#drumcirclemumbai

Drumming on stage, tapping away to your favourite tunes on table tops between lectures, with a group of people or amidst nature are all things we’ve probably fantasised about at least once in our lives… Here’s why that happens…

“No Rhythm, No Life. Know Rhythm, Know Life,”  – Ancient African Proverb.

When we hear a drum

We remember the celebrations that surround a group drumming procession. Whether it is a marriage, a carnival or a parade, all these events are accompanied by a team of drummers.

We forget, for a while, things that were bothering us, preoccupying us, taking up mental or emotional space… Space that could be otherwise used for more productive activities. This feeling is rare, especially since meditation doesn’t come easy to all of us.

We are actively listening, watching and feeling. This means that our visual, auditory and kinesthetic sense modalities are stimulated simultaneously. This in turn, facilitates the secretion of ‘feel good’ hormones and help us feel more relaxed (less stressed).

We are attracted to the drum, the jam of musicians, the drum circle or the gathering of drummers almost like it is something we know inherently, silently, not so confidently and yet without doubt.

All of the above examples show that there is an implicit connection between us and our inner drummer. We’ve been drumming together in groups since before we remember even. Listening to an intricate, polyrhythmic, West African Djembe Rhythm gets our feet tapping in minutes because we’ve already subconsciously accessed the inheritance of our collective unconscious. That is to say we’re channeling our drummer elders / ancestors and opening up a pathway to a new potential connection to our own selves.

Today, we experience the use of group drumming activities in various areas (be it for corporate groups, for creative art therapy with communities, expressive art therapy for special needs groups, for team building pune, for audience engagement at conferences and expos, for corporate training and more). The bottom line of all these sessions is that indulging in a drum circle activity helps us feel a sense of belonging to something larger than our perceived tribe or surrounding. This brings us to the ‘Here and Now’ for that period of time. The more we access 100% of ourselves at each given moment, the more relaxed we are, the more happy we are, the more aware we are (of our selves, of our true potential and of each other).

When we drum, we are happy! So why not drum more often? Why not drum with more people? Why not drum together for more occasions? Why not learn a drum as a hobby? What’s your reason to drum? Tell us…