Sacred Rhythm - Drumming Workshop

The hand drum has been used for thousands of years in celebrations, rituals and ceremonies

From  the earliest times, drums and their rhythms have been at the centre of  social and cultural activities worldwide. The drum is said to be man's  oldest musical percussion instrument. However, drums have not always  been used for creating music or entertainment. In African tribal  cultures, drums bore an essential role during rituals and religious ceremonies for both self-expression and communication purposes.

Anthropological  evidence makes it apparent that rhythm, drumming and percussion are  closely and abundantly intertwined with human culture and also seem to produce quite a profound effect upon consciousness when used in ceremony and with intention. Drumming and percussion are  elements of human culture that reach back over many epochs into the  depths of antiquity and prehistory.

From a shamanic and  aboriginal perspective, the drum maintains a position on the pantheon of  what is viewed as sacred. Many native cultures across the globe that  developed completely independently from each other’s spheres of  influence, from North America to the Arctic Circle to Africa, share  common social themes, one of which is the ceremonial use of the drum.

Drumming can have profound and holistic uses to enhance  physical, mental and emotional health, as demonstrated in a series of  studies and research papers:

Drumming reduces stress, tension, and anxiety. Blood samples from participants of an hour-long drumming session  revealed a reversal of the hormonal stress response and an increase in  natural killer cell activity. (Bittman, Berk, Felten, Westengard,  Simonton, Pappas, Ninehouser, 2001, Alternative Therapies, vol. 7, no.  1).

Drumming provides for natural pain control.  Drumming promoted the production of endorphins and endogenous opiates,  the bodies own morphine-like painkillers, allowing for alleviation from  pain and grief. (Winkelman, Michael, Shamanism: the Neural Ecology of  Consciousness and Healing).

Drumming fights depression. Stanford  University School of Medicine conducted a study with 30 depressed  people over 80 years of age and found that participants in a weekly  music therapy group were less anxious, less distressed and had higher  self-esteem (Friedman, Healing Power of the Drum, 1994).

Drumming for transcendental experiences. A 2014 study conducted by the Department of Cognitive Biology at the  University of Austria in Vienna states: “Exposure to repetitive drumming  combined with instructions for shamanic journeying has been associated  with physiological and therapeutic effects.” As well as “a significant  decrease” in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, volunteers who were  exposed to repetitive drumming combined with shamanic instructions  reported experiencing “heaviness, decreased heart rate and dreamlike  experiences.”

Join us on Tuesday 20th February 7-9PM in London, as we come  together to experience the healing and transcendental benefits of  drumming in circle, and connect with our innate rhythm with master  djembe player, Moussa Dembele.

No experience or drum  necessary (but please do bring your own drum if you have one!). We will  provide drums if needed, please let us know at ticket purchase if you  require one. All are welcome in this space.