Benefits of Drumming

 Hello all. For years I've been expressing my passion for the drum and drumming as a group in all arenas of life. 

Today I wanted to share WHY we need drumming. Like Yoga, Meditation, dance, movement, sex and spiritually, the drum brings us closer on all three levels of the BMS system (body, mind, soul).

After doing some research I put together some of the main key points of the drum and why YOU should be drumming too.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

Playing drums relieves stress. It's a great physical workout. It helps build coordination. It increases development in various regions of the brain.

Recent research indicates that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and assists in releasing emotional trauma. Drumming has a positive effect on anxiety, grief, fatigue, depression and behavioral issues.

Drumming is a challenging workout that can burn hundreds of calories. ... But as drummers keep the beat behind their kit, or on their Hand Drum,  they're also burning calories at an elevated rate. While few people might take up drumming to lose weight, playing this instrument can burn enough calories to keep you in shape.

Drumming Burns Calories, Builds Muscle And Gets Your Heart Pumping. ... According to BBC news, an hour of drumming burns more calories than running, aerobics or weight lifting.

The act of playing, especially vigorous drumming, helps you to burn calories, builds muscles and increases stamina. Drumming also increases heart rate and blood flow – all that while you're focused on keeping the beat, so you probably won't even build up a sweat. 

MENTAL BENEFITS

Research by the Royal College of Music has found that drumming has a positive impact on mental health, with a 10-week programme of group drumming reducing depression by as much as 38% and anxiety by 20%.

Drumming is a great way to tackle stress and anxiety with research showing us that participating in group drumming activity boosts the body's production of feel good endorphins.

According to Dr. Barry B. Bittman, drumming circles help boost the immune system and promote physical healing. Drum therapy encourages people to release inner trauma through physical movement and meditative rhythms, as well as bringing people together.

People who play drums regularly for years differ from unmusical people in their brain structure and function. The results of a new study suggest that they have fewer, but thicker fibers in the main connecting tract between the two halves of the brain. In addition, their motor brain areas are organized more efficiently.

Drummers presented clear differences in the front part of the corpus callosum, a brain structure that connects the two hemispheres and whose front part is responsible for motor planning. The data indicated that the drummers had fewer but thicker fibres in this important connecting tract between the brain hemispheres.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

Drumming directly supports the introduction of spiritual factors found significant in the healing process. ... Drumming can help people express and address emotional issues. Unexpressed feelings and emotions can form energy blockages. The physical stimulation of drumming removes blockages and produces emotional release.

Shamanic and Spirit Drumming is rhythmic form of connection. Its purpose is to induce a range of ecstatic trance states in order to connect with the spiritual dimension of reality.

While many of us may now think of drumming as a secular activity, the activity is rooted in the spiritual realm. Even today, in parts of the world where the origins of an instrument's use may be remembered and the traditional ways followed, we find that spiritual offerings and rituals are still followed.

Whether discussing the didgeridoo or the drum, percussion instruments have always played a central role in ceremonies. For this reason, the spiritual connection of drumming should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the history of the instrument.

The djembe drum, in particular, has an interesting spiritual connection with which many lovers of djembe may not be familiar. In West Africa, where the djembe holds a special significance, the drum would have been the domain of a special caste of people called the Jeli. The Jeli were essentially a group of artists who roamed the lands keeping the histories of the people alive. They were djembe drummers, storytellers, and vocalists given the honor of maintaining the oral traditions. Their sole purpose was to create music and retell the stories of the great Mali empire.

Due to the significance of the role of the Jeli in West African life, the musicians were highly trained and skilled. They also took seriously the spiritual connection of drumming. The tree from which the djembe drum would be made was given offerings, as was the animal from which the head would come. Because the drum would speak and bear significance on the direction of people’s lives, the spiritual nature of the drum and the materials used for its construction took on a significance modern day drummers may find difficult to comprehend.

The person who constructed the djembe was once considered part of the spiritual essence of the drum, as well. The Jeli were considered skilled enough to be able to bring forth the magical qualities of the drum. The Jeli was comprised of three, specific roles. The Kuma told the stories, the Donkili sang the songs, and the Maninka played the drum and other instruments. The Jeli still retain a prominent role in West African life, telling the histories during ceremonies and celebrations.

While these days we may not place much emphasis on who can or cannot be a djembe drummer, traditionally the instrument has had a spiritual significance. While many of us are fine with the way things are, those of us who feel the spiritual connection of drumming should feel free to explore it. After all, that is the origin of the drum and making that connection could help improve our drumming and, possibly, our lives.