Friday, March 15, 2013

The Shamanic Drum by Michael Drake - Book Trailer



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 exercises and lessons, he teaches the basic shamanic methods of drumming. The focus is on creating sacred space, journeying, power practice, power animals, drum circles and the therapeutic effects of drumming. There are no prerequisites to learning shamanic drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly book will help you harness the power of drumming.
 
The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming Reviews:

"This book is a valuable, well-researched, and well-written treatment of all aspects of shamanic drumming. The author weaves together both ancient and modern lore, from oral shamanic chants to modern physics and biology, along with personal experiences to illuminate the practice of sacred drumming. Included are step-by-step exercises, analysis of different beats and tempos, and chapters on cosmology, journeying, power practice, and healing the earth. Recommended to anyone seeking to connect deeply with the drum as a tool for personal, interpersonal, or group spiritual and healing work."
--Nowick Gray, Alternative Culture Magazine

"A clear and practical work."
--Julia Cameron, author of The Vein of Gold and The Artist's Way

"Apprenticeship would be the ideal way to learn shamanic drumming, however most of us will never be fortunate enough to have this experience. This book is definitely the next best thing."
  --Lisa DiPlacido, review editor for Friend's Review

Sunday, March 10, 2013

"How to Resurrect Lost Species"

by Brian Switek
Will we ever see a woolly mammoth again? What about the striped Tasmanian tiger, once-prolific passenger pigeon, or the imposing wild cattle called aurochs? Our species has played a role in the extinction of these and many other species. But now some scientists are proposing a radical turn of the tables: Bringing lost species back from the dead. Three main methods for "de-extinction" have been proposed. Cloning gets the most attention, thanks in part to the science fiction of Jurassic Park. We probably won't ever see a Tyrannosaurus -- despite the discovery of degraded soft-tissue remnants in fossilized dinosaur bone, no one has ever found non-avian dinosaur DNA -- but cloning is plausible for less ancient creatures whose genomes can be reconstructed. Read more.

Friday, March 8, 2013

"In Like a Lion"

by Nan Moss and David Corbin

There’s something about March, with its winds and wild swings of temperature. Winter storms, floods, tornados – last year record heat, this year record snow…

Change is in the air, the trees are waking up, the birds are on the move (just saw a crow flying by dangling a strand of last summer’s straw from its beak!)

Even the storms now seem to rapidly switch up their presentations as they swirl by – first snow, then rain, back to snow, now ice, all topped off – glazed by wind.


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Meditation and Shamanism

by Matthew Cosgrove, author of Artisans of the New Earth

Probably the single most important way to establish direction in our work and lives is to have a daily practice. Begin with some physical exercise, breath work, or yoga to open the channels. Starting in the very early morning, clearing the mind and re-directing ourselves before we re-imprint with troubled thought, allows the light of the rising sun to illuminate and activate our higher purpose. It is at this crucial time of the day, just as we are coming out of deep sleep into the dream state, that we choose which reality we will empower.  It is at this time, when the subconscious is trying to clear itself through dream, that we can consciously steer the course of our day and our lives. Read more.