What Is A Drum Journey? 

When I first envisioned this web site, I wanted to come up with a name that was fairly easy to remember, and also reflected what I wanted to convey about my love and experiences of hand drumming, as well as the experiences of other like minded souls. Some of my initial choices seemed to already be in use, but eventually it just came to me. A name which reflected the sacredness of drumming and rhythm; how deeply rhythm is in my spirit; and how my love of drumming now moves me through life in sometimes mysterious and wonderful ways.

We are all one spirit wrapped up in the separate shells of our bodies and personalities. In everyday life of jobs, raising children, relationships and other daily responsibilities it is far too easy to forget that fact. Drumming, singing and dancing within a community of other like minded spirits helps us to reconnect with those feelings. To connect with others and also with our own Spirit.

No doubt if you are reading this article, you know at some level you are also on your own drum journey as a part of your life’s journey. This journey from one place to another will manifest on many levels, in the physical plane (playing an instrument), the mental plane (studying music), the emotional plane (feeling music) and the spiritual (consciousness). At any given point in time, your interests and motivations around drumming may focus on a specific aspect of this journey, but the journey itself will naturally be working on all levels of your being to some degree.

The outer journey may involve literally travelling to different physical locations, perhaps to other cities or even countries, to experience a drum circle, rhythm festival, music performance, drum workshop or study tour.

You will no doubt meet other like minded spirits on your journey and forge new acquaintances and friendships. You will most likely experience the connection to other people, the experience of community, in rhythmic expression and entrainment within a group.

On your musical journeys you may learn about new rhythms or percussion instruments from around the world, and perhaps even learn something about different cultures in the process. You might even learn a few dances or vocal songs along the way.

While drumming or playing other percussion instruments such as shakers, rattles or bells, you will experience shifts of consciousness. These shifts may simply be experienced as a feeling of “being in the moment”, when all time and worries fall away, to experience a total immersion in a state of rhythmic meditation.

You may choose to use the power of drumming and rhythm in a more conscious fashion to help facilitate healing of yourself or others, or to reach an altered state of consciousness which allows you to move into other worlds such as in a shamanic journey.

Any or all of these facets of your drum journey may be experienced, with or without your conscious intention. And as your drum journey progresses, so does your life journey. If you work to remove your inner resistances and the relentless voices of your mind, you may allow the rhythms and vibrations to move you even more deeply, and to raise the vibration of your spirit. You may find in time that your drumming activites are not simply limited time events with fixed beginnings and ends, but may also resonate into other aspects of your life and ultimately into the very core of your being.

It seems to me to be an interesting paradox how an activity which at its core is involved with the process of studying and dissecting “time” to create rhythms, also has the power to transcend our everyday perceptions of time. Rhythm is everywhere, in our walk and in our talk and in the beating of our own hearts. Just stop a moment and listen. Listen to the voice of your own inner rhythms, and then pick up a drum and play. Your Spirit will thank you for it.

Many blessings to you on your own drum journey, and on your earth walk. ~ David.

Please visit http://www.drumjourney.com
"Your guide to community and world hand drumming".