Oct 27-29, 2006
The first sound we hear is the pulse of our mother’s blood through her arteries. All drumming echoes this original, primal sound. We will listen to the first sound and learn the basic strokes of the drum, organizing them into powerful healing rhythms. Chanting, overtone singing, and humming sacred sounds to the rhythms of the frame drum are ancient techniques for directly synchronizing the bodymind, creating conditions for psychological, physical, and spiritual healing.
Layne Redmond is a scholar of the Great Goddess and her priestesses, who are frequently portrayed playing the frame drum, the world’s oldest known drum. This drum is associated with the bee goddesses, Aphrodite, Cybele, Artemis, Demeter, and Neith. They are said to awaken a buzz of ascending consciousness and descending spiritual grace in those who practice these drumming rituals.
We’ll learn a synthesis of drumming techniques from India, the Middle East, North Africa, and Brazil. Together we will explore the power of thinking mythically and working ritually. Rituals are collective actions that access and influence the deep resources of the unconscious mind. Using sacred symbols, sound, and energy, we will raise the group to an intensity of shared emotion, transforming ourselves through our drumming and chanting. Men and women at all experience levels are welcome and will learn much that is new.
Layne Redmond, author of the acclaimed When The Drummers Were Women and Chakra Meditation, has taught and performed at universities and transformational centers in the U. S., Canada, Europe, and Brazil and is the founder and director of The Mob of Angels. She has created healing rhythmic and drumming exercises that draw upon hatha yoga and pranayama breathing practices, Buddhist meditation, Qi Kung, and Ericksonian hypnosis. She has created vital recordings and instructional videos and we’re honored to welcome the return of this original and visionary drummer.