As our days become busier, mindfulness is becoming a staple in a lot of people’s daily routines. Mindfulness is a great release for the busy mind. It can improve not only your way of thinking but also your physical health.
When you think of mindfulness, you may think of sitting in a quiet space with a peaceful mind and body. This is a common way to practice mindfulness, but it isn’t the only way to do it! A new frontier of mindfulness can be found in the art of drumming. Keep reading to find out how taking part in drumming classes and workshops can be an enlightening experience for the mind, body, and soul.
Experience the benefits of mindfulness. Book yourself into an African drumming class today.
Ancient wisdom
Drumming has been proven to be an effective calming strategy for the mind and body. New studies are revealing that drumming meditation can be a great support to treatments for cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. The powerful rhythm of the drum can give the mind something to focus on, which allows for deeper meditation practice. This results in not only a deeper meditation but an easy route to meditation as well when you choose to follow the rhythm.
Another perk of drumming meditation is that the results are quick, especially for those who have struggled with meditation in the past. Perhaps the main reason that people struggle with meditation is that their active mind strays away from the pattern of their breathing and they quickly become frustrated with themselves. If you follow a rhythm while you drum, meditation allows the mind to focus on something more concrete than breathing while simultaneously escaping to a peaceful place.
In addition to benefitting from the drum rhythms, African drumming has been shown to ignite something ancestral in some people. The beat of the drum can help to slow down thoughts in the brain. African drumming can even put the body in a trans-like state that makes it easier to focus on the art of meditation. This is a practice that has been utilised in cultural traditions throughout the ages.
Drumming, rhythm and concentration
When you are engaged in the practice of African drumming while meditating, the hands are occupied with the task of hitting the drum. While not a difficult task, hitting the drums keeps the hands and arms engaged and moving during the meditation. The brain has to signal this movement, which keeps the brain occupied more than in a traditional meditative position where you may be sitting motionless for extended periods of time.
Mindfulness is defined as a state of being conscious or when you are truly aware of something. When you practice drumming mindfulness, you will find that you are aware of the beautiful music and rhythm you are creating with your hands and also how you are feeling because of it. Because your hands are occupied with the task of drumming, your mind will be in the present. You won’t have to worry about your thoughts travelling to things that have happened in the past or worries about the future.
Practicing mindfulness also enhances a sense of emotional awareness. This occurs through the process of slowing down and become more in touch with your thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations. Over time, this strengthens the ability to not only interpret your own emotions rather than immediately reacting, but also understand the emotions of people around you and how they influence their behaviour.
Benefits of mindfulness
The benefits of mindfulness are unique for everyone and depend on how open you are to the experience. One key benefit is simply relaxation. Many individuals experience a surprising sense of relaxation when they allow their thinking mind to just rest.
Mindfulness can also boost productivity throughout the day by training the mind to live in the now and focus on the task at hand. By living completely within the moment, our attention to detail and ability to produce outstanding work dramatically improves. Whether it’s work, study or a hobby, not only will your output improve, but you’re more likely to enjoy the process even more by being fully invested in what you’re doing.
Mindfulness can even be an effective aid for helping the body fight illness. A number of studies have proven this effective in individuals receiving cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder treatments. Mindfulness can provide the individual with a break from the pain that comes with the condition they are facing.
Mindfulness Benefits For Students
Students that practice mindfulness in one way or another are more focused and engaged with their learning material. Not only will they boost their academic performance, but mindfulness activities can help students to manage their emotions and cultivate a more balanced sense of wellbeing.
During critical developmental years, spending significant time every day thinking and overthinking can be physically and emotionally exhausting. A break for the thinking mind helps students to develop control over their mind and navigate the confusion mental turmoil they will experience in their schooling years. Mindfulness can also provide a break from the academic stresses of school, which is something many students crave.
If students take the time to train the mind, perhaps through the art of drumming, they can gain an understanding of the value of mindfulness and how it can be practiced through many enjoyable activities. This way students aren’t quick to judge meditation or mindfulness as a pointless activity. By using the rhythm of drumming to enter into a mindful state, students will achieve the benefits of mindfulness without even realising it.
Overall, drumming can provide students or any individuals with a calming and effective way to practice mindfulness. The research around the effectiveness of mindfulness is only growing. It is an extremely valuable way to promote relaxation and general wellbeing within the mind and body as well as promoting health in the physical body.
Book an African drumming workshop to teach your students the benefits of mindfulness.