How will you benefit from drum therapy?

People worldwide have experienced the benefits of therapeutic drumming for centuries. We live in a vibration-based universe where playing a drum can really help us to relax, de-stress and connect with ourselves and those around us. In recent years, hard scientific evidence has backed up the claim that drums help many communities of people. Now it is time for you to give it a try!

Why does rhythm work?

Rhythm is natural to us; it is both within us and all around us. There is rhythm in our heart’s beat, in our breathing, and in the changing of the seasons; we live in a universe of rhythm. Unfortunately, too often it is easy to lose a sense of our own rhythm and become swept along by the demanding pulse of life. Drumming is the perfectly natural way to centre ourselves and reconnect with those around us. Collective rhythms have been used for centuries in many different cultures as a means of maintaining individual and community health and harmony. You will find that a session of drumming is relaxing, invigorating, stress relieving and great fun!

Health benefits of drumming: the healing power of the drum

As well as the numerous benefits of drumming that are associated with empowerment, communication, confidence, community and team building, the drum has an amazing ability to facilitate healing and therefore there are also many health benefits associated with playing a drum and participating in a rhythm-based event.

Rhythm-based sessions can:

• enhance psychological and spiritual well-being

• enhance physical well-being

• enhance social relationships

• enhance sensory awareness and physical dexterity

• improve self-esteem, self-confidence and personal development

The evidence:

There is an ever-increasing body of anecdotal and scientific evidence which points to the drum's ability to promote well-being. For example, medical research in America demonstrated statistically significant positive immune system changes that correlated with one-hour group drumming sessions. Research has also shown that participating in drumming sessions may help people defend themselves from the stress and burnout that can cause them to leave their jobs.

Modern research can also show us exactly how our brain waves are affected by rhythm and drumming. The research has shown that the drumbeat alters brainwave patterns, increasing Alpha (a light meditative brainwave), and dramatically reducing stress. Through the rhythmic repetition of sounds, the body, brain and the nervous system are energized and transformed. When a group of people play a rhythm for an extended period of time, their brain waves becomes entrained to the rhythm and they have a shared brain wave state. The longer the drumming goes on, the more powerful the entrainment becomes.

Drumming is being used all over the world to help people with Alzheimer's disease; cancer; multiple sclerosis; paralysis; Parkinson's disease; many differing types of addiction; psychiatric rehabilitation and stress management.

So, is it just about healing?

We can all derive health benefits from drumming. It gets the heart beating faster thereby providing beneficial aerobic exercise. We relax, we stop worrying about tomorrow, or yesterday - we are in the here and now. We have some fun and smile and laugh. We can connect with a deeper part of ourselves which can help block out self-criticism, fear or doubt.

Conclusions:

• Response to rhythm is basic to human functioning, making rhythm-based events appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds.

• Everyone can enjoy rhythm-based events regardless of ethnic and cultural background, musical preference or age, making these activities fun and positive for a wide variety of people.

• Participation in group drumming activities has physical benefits including sustained physical activity, relaxation, and use of fine motor skills.

• A strong sense of group identity and a feeling of belonging is created because participants are actively making music together and because the sustained repetition of the steady beat acts to bring people together physically, emotionally, and mentally (rhythmic entrainment).

• Rhythm-based events can be undertaken with no previous musical background or training making these experiences accessible to everyone.

Check out the following link from the BBC, where a new study suggests that drumming sessions at work can help reduce stress and lower staff turnover:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3507109.stm

Other interesting articles (please click on the links):

http://healing.about.com/od/drums/a/drumtherapy.htm

http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=healing&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.menweb.org%2Fvoicdrum.htm