As a supervisor at a Crisis Intervention Center, I often deal with people when they are at their lowest point. I love my job and there’s nothing more rewarding that making a difference in someone’s life, but hearing the stories from my clients and their families, as well as dealing with all the additional responsibilities that being a supervisor brings, can be emotionally draining at times. The risk of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue is high. And like any good mental health worker, I recognize that in order for me to effectively help my clients, I must take care of myself. Much like the oxygen masks on an airplane metaphor that I’m so fond of, if I’m so busy putting oxygen masks on those around me that I completely forget about my own, I’m no good to anyone because sooner or later the oxygen deprivation will hit and I’ll pass out.
So in order to not metaphorically starve myself of oxygen, I attend a drumming circle. Once a month I get together with a group of three to four other women and we beat on our drums until we stop thinking, stop worrying, and just relax. For me, drumming grounds me in a way that nothing else does. The sound of the drum centers me to so many different things: to myself, Mother Earth, and those around me. For me, the connection with others is a huge part of the benefits of drumming. And what’s great about it is that there’s no pressure to talk. Instead, we bond simply over the steady rhythm of the sound. And somehow this makes our connection even stronger, as if we’re drumming up an energy that ties us all to each other. At times, I can almost feel that energy moving through the room, joining us. The pulse of the drum is steadying, lending strength to us, giving us permission to put down our busy lives and just be.
When it comes to the actual drumming itself, there are a variety of different beats that we use. There’s the heartbeat, a simple 4 count, a 3-3-7 count and others. During our drumming circle, we’ll use whatever beat feels right for us at the moment. I tend to pick a 3-3-7 count because I need to focus to get the count right. Like so many of us, I usually have a million thoughts going through my head, so if I pick a beat that forces me to count along, I can slow my brain down and center myself. Once that happens, then I just relax into the drumming. The goal is to get to a point where you don’t think about the beat or the count anymore, you just drum. Sometimes it takes me a while to get there, other times it doesn’t. But eventually I’m able to just completely zone out and somehow all the stress and anxiety and worries just melt away. When I walk away, I feel incredibly grounded.
And on top of all of that, drumming offers a number of health benefits as well. There have been studies that show that drumming can help to relieve pain, reduce stress, improve concentration and boost the immune system. And it’s inclusive: young, old, able-bodied, (dis)abled, gay, straight, bisexual, trans*, queer, African American, Native American, Indian; just about anybody can drum and what’s even better is that drumming transcends our differences. It allows for self-expression and creativity, connects us to ourselves and others, and may even help to release emotional trauma.
So go out, pick up a drum and give it a try! You might be surprised how good you feel.
For more information on the benefits of drumming, I recommend:
