Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults? Also, it's not uncommon for a patient with anxiety to suffer from depression and vice versa. Nearly half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. That's why easing anxiety using sound and vibrational healing is so important. It's a natural and cost-effective way to boost your mood and get you into a meditative state. Let's read further to see how drumming can help you ease your anxiety and get into a more positive state of mind.
Drumming Can Reduce Depression by 38%
You probably didn't know that there were studies done on this subject, but scientists are way ahead of the game. The Royal College of Music conducted research where they brought 76 mental health service users into a 10-week program of group drumming.
The study revealed by the drumming program was able to reduce anxiety by 20% and depression by 38%. These are astounding numbers for a program that only lasted 10 weeks! Can you imagine how much more effective drumming would be to easing anxiety if conducted as a long-term healing program?
The great news is that the effects of this drumming program were still visible and present 3 months after the program ended. This showcases the power and cost-effective nature of vibrational healing using drumming.
Finally, they did saliva analyses on the drummers before and after (to measure immune system inflammation which is common in mental health conditions). It showed that the drumming program had a similar effect on improving the inflammatory immune profile as would medication and psychotherapy.
Drumming Helps You Get Into a Meditative State
Do you have a hard time staying in the present moment? Do you worry and feel anxious about past mistakes and future events? Does it all feel like too much for you to handle?
The great thing about drumming, especially seen in social drumming circles, is that drumming becomes a sort of meditation in motion. You are not sitting necessarily in a meditation posture watching your breath, but drumming in tune with others in the circle, allows you to come into the present moment. It becomes a mindfulness practice on its own.
Another issue that a lot of us have in this instant gratification world is that we are not able to focus or concentrate for long periods of time. This can also exacerbate our anxious monkey minds, jumping from thought to thought, without any real resolution. Drumming can help you focus as you have to concentrate on the feel of the drums and staying in tune with the music.
When you are so focused on drumming and the sound healing that comes from it, your mind is stopped from ruminating and wandering. That's when you truly feel alive and connected to your deeper self.
Mindfulness and Anxiety
There is lots of research out there that shows the connection between mindfulness and anxiety reduction. The reason why mindfulness works as a great weapon against anxiety is that it helps us stay present in the moment and helps us react to stress with awareness rather than instinctively.
Instead of letting yourself be led by your habits, emotions, or past motives, you allow a more adaptive reaction to stressful situations.
Mindfulness also helps prevent maladaptive thinking where you ruminate over stressful situations, but don't actually take any action to fix them. In addition, mindfulness can also help you identify and connect better with your emotions.
Most people have no idea what emotion they are feeling in the moment because they are so used to pushing away dark or negative emotions to feel better about themselves. But emotions, even if pushed away, never disappear, but only fester under the surface.
With mindfulness practice, you can get into contact with all emotions, be it positive or negative, and build a relationship with them yet again.
With mindfulness training, you can also build body awareness and boost your self-esteem and self-acceptance. It also reduces cortisol levels in the body, which is a stress hormone.
As you can see, drumming as a mindfulness practice can have astounding and long-lasting changes in your mood, anxiety, and depression levels. And all you are doing is beating a drum for a few minutes a day.
Drumming Helps You Build Social Connection
One of the reasons why anxiety is so prevalent in today's society is due to the loneliness epidemic. Being alone and isolated can bring up feelings of being unsafe and without a backup. Considering that for thousands of years, human beings lived communally with families living, working, and playing together, this is a huge shift for us.
No wonder people are feeling out of place and out of sorts. That's why joining (or starting your own) a social drumming circle is such a great way of alleviating that loneliness and anxiety.
When you spend time with and around others who are building and making music with you, it feels like you are part of a sound healing course. It can help you feel connected to others in the drum circle, and make you feel like you are part of something bigger. It can boost your feelings of belonging and acceptance.
Drumming also gives you a way to express yourself and communicate with others in something deeper than words. If you have a hard time expressing yourself using words due to your social anxiety or fears, then drumming can be a good temporary substitute.
Once you are part of a drumming circle that meets regularly, you will feel like a family and start building social contacts again. This is also possible because drumming circles are quite inclusive and relaxed. You don't need to be good at drumming to be part of one - all you need is the desire to play music and go deep within.
Drumming Is Easy to Do Anywhere and Fast
The great thing about drumming is that it's not an expensive hobby to build. No matter what your budget, you can get a pair of drums (or even make one for yourself using a PVC pipe and rubber) and get started on your drumming journey.
Also, you don't have to worry too much about rhythm and staying in tune. Drumming is truly about feeling into your heart and going along with what the heart and hands say.
Once you have a drum, you can start including it in your daily healing practice, perhaps with meditation in the morning or having a drumming session before you fall asleep at night. As it reduces your anxiety levels, it can help you have a great day at work or school or help you fall asleep faster and easier.
In addition, you can start including family members and friends in your drumming circle, so you can build positive memories and enhance your relationship with them.
If your drum is small enough, you can carry it around with you and have a little drumming sound healing session whenever you feel your anxiety levels creeping up. This could be before you need to give a presentation at work or school or before you need to have a conversation with your boss about getting a raise.
A few minutes of drumming can help you feel a whole lot better, and you can ease into your day with positivity and joy.
Vibrational Healing Isn't Just for Hippies Anymore
If you wish to deepen your relationship with sound and bring more of this social healing modality to the world, your family, or just to yourself, then consider taking a sound healing course with the right sound therapy school, Sound Medicine Academy being one of them.
You know how it feels when you hear a song that you love or are immersed in a chant, or a mantra like Aum, that really speaks to you at a deeper heart or spirit level. It's an ethereal experience - absolutely out of this world.
That's why sound therapy training can be such a great option for you. You can learn more about how sound affects you on all levels and how you can use sound therapy to enhance the lives of everyone around you.
No need to learn about all this on your own. Sound Medicine Academy's experienced practitioners are here to make the journey safe and effective, so you don't repeat the same mistakes they did.
Start Easing Anxiety and Enhancing Your Quality of Life through Drumming
Drumming is just the beginning of your sound healing journey. As you begin easing anxiety through your drumming practice, you will want to explore other aspects of sound therapy.
Don't hold back. Contact Sound Medicine Academy today and enquire about their sound healing training. They also have a huge catalog of Himalayan (Tibetan) Singing Bowls for purchase. The world of sound healing awaits you. Don't delay.