What is Shamanic Drumming?
Drumming is one of the oldest forms of vibrational healing on this planet and drums and rattles have been used in shamanism from various cultures for thousands of years so it's no surprise that we are still drawn to hitting a drum whenever we get the chance to be playful!
It connects us with the natural pulse of life, our heartbeat, and the pulse of Mother Earth. Becoming one with our heart is deeply transformative.
Shamanic drumming awakens your ability to commune with your inner self and spirit guides to retrieve information for your own healing. You need only journey within to find answers to any question.
Sometimes this process is guided by another through shamanic healing practices, where a drum is used to communicate with the clients guides and can help to release unwanted energy that is holding them back.
What is a Shamanic Drum Journey?
A Drum Journey is a way to communicate with your higher self and spirit guides to retrieve information whilst in an altered consciousness, brought on by the constant beat of the drum. It is likened to when you day dream or consciously dream in the later cycles of REM.
Usually lead by one to four drummers whilst journeyers lay down in a circle, not touching anyone else (as you may journey together).
A Drum Journey usually lasts for 10 to 15 minutes and the drummer will indicate when they are close to ending so that the participants can journey their way out of wherever their mind has taken them.
It is important to remember that not everyone will be able to visually see. Some people will journey with other senses, it could be blurry, auditory or even just a knowing of what you saw. Whatever you experience is right for you so long as you trust in your knowing.
How to Journey to the Lower Realm?
At the start of your journey, you will be introduced to the process of starting your journey to the lower realm, the realm of power animals, spirit guides and ancestral spirits. Imagine it like lucid dreaming or day dreaming where you will visualise an opening into the earth, possibly from your favourite place in nature.
The entrance could be through a cave, down the roots of a tree, through a pool of water or a burrow in a tree, whatever feels right for you. Think about this before you begin your journey so that you're not caught up in this minor detail before your journey has begun.
Once you've entered your ideal hole, you will travel through a tunnel that will appear in front of you. The tunnel often appears ribbed and may be winding around but this will be whatever your mind creates.
This tunnel-like imagery is related to the central axis that links the three inner planes of consciousness. Enter the tunnel and you will emerge into the Lower World.
Once you come to the end of your tunnel, you will emerge into any reality that your mind shows you. See what unfolds, where you are, who you meet (it could be a spirit guide, an animal guide or even an angel). If you have a specific question in mind you might like to ask the guide and sometimes you can even ask if they present you with a gift.
If you're not sure if your guide shown is for your highest good, you can ask them and your inner knowing will tell you if the guide is friendly or not. Spirit Guides cannot lie, so ask them this question and if the answer is no, then ask them to take you to your guide.
When you are told that the journey is coming to an end, begin your return journey by retracing the same route back; otherwise you might have trouble remembering the details of your journey and you might feel a little bit out of body. If this is the case, the facilitator will run a rattle over your body to call it back - so don't worry!
After your drum journey, it is recommended to journal about what and who you saw and any symbolic shapes or gifts. You can then decode this information later by researching the symbolism and various guides.
Where Can I Do A Drum Journey?
If you're in Sydney, check out our next upcoming events here
If you're not in Sydney - You'd be surprised how many shamanic drum circles there may be in your area, so we would recommend researching online or finding a local shamanic practitioner that can point you in the right direction.
