Contents Directory:

THE CHAKRAS

THE SUBTLE BODIES

MUSIC THERAPY and DRUMMING

THE CHAKRAS

Raven Drum workshops and gatherings include experiential techniques in breathing, visualization, music and movement based on the ancient knowledge of the chakra system. Here is some basic information on the chakras.

The human system contains seven energy centers, located along the spine, called chakras (meaning "wheel" in Sanskrit). These centers, or vortecies, process emotional, mental and spiritual energy, guiding it through the subtle body via a network of energetic pathways, called nadis. They are connected by a thin energy channel running up the center of the spine, known as the shushumna nadi.

The chakras are:

• ROOT
• SACRAL
• SOLAR PLEXUS
• HEART
• THROAT
• THIRD EYE
• CROWN

• ROOT - grounding, survival instincts, tribal and family issues
• SACRAL - sexuality, power, financial issues
• SOLAR PLEXUS - personal power, self-image
• HEART - love, romance, self-love, unconditional love
• THROAT - personal and divine will, communication
• THIRD EYE - inner vision, psychic abilities
• CROWN - spiritual meaning, connection to God

Working with the chakras is a powerful way to grow spiritually, to attain higher consciousness, to stimulate creativity, and ultimately to know God.

THE SUBTLE BODIES

Raven Drum workshops and gatherings include experiential techniques in breathing, visualization, music and movement based on the ancient knowledge of the subtle bodies. Here is some basic information on the subtle bodies.

The human system exists on many levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. While modern science focuses mainly on the physical systems, ancient wisdom dealt chiefly with the non-physical systems, which are grouped under the name "subtle bodies" ("subtle" here means non-physical). The subtle bodies are:
1. Etheric
2. Astral/emotional
3. Mental
4. Causal

The etheric body is composed of life energy ("prana "or "chi"). It is:
1. The holographic energy template for the physical body
2. The map for building of physical body during embryogenesis
3. The map for rebuilding damaged tissues

The astral/emotional body (also called the "dream body") is what we would normally think of as the subconscious. It is:
1. Where the near-death state is experienced
2. The source of emotions
3. The source of dreams
4. The vehicle of out-of-body travel

The mental body is what we would normally think of as the mind. It is:
1. The vehicle involved in the expression of intellect
2. The interface between the mind and the brain
3. The source of ideas
4. The doorway to contact with higher planes of existence

The causal body is the most subtle body of all. It is:
1. The key to mechanism of reincarnation.
2. The repository of past-life karma and memories
3. The source of karmic illnesses
4. The link with the True Self

MUSIC THERAPY and DRUMMING
– By Heather Davidson, MA, MT-BC

Music therapy can be defined as, “a goal-directed process in which the therapist helps the client to improve, maintain, or restore a state of well-being, using musical experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change. The therapist helps the client through assessment, treatment, and evaluation procedures. Aspects of the client’s well-being that can be addressed through music therapy include a wide variety of mental, physical, emotional, and social problems or needs” (Kenneth E. Brucia, 1987).

Music therapists work with a wide range of client populations, including children and adults with special needs, the elderly, and youth “at-risk”. Music therapists provide services in many settings, including hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and private practice. Music therapists practice at the Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels, and in addition, are board certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. For more information on music therapy visit www.musictherapy.org or www.cbmt.com.

The therapeutic benefits of drumming with a community are many. Rhythm is as innate to the human experience as breathing. Indeed, our bodies are governed by the rhythmic cycles of our breath, heartbeat, sleeping, waking, and eating. Through the drum people are able to establish meaningful relationships. Drumming offers a platform on which a healthy community can be built and serves as a powerful metaphor for how a healthy community functions outside of the drum circle. Drumming is accessible to everyone regardless of cognitive, emotional, social, or physical limitation. “...The quality of the music produced in an event like this is not based on the rhythmical expertise of the players, but on the quality of their relationship with the other people in the circle...” (Arthur Hull, www.drumcircle.com). In a community drum circle, every member contributes a vital element to the overall composition regardless of personal skill. The group is supporting each person and each person is providing support to the other members.

Drumming allows for the healthy and appropriate expression of emotions, such as anger and sadness. Our society does not encourage its members to freely express emotion, especially grief and anger, nor does it educate people about how to channel emotion appropriately. Community drumming, because it does not require verbal processing, can help people bypass the circuitry that tells them to “stuff” their feelings. Drumming allows them to release their feelings in a healthy way. Drumming can induce a deep, trance-like state of meditation, allowing one to slow down enough to get in touch with inner feelings that have been long buried.

Drumming can address all aspects of the multi-faceted human being, including the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual components. It is an activity that takes minimal technical skill, so the success rate is very high. It is a form of non-verbal communication allowing people to connect and interact with one another on a very deep level without ever saying a word. Drumming provides an avenue for the healthy expression of emotion. It is a physical activity, providing exercise to the body from movement, as well as stimulation of the body from the sound waves received via the drumming of the entire group. Finally, drumming can be a spiritual experience, unique to each individual. For some, it is a way to be closer to the divine or to connect with universal rhythms. For others, it is a way to transcend the limitations of the physical body, inducing a meditative state and transporting them to a level beyond that which they experience on a daily basis.

Rhythm is the central power of our life; it connects us all. There is a powerful source of rhythmic knowledge in every human being, and as we find our way back to this ancient wisdom, we unite with the essence of our life. – Reinhard FlatischlerHeather Davidson, MA, MT-BC is a board certified music therapist who works with adults and children with a variety of special needs and is a member of the Raven Drum Foundation’s Artist Collective.