Caution teachers: drum circles produce rhythmic human energy and can produce these side effects!
How many times in the last year have you looked at or read a warning label? The media is reporting massive product recalls because the side effects were not thoroughly investigated. We have also seen over the years that the manufacturing process of a product was manipulated to damage the reputation of the product. Sometimes they are not even indicated on the product itself. Did you know that there are over 92 symptoms and side effects associated with consuming aspartame?
The mass appeal of a product advertisement or the “Newsworthiness” of a story seems, in most cases, to reflect bad news, sad news, or the negative. It seems to me that this happens because people listen more carefully as they tap our emotional buttons faster. In the pharmaceutical industry, drug manufacturers must list all known side effects of their products. When the side effects of required medication are severe, sometimes a second medication or a change in lifestyle, a change in diet, or other measures can help minimize them.
We all need to stay informed, but we must also make wiser decisions about the consumables we put into our bodies and minds. In doing so, we will hopefully also encourage others in the proper use and benefits of some of our new products and progressive “new age therapies”. Many of these therapies appear to lack credibility and appear to have only limited anecdotal evidence to support them.
I have often risked supporting the use of drum circles as one of those therapies. They are not a new technique but they do have many beneficial results or “side effects”. Drum circles have had a sustained presence throughout history. They have had valuable applications in societies around the world for hundreds of years and are not going away anytime soon.
For the past 16 years, I have hosted drum circle events for a wide variety of applications ranging from teacher training in schools to training counselors and therapists in hospitals, as well as team building programs at Professional Leadership Conferences. . These drum circles have been described as “medi-rhythmic therapy” and “value-centered leadership” events. These experiences have equipped me with many excellent tools to integrate drum circles into our community.
Although the benefits of participating in a drum circle are well documented, an interesting challenge that often rears its head is the need to convince the customer, “stakeholders” or the media to actually offer this service to your team. or community. It seems to be difficult to persuade them that there are definitely favorable “side effects” for the group participating in the drum circle. Those who are most openly grateful and comment positively on their personal “side effects” are the actual users of the product, the participants, the staff, the children in the classroom. These are beneficial side effects and they are very different for each individual!
Here I share with you 10 positive human “side effects” of the professionally facilitated drum circle that I have experienced and integrated into the lives of my clients over the past 15 years. I hope they inspire you to go out and find a drum circle to attend so that you too can benefit from ……. keep reading ……..
# 1 – PERSONAL RELAXATION AND MEDITATION
Percussion in any form, be it alone or in a group, has been used for years for personal relaxation and meditation. The shamanic spiritual journey has been in practice for hundreds of years. Therapists use percussion to relax the minds of patients, as well as a tool for treating the sick and elderly for palliative care. Our minds are transported to the original state of comfort that we all experience in the womb, in the comfort of our mother’s womb, surrounded by the rhythm of her body and heart.
# 2 – GROWTH OF THE MIND THROUGH EDUCATION
When percussion is used in the classroom, it can help us teach many forms of art, from movement, drama, and dance to all elements of music. Curriculum requirements are always expanding and teachers are constantly looking for ways to apply new knowledge. Universal Design Theories have an easy delivery vehicle when used with the Drum Circle.
# 3 – UNDERSTANDING OTHERS THROUGH METAPHORS
We all use metaphors to create ways to gain a new perspective when describing an event or concept. The drum circle is a great place to experiment with many different metaphors, including visual, auditory, tactile, and physical. Current curricular expectations in our educational system call for new ways of teaching character-enhancing values and principles. The drum circle naturally allows these creative performances to come to life as participants enjoy exciting and innovative ways of learning.
# 4 – SELF-CONFIDENCE
Participating in a well-facilitated drum circle gives musicians a true sense of personal achievement. They feel that their voice is being heard. The challenge of trying something new in front of others, and really succeeding at it, gives us all a tremendous boost of energy and confidence. Open our hearts to the needs and actions of others. Building self-esteem in our youth is one of the biggest challenges in today’s busy world. Drum circles offer all of us room to grow.
# 5 – RELATIONSHIP AND TEAM BUILDING
All teams benefit by setting and then working toward a goal. Feeling the power of group energy using the element of Rhythm is an uplifting experience. The natural law of training allows humans to fall into “rhythm” quickly, but reaching the potential of your group when playing drums can also be transformative. The drum circle allows all levels of participants to come together in unity. The common pulse and its byproduct of “unity” is something that allows us to appreciate the power of the group and its commitment to a goal.
# 6 – IMPROVED HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Percussion has three direct connections to health. It is good for the mind, body and spirit. Our planet is sustained by the principles of rhythm. Life evolves with rhythm, and learning to “keep up” with others is one of the most important lessons we can teach each other. Physicians in these three fields are already seeing the benefits and documenting the results of prescribing “medi-rhythmic therapies” to help their patients. Grab a drum today. Is good for you!
# 7 – HIGH HEART RATE (CELEBRATIONS)
The source of Rhythmic Energy is deep within our Soul. Celebrations during one’s life journeys are almost always accompanied by music. Drumming and creating rhythms have always raised the spirit of society. As we celebrate throughout life, from birth to eulogy, human rhythmic energy has always transformed both us and our planet. This was the goal described in historical images and photos in Mickey Hart and David Lieberman’s tremendous book “Planet Drum.”
# 8 – PEACE IN COMMUNITY
Drum circles naturally bring people together in community. Drum circles are one of the easiest ways to celebrate each other. The Merriam-Webster dictionary uses the active terms “interacting” and “unified” to describe the individuals in a population. These are perfect descriptions of the exact energy that is alive within the drum circle.
# 9 – ETHNOCULTURAL INTEGRATION
All cultures throughout human history have a relationship with rhythm. Instruments and their origins allow us to see diversity in all cultures. Having these two themes united through the music created within the drum circle gives us a greater awareness and appreciation of our differences. I can’t think of a better place to demonstrate how different cultures learn to flourish together.
# 10 – ENJOY AND ENTERTAINMENT
Everyone loves to be entertained, but it is so exciting to be a part of the entertainment! The idea of empowering yourself while having fun at the same time never seems to go hand in hand. And yet we experience the enthusiasm of the spirit of others within the drum circle. The basic act of just having fun takes us back to the energy we experienced in our youth. Give yourself permission to have fun and your doctor will love you!