Moved by the Beat: Transform-ational Drum Circle.

As the oldest instrument in human history, the drum has been the “instrument” of evolution from the first sounds made banging a stick against the ground or a rock, to animal skins stretched across a hollow gourd to the classic drum solos of Neil Peart.  There is something liberating about pounding on an object without the need or the requirement of extensive instruction or even skill. Listening to the pounding of our own hearts and the throbbing of blood as it courses around our body is listening to the music of life.

A study published in the Journal of cardiovascular health (Smith et al., 2014) demonstrated that djembe playing among middle aged adults significantly reduced stress.  Another study published in the Medical Science Monitor in 2007 by Dr. Barry Bittman showed that group drumming increased the body’s ability to defend itself by increasing the natural Killer cell activity of the…