Reiki Drumming: A Harmonious Blend of Energy Healing and Sound
By Dennis Bluthardt, Namaste Studios
Combined with the ancient, sacred healing practice of Reiki, the shamanic drumming rhythms used around the world for millennia make up a very potent practice called Drumming Reiki.
Japanese Reiki means “universal life energy,” connecting everything and everyone everywhere.
When using shamanic drumming in combination with the healing practice of Reiki, not only does one potent practice become more powerful, but it also creates the perfect environment for a truly amazing healing experience.
As many people know, Reiki is (or should I say was) often practiced on a massage table with the patient lying down.
Drum rhythms can induce trance states of consciousness and supercharge the potent life-force healing energy channeled during a Reiki session.
Healing methods that differ from conventional medicine have become much more popular lately.
They are seen as part of the move toward less traditional, more “out there” health solutions. Why are we drawn to these methods? For many of us, they seem a more palatable and less anxiety-laden route toward solutions to health problems. If you believe that you fall into this category, here us out:
The rhythmic beats of the drum over the body, along with a shamanic drumming journey, can produce strong endorphin-based effects. This often creates an environment conducive to teaching one how to reach a meditational state. This state can significantly improve one’s level of relaxation and usually induce deep rest; those who deal with insomnia can also greatly benefit. Most people deal with high-level stressors, and the process serves as another way to self-soothe while enhancing spiritual practice.
Beyond relaxation at this point, shamanic journeying with the drum can induce a profound emotional release. It could help with blockages of strong, pent-up emotions at risk of turning into palpable physical health complications. Clearing the pathways between the spiritual, emotional, and physical levels can allow energy to move more fluidly through one’s body. Success as an individual human being requires the “nature” approach.
Benefits of Reiki Drumming
Reiki Drumming is a relatively new form of Reiki that is a fusion with rhythmic drumming. This Reiki practice focuses on relaxation and relief of stress – two things that can be caused by sound alone. These two things go together well when coupled with the relaxing (and often rhythmic) beating of a drum that can help to soothe and relax you into such a state. Gentle fusillades of beats from the instructor’s drum and a relaxation mantra to think of can offer you 45 minutes of relaxation and meditation that anyone can enjoy.
And that’s just for the people healthy enough to enjoy this to relieve general stress! This type of Reiki drumming can help stress subside, using newfound energy paths to clear blockages that negatively impact your body. You could have the musical ability or vibrations of rhythm imprinted within you once more. If you have physical ability, you can provide the rhythm—if you have one, you can play tunes from a rhythm stick player.
However, when played as a musical tool rather than a tool for spiritual awakening or healing, you can get far more people involved. Drumming can be a communal thing, with some of us loving to let out rhythm and beat in the form of drumming – some of us love to do this, myself included. It’s a form of performance that allows you to own your skills and translate them into an actionable career.
Understanding Reiki and Its Principles
Reiki treatment is commonly called palm healing or hands-on healing of an unseen ‘life force energy’ that flows through us. It is what causes us to be alive. When ‘life force energy’ is low, one will likely not feel well. When ‘life force energy’ is high, it is much easier to feel better.
Functionally speaking, Reiki healers form a conduit to move ‘universal energy’ (i.e., Reiki) in the form of qi (Japanese: Ki and Chinese: Chi) through the hands. The delivery format varies among healers, but the person receiving the Reiki healing is typically on a table. In contrast, the Reiki healer moves their hands (either on the body directly or slightly above) from the head to the base of the torso, then the person turns over, and the exercise begins again.
The Art of Drumming in Healing Practices
A powerful tool within spiritual practices is drumming in every culture worldwide. The beat of the drum provides a certain rhythm that can guide you into deeper meditative and introspective states. Indigenous groups use the drum in ceremonial practices to “connect” back with spirit and ground back into reality, among other practices. The therapeutic effects on the brain guide you into an alpha state (increased alpha brain waves), which is associated with creativity and supra-normal abilities, essentially developing a different level of consciousness.
From a therapeutic (sound healing) and psychological point of view, drumming is an excellent way to “release.” Emotionally and energetically, you’re moving “energy” in your body, through your body, and out into the open. It’s a beautiful way to self-heal parts of you that need healing, even from a physical point of view.
Drumming with others is a community; you’re actively participating in “active” meditation with others (again, invoking that alpha brain wave state), where the “experience” is shared and open to everyone. The back-and-forth creates those “loops” in the community, causing a loopback effect over time as you continue to drum with others. Remember, don’t “expect” anything of it; let it be, and let it guide you through visualizations.
What is Reiki Drumming?
Reiki Drumming marries the ancient art of Reiki energy healing with the rhythmic power of drumming in a new healing technique. A practitioner uses specific drumming patterns while channeling Reiki energy into the produced sounds. This practice allows individuals to connect more deeply with their bodies and emotions because of the deep relaxation often attained during the session. Using drums in this capacity also serves a dual purpose: it helps practitioners and individuals stay centered and grounded and assists individuals in accessing states of consciousness that they would not usually be aware of.
How to Get Started with Reiki Drumming
Finding a respected Reiki Drumming expert can elevate your healing journey; these practitioners mix Reiki’s meditation with the rhythm and pulsations of drums. To see these practitioners, check online with your local holistic center, Reiki or wellness community, or social media (Facebook has thousands of groups and pages dedicated to alternative therapies!). Often, your practitioner will likely be certified formally in both, so check reviews, feedback, and the practitioner’s style to ensure you’ll enjoy the experience.
To do this at home, find a quiet, private, and calming place, pick up a small, inexpensive (home-use) drum or handspan, and focus on your breath. Then, check online for guided sessions or instructional videos. These will allow you to pick up the basics nearly instantly.
Get a drum. A simple African djembe or Reiki drum will do just fine (don’t mix up the different forms of drums!). This way, you can explore the connection with the energy at a deeper, more practical level.
“Reiki Drumming” is a phrase you may not have heard before. A beautiful marriage of two energy healing methods, this technique uses the therapeutic placements of Reiki hands-on (or hovering slightly above) the body and merges it with the vibration and brain-balancing hum of native-style drumming to refresh the body and have you Zenned out to the nines! The power of Reiki Drumming doesn’t stop at the re-balancing and energy blockage benefits that standard Reiki touts, but some practitioners swear by the added rhythmic beating of the drum to induce a higher vibrational, relaxed “Reiki buzz” for their participants. (It’s also, might I add, the best fun you can have in a group healing session, and it doesn’t exclude you from drumming away even if you have attuned “Reiki hands” yourself!) Bring out your inner rockstar for your next sesh, or try to boost that self-healing drum wish. Either way, it’s bound to get your vibe flowing!
To learn more, visit Reiki at Namaste Studios to book a Reiki session. Additionally, you can find more of our Reiki Blogs here.
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