People use music to help with their mind, spirit, and emotions and when you hear rhythm playing, this can be a spiritual thing. Repetitive sounds on a drum can be called spiritual drumming. This is a drumming session that helps people to look deeper into who they are and what they need. This is one way that people used to manifest things in their life.
History of Shaman Drumming
It is important to understand the history of shaman drumming before you ever learn how it is used today so that you can understand why it is so popular. There are more than 30 kinds of drums and they come in different styles and shapes.
Drumming has been around since 1300 AD and was used by the Maninka or Nadinka people that were living in western Africa. This was when they would beat the drum in a fast beat. The drums would be played, and they would be full of imagery such as woman and men playing drums. This is the kind of drumming that people can see today in artwork.
Communicating with Drums
Drums are something that used to be used in order for tribes to be able to communicate with other tribes that were miles away from them. This was a tool that would be used by Africans to celebrate things such as the birth of a child or to celebrate a victory in battle. Other uses included mourning the death of someone or to announce festivals.
The drums aren’t just played for mourning or for celebrating but they also show a sign of rites of passage, a time of peace, a time of war, when harvesting should start and more. Drums are a big part of the lives of the African people, and they often call this pulsing because it is something that has been around for so long.
King Drum or POWWOW Drum was used by communities of the First Nation. They would put this drum in the middle of a circle, and they would beat on it for dancing, singing and for honoring the dead or ancestors. The drum has a deep sound and there are different traditions as to why this drum is used and that is based on the Nation.
Some believe that First Nation people would use the drums that are held in the hand to protest things. These drums are seen more now in marches that are used to bring about the idea of a cause or to bring awareness. Some have been used to bring awareness to unmarked graves of children that were born in Canada and in the United States. These were children that were kidnapped, killed, neglected or more and the drums were used to bring memory to them.
Drums like these have been used by Native American shamans but some of them were used at sweat lodges and for other events throughout the world.
Why Use Spiritual Drumming?
There are different kinds of drums including Chinese, Scottish, Celtic, Indian, and more. These drums are used for spiritual drumming, and they have five main purposes:
- Healing.
- Enrichment in the body.
- Worshipping.
- For music.
- Spiritual exploring or meditation.
Healing
You don’t have to be a shaman or from any specific tribe to use a drum for healing. This is an art that can be used across the world. When someone was sick, the shaman would hit the drum and it was thought that the sickness would leave.
The vibration of the drum has its own sound and its own frequency. This frequency affects the body. Even the earth has elements that will bring healing, and this is where drumming works. Some will use their own drumming to bring love to Mother Nature because it represents the heartbeat of Mother Gaia.
Enrichment ion the Body
There are many drums that are used when people play songs about sex. Drumming is used to help get rid of things like arthritis pain or to help get people in a good mental state of mind. Drumming can be used during a cardiac class or an exercise class because it can help the body to release endorphins which can increase the wellness and the overall feeling of the whole body.
Worshipping
People often use music as a sign of worship and drums are played for the enjoyment of people and for the enjoyment of worshipping another being or a spiritual being. This can be used to honor the gods or the divine.
Spiritual Exploring or Meditation
Shamans are spiritual evolved, and they can help to guide others. They are groups of people that are enlightened, and they help to manifest things, bring healing, and help others to find their spiritual path. This is done with a soul purpose and on a life journey.
Understanding Spiritual Drumming
This is a kind of beat that allows people to put their ego aside and to raise their vibrations. This is connected to the soul and the divine and it will help people to be able to communicate with the spiritual world. Spiritual drumming is done with the purpose of helping those that die to go into the afterlife. This is the signal of the heartbeat and of love and mediums can use this to help tap into the emotions of others and to help people to be able to mourn that need to.
Drumming Circle
A shamanic drumming circle is when people get together and they do a religious or spiritual practice. They do this as a group so that they can combine their thoughts and their spirit together to connect with one rhythm. The shaman will beat the drum and will keep the pace of the drum in a rhythmic tone.
This is considered a living thing, and the drum is part of the spiritual world. It is a drum that has power to help with the elements and to change the weather. The drum is also thought to help bring lightning and thunder when needed. It is used to signify heartbeats, especially the heartbeat of Mother Gaia.
Shamanic Drum
This is a drum that is decorated by a shaman or that is given to a shaman. It can be made out of things such as animal skins. Most of the time people will use moose, horse, goat, deer, cow, elk or more to make the drums. Some of the drums are egg or oval shaped and others are shaped like a bowl. The drums are decorated with different pictures such as:
- Gods and goddesses.
- Hunting.
- Tools.
- Animals.
- Healing plants.
- Weapons.
- Artifacts.
- Canoes.
- Homes.
Can You Do Shaman Drumming?
Anyone can decide that they want to become a shaman and do drumming. Once you have the drum, notice how it makes you feel. Let the sound of the drum fill your body. As you hold the drum, lay down or sit up and let the healing energy fill you.
Once you are ready to do it, let the rhythm of the drum go into your body and your soul. Increase your state of mind and create a way that you can make a connection with the beat. You and move with the beat or you can just listen to it. Don’t be embarrassed of how you move because you are honoring the rhythm as you move with the beat of the drum. Remember, all drums sound different and have different healing characteristics.
Sacred Drumming
Some people have done drumming for a portion of their lives and other people have never done it before. When you do drumming, it can put you in a state of meditation. This can be done to help open akashic records or for other reasons. Some will do it in a drumming circle and others will do it to help calm their mind or to open their conscious thinking. As your mind focuses on the beat of the drum, slow down and meditate. Let your body stay relaxed and experience what the drum has for you.
You can use drumming to bring yourself self-love. This is important and can open up your heart and your mind to what is going on around you. Let the soul empower you and to bring back divine intervention when needed.