group of other like-minded people. Shamanic circles provide an authentic experience of unity and interconnectedness. Group drumming alleviates self-centeredness, isolation and alienation.

4. To access a higher power: Recent studies demonstrate that the drumming provides a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives. According to research published in the American Journal of Public Health, "shamanic drumming directly supports the introduction of spiritual factors found significant in the healing process. Shamanic activities bring people efficiently and directly into immediate encounters with spiritual forces, focusing the client on the whole body and integrating healing at physical and spiritual levels. This process allows them to connect with the power of the universe, to externalize their own knowledge, and to internalize their answers; it also enhances their sense of empowerment and responsibility. These experiences are healing, bringing the restorative powers of nature to clinical settings."

5. To achieve self-realization: Drumming facilitates the realization or fulfillment of one's own potential. As Ute-Tiwa holy man Joseph Rael points out in his book, Being and Vibration, "Drumming opens up three basic vibrations. Drumming awakens the self. Drumming heightens the ability of perception, and drumming enables the person to see into the deeper realms of the self." Drumming connects us to our true self -- to our soul. Once connected to our soul, we can discover and actualize our true potential.