My Shamanic Drumming Experience

Shamanic drumming is something that has always intrigued me, so when I had the opportunity to attend an evening session back in December I jumped at the chance (not physically as my knees wouldn’t allow that). I wanted to learn and experience what it was all about and it did not disappoint, here is my experience….

I can’t lie, I was nervous as well as excited, I was on my own and didn’t really know what to expect. I was shocked when I saw some familiar faces enter the room, some friends who were in the same boat as me, what a coincidence, but this helped me to relax and I took in my surroundings. 

The room had been thoughtfully set out with muted atmospheric lighting. Yoga mats had been placed in a circle, each one topped with a soft sheepskin type rug. In the middle of this circle was a raffia mat decorated with candles of all sizes (battery ones for safety but you get the idea) fresh ivy and other seasonal arrangements were also placed in this circle. At the end of our mats, we each had an oracle card face down, which we were to look at after the drumming. Mine was titled Mindful, with the word 'groupthink' under it, I think it was very fitting for the events that follow, and how I felt afterwards.

We all chose a mat, got comfortable and the evening started. The instructor introduced herself and spoke about her background in drumming along with the benefits of it, she was so lovely and knowledgeable. I found it a little hard to take everything in. The first thing we did was a shamanic meditation, our instructor led us into it, left us for a few minutes and then brought us back out of it. Then it was time for the drums. Some people had brought their own, and there was even a lady who had made hers which was very impressive. 

We were told to start drumming to our own rhythms, however we felt like doing it. As you can imagine with everyone doing this at the same time it was all over the place and just sounded like noise with no clear rhythm. But the craziest thing was, as this continued it started to come together and transform, through it all you could hear the rhythm forming and it was truly amazing. A room full of people who had never sat together before, and you could feel the energy and unity through the sound. I started to feel the vibrations in my chest, it was such a strange feeling, I found it a little overwhelming and decided to take a small break from the drumming. I later learnt that this vibration feeling was because all of our rhythmic drumming matched our heart beat, and that's what I was feeling in my chest.

We did some different exercises including some fast drumming. Then we changed the pace and we all stood up while continuing to drum to our strange yet enchanting rhythm we had all created. Each one of us started to sway and move naturally to the beat like we were all in sync and lost in the sounds surrounding us. We were invited to move around the room if we felt like it. Some people proceeded to dance around the circle, it was captivating and seemed like something from a movie or a book, it was incredible. 

Eventually the drumming slowed and stopped of its own accord, all of us seemingly connected as it came to a natural end. We then finished with another short meditation before refreshments were provided. We were all given hot cocoa with a pinch of chilli and some cake. I was very unsure about the drink, but it was actually very nice. This gave us all a chance to talk, ask questions and process the events of the evening. Some people shared their other experiences as we all got to know each other. 

I truly loved the whole experience from start to finish, and highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to go yourself. I felt like I had been on a journey of discovery and I can’t wait to go again.

Let me know if you've ever attended anything like this and what your experience was like I would love to know. 

Blessings from us here at Elentya and I will write soon.