Are you stressed? Are you feeling a little uncomfortable, isolated, or depressed? You may want to consider meditation with drums.
Many people are discovering the positive side effects of drumming through StrongHeart DrumMedicine, also known as Ool Pardi by Fenton.
StrongHeart DrumMedicine, based in Fenton, offers drum meditations, drum circles, sound meditation retreats, private therapeutic drum sessions, art therapy, and drum making classes. In addition, Pardi produces and sells drums with a particular interest in large drums.
“COVID19 has made it difficult for us to hold events, which is unfortunate as people today have to drum more than ever because of social distancing,” Pardi said. “But we hope that as spring approaches, we can start filling our calendar again.”
Combine drumming and meditation and you have a very powerful cure.
“I struggle to find words for the profound healing and integration that I experienced during the drumming meditation. If you ever have the opportunity to attend such a gathering, make sure you do. What an absolutely amazing and beautiful trip that Ool and Kellie make possible, ”said Jessica Lampkin.
StrongHeart DrumMedicine also enables drum circles, which provide participants with an opportunity to feel connected to others and gain a sense of interpersonal support. A drum circle offers the opportunity to connect with your own mind on a deeper level.
When Pardi began his journey into sound healing, he had no idea where it was going. He said he did it because he found it transformative in his own life that was slowly passing into the lives of others. Soon people asked him to take part in group meditations, not because they understood the key points of the effects of rhythm and vibration on the body, but because it felt good.
“There is a peace that comes when people gather for meditation,” said Pardi. “This peace goes out into the world with them and runs through their lives, which makes the world a better place. The drumming takes you to places in your mind that bring healing. “
Humans have always used drums for socializing, entertainment, dancing, communication and healing. Each of us begins our lives by listening to the rhythm of our mother’s heartbeat. From that moment on we are surrounded by the rhythm of our own heart, our breath, our blood flow. Our days, weeks and months even have a kind of rhythm. The rise and fall of the tide. The sound of a drum is so original that our brains involuntarily reacts to the rhythm and vibration, whether we like it or not.
The drum has played an important role in the development of the human mind for a very, very long time, and for good reason. It releases endorphins, enkephalins and alpha waves, which are important ingredients for improving your wellbeing. Drumming also creates dynamic neural connections in all parts of the brain, even when there is significant damage or impairment. Drumming creates new neural connections in all parts of the brain, integrating our experiences and deepening our self-esteem, so it is used to treat a wide variety of conditions including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, stroke victims, headaches, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
How does drumming affect happiness? It turns out a lot. You may have heard of cortisol, a stress hormone. We need cortisol. It helps us adapt in combat or flight situations. However, persistently high levels of cortisol destroy healthy muscles and bones, slow healing and normal cell regeneration, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, and weaken the immune system.
Drumming has been shown to lower levels of cortisol in the brain, which allows serotonin, the happiness hormone, to flow, but there’s a lot more going on than just increased wellbeing. By lowering cortisol levels, the immune system can turn on and the body can begin to heal. A healthy immune system is the key component in preventing infectious diseases. According to current medical research, stress contributes to almost all diseases and is a major cause of many life-threatening diseases.
