Drumming for Focus and Better Health
If you’re having trouble focusing or you’re feeling out of sync, sometimes you just need to think outside the box.
There are all sorts of apps and healing modalities to help people focus but nothing has worked better for me than drumming. It also helped me heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually after an accident. I wasn’t using a drum set but two types of hand drums.
I know what you’re thinking: How can drumming do all that? I wondered as well. I knew it worked. But I wasn’t sure how. So, I began researching drum therapy more in depth, as well as the techniques that I was instinctively using. If you’ve heard my healing story, you’d know there was some Divine Intervention involved with this whole process but there’s also a ton of science.
Drum Therapy: It’s not what you think
When I first began offering classes and private sessions, most people assumed I was offering drum lessons and we’d be using the full drum set. Nope. I use hand drums (mainly djembes) because, in addition to helping with brain integration which helps you focus, djembes and Native American buffalo drums also produce great sound waves which promote healing.
Yes, drumming on a drum pad or a drum set will help you focus and reduce stress but drum therapy is more targeted. Plus, you’re using a djembe and drumming along with me, so it’s more interactive and produces more sound waves. How do you know what beats to do? You just follow me. I use easy beats and exercises that anyone can follow.
To see how easy this is, check out this video. I also added a Halloween tune for you to play along with. See if you can guess which one it is: https://youtu.be/qAQJBj2K6Ag
A different kind of self-care practice
Tapping out easy beats for at least fifteen minutes a day, at least three times a week has proven health benefits. You don’t have to go to the gym and you don’t need to run laps around your neighborhood. But you will burn calories and boost your mental and physical health. And this can be done virtually. Intrigued? Why not sign up for a free call to get all your questions answered?
Dori Staehle lives in the Raleigh, NC area and is a certified drum therapist, Toca Percussion artist, author, speaker, ADHD specialist, and owner of Next Stage Drumming. Dori helps Christian women and teens focus, feel better, find their joy, and boost their faith. She also offers classes for seniors and special needs, inspiring and fun events, and also has a drum ministry. Click here to schedule a call to find out more!