[ellied]

I'd never seen that site and it isn't quite how I work with it but it's interesting reading

I teach therapists and generally, using the 160-180 beats per minute that enhances high alpha low theta brain frequencies and helps us access our creativity and awareness, which is why it works for journeying incidentally   What drumming also does is act as a wordless voice with which we can express a range of experiences, emotions and memories in community without judgement or projection.  It is indeed a way of relieving stress amongst other things, we can also use vibrational rhythms for healing, use the sound to help people (often women) who don't have permission to be loud, vocal, expressive, angry, powerful etc.  I use some ancient ritual forms and some I have developed in tandem with my psychotherapy training, to build a sense of power in the self, freedom in expression, expression of emotions (past and present) and above all to build a community or drum circle where we all hold the rhythm for each other and work together even when we are doing individual work that nobody else can tell what it is..

It's a passion I have had for the last 7 years - I developed the workshop from a half day to whole day and now a full weekend, tho I still run 2-3 hour drum circles on a monthly basis as not everyone wants to commit to the whole thing without at least a first bash   Oh and yes I also do teach shamanism and work as a drummer for other practitioners in ritual and ceremony, but you don't have to buy into the spiritual aspect or the lineage of shamanism in order to benefit.   

[doganjo]

Might I have a try at it sometime?

[Eastling]

Well one 

[MAK]

Quote from Ellied
I teach therapists and generally, using the 160-180 beats per minute that enhances high alpha low theta brain frequencies and helps us access our creativity and awareness,
Can you point me towards the evidence for the above please?
I am not sure what you mean by high alpha activity as the band width of alpha is very tight around 8-11 Hz - it can be seen in the occipital region of the wake brain when the eyes are closed and across the cortex in sleep if in pain or stress. Alpha intrusion into sleep is not good.
Interesting.

[ellied]

Please, I was trying to celebrate my exam success with "friends" of the online variety and only explained the drumming in response to a query so wasn't actually soliciting business or inviting a debate on the merits or methods of accessing different brain states  

Spirituality isn't everybody's cup of tea but more of it seems to be gaining credibility as scientific research catches up with what practitioners and clients over around 30-40,000 years seem to have taken on trust, namely that it works..  I am not one of those involved in the research, but there is plenty on the internet if you care to google it - Dr Melinda Maxfield (PhD not medical) is one, just a small study for Stanford as I recall but there is also Dr Jeffrey D Thomson at the Centre for Neuroacoustic Research and the University of Birmingham for starters..  I'll try and look it up if you want but sadly I've not the memory for scientific data that I might like - I do know it works for my clients and that it works amazingly for me under the most diverse set of circumstances across a period of 8 years to date..

As for alpha during sleep, I've never advocated that - as I understand it alpha is associated with internal processing and theta with meditational and trance states, intense creativity etc.  Beta is the thinking alert state and delta (waking) has been linked to the experience of long term expert buddhist and yogi meditation that goes way beyond my ability   The kind of thing Zen Buddhists practising "no mind" techniques might achieve.  This is a layman's understanding, I have my MSc in psychotherapy not in neuroscience or music research, but I apologise if I offend a pure scientist by quoting what I have been taught inaccurately - consider it the response of an ageing brain coming down from major week long sleep deprivation, exam stress and the effects of 2 very large glasses of vino rosso

Can I please just be happy for a bit now?  I had a major piece of remedial work done on my shoulders yesterday afternoon by one of the tutors after giving her a combination of relaxation massage, reiki and shamanic fire energy (no I can't explain that in research either but she got it despite being a microbiologist!).  My healing response - professional term for "it gets worse as a part of getting better" is quite severe to the point moving is a problem but I will be drumming tonight for my group no matter what, because it works and I am passionate about it, sorry again if that isn't ok with anyone but that's how it is.

[sabrina]

Well done, Clan House where I stayed in Aberdeen while going through my cancer use a few things that you have passed in and most of us felt a benefit. It was up to the individual if they wanted to take up the treatments on offer. Don't knock it unless you have tried them. 

[Rosemary]

I have no idea how any of this works, but if it works for you, go for it 

I was dead sceptical about reiki before my old Pilates teacher put her hands either side of my head (I was expressing my scepticism at the time) and wow, I was officially freaked. I loved reiki sessions with her - no idea how it works but it did for me.

I think it's great that folk explore these things - if everyone was like me, we still wouldn't have discovered America 

[ellied]

Perhaps Mak would like to expand on his/her knowledge base/experience/qualifications on alpha in sleep?

Not on my massage exam thread please - I am too tired to take up the discussion.  Wish I'd kept my trap shut, and not for the first time