Before modern music, wandering groups of people would draw together around a fire, using the drum for dance, song and story telling. These indigenous people viewed the drum as a circle for togetherness. It was used to help unite people drumming, like a heart pulse, reinforcing their group identity through sound. Time was measured by the beat of the drum in greeting the dawn or welcoming the birth of a child, in praying for rain or celebrating at a marriage ceremony, in drumming to the setting sun or gently bidding farewell to a passing friend. It reminds us of our heart and connection through rhythm and beat to something that we must stay connected to.
In some indigenous cultures the women originally carried the drum. The drum’s circular shape was like the circle of the bottom of their skirts, symbolizing the feminine. Spirit then told them to give the drum to the men. So, the men only played the large, community drum while the women drummed around them with their hand drums. Other native cultures view the drum in their customs differently.
Nowadays we easily lose touch with our feelings and natural rhythms by being involved with too much mental and intellectual activity. We must dramatically reduce our time spent on computers and more time aligning ourselves with the natural rhythms and family.
The drum is used for sacred work and for healing. It can be used to clear out congested energy in the body and align it to the natural energy flow in the body, its innate ability to heal itself. The regular use of drumming can help to regulate the functions of your body. It moves energy through the pathways of the meridian channels to balance energy. The bones are physically closest to the earth being mineral in nature, excellent for drumming bone tissue. The central nervous system is often locked in sympathetic, stress mode. Drumming relaxes the nerves and muscles to bring it back into a parasympathetic, relaxed state.
Drumming is wonderful exercise. As you beat away on your drum, you let your body relax and become a part of the movement. It is good to try and let your lower limbs dance with the sound. Drumming sends energy along the pathways in your lower limbs to carry the earth’s messages up and down your body, from the inside environment to the external environment of the rhythm of the earth. You will want to drum to connect with the elements of life: fire, air, water, and Spirit.
The power of your intent while drumming transports your experience out of the mundane, everyday world into a Sacred experience. Placing an intention directs your consciousness with the beat like a sound arrow toward a target. This dictates the quality of the experience as you draw upon your inner power.
- Wind Daughter Panther Wind Woman
Become a Member of the Panther Lodge Bear Tribe
Buy CD "Singing with the Wheel"
Comments