An Evening With Steve Farmer PhD – Native American Drumming Circles ~ Part 2
November 7th 2007 09:55
So what can you expect?
Well, you’ll be asked to close your eyes and as with every meditation, take some deep breaths... and letting all other thoughts drop away, simply stay focused on your breathing. At this point, it is prudent to always invoke a little prayer of protection, just in case.
Breathing is the fundamental of meditation and is the connection between worlds, which is why meditation it is so important (more on this later) … to go into altered states through focused breathing you make contact with the divine within you.
Steven then asked us to close our eyes and (still breathing deeply) start to listen to the slow, steady rhythmic drumbeat – like a moderate heart beat, but so much more … boom…boom…boom ... boom… boom…boom (still focused on only our breath) …
For this meditation, you'd then be asked to go to a place in your mind, in nature, somewhere where you feel comfortable. Either a clearing in the woods, by a stream, near a forest or something similar… then (still focused on your breathing) and having transcended to a completely altered state of complete relaxation, you are to sit there enjoying the scenery and wait for your totem animal to appear. When it does, thank it for coming and ask it for any messages it might have for you.
Then, I heard Steve drumming us back to this reality and I eventually opened my eyes to an almost ‘strange room with burgundy curtains’ I had completely forgotten whre I really was.
The conversation in the auditorium was really lively after that, as the microphone was randomly passed around, so that people could relay their animal totems and the messages – and more importantly, how those messages carried seeds of solution within them for all the woes within their lives at this time.
The microphone moved on and there were Jaguars, Bears, Puma’s; Badgers, Wombats and Kangaroo’s; Koala Bears, Kookaburra’s and House Cats; Dogs, Crows and Magpies; Rats, Owls and Snakes… you name them and they had wandered in. I was amazed at the diversity and the pertinence each totem animal held for its ‘owner.’
Having been asked to bring our own rattles, and drums, we then made our way to Steven ~ on the floor of the huge amphitheatre. This was to be an immersion Drum Circle, in which we would all participate to create enough healing energy to send out to the four corners of the earth ...
“…As the many noises of drums, rattles and flutes, merge into the empowering (but unusually chosen) 7-beat - fast rhythmic pulse - I close my eyes and allow my energy to go beyond my feet, deep into mother earth, whilst pure light pours in through the top of my head. Breathing deeply and immersing into the sound alone, it feels like I have no body and am only spirit moving within … pulling all my spiritual and mundane bodies into synchronistic unity (again)… total alignment and pace with 7/7...Here, I can feel the irrelevance of hanging onto my pain.
A means to contain all my power within, in a controlled way, whilst the synchronised pulse of good intention and healing energy reaches its crescendo within the circle … and someone yells like a crow “caw, caw, caw’
boom… boom … boom… boom… boom…
then asked to all to turn ~ facing out of the circle ~ I release the healing energy to all those I think that matter and will use it most wisely.
HAH!”
A means to contain all my power within, in a controlled way, whilst the synchronised pulse of good intention and healing energy reaches its crescendo within the circle … and someone yells like a crow “caw, caw, caw’
boom… boom … boom… boom… boom…
then asked to all to turn ~ facing out of the circle ~ I release the healing energy to all those I think that matter and will use it most wisely.
HAH!”
/seriously/ if you want to try something really invigorating, healing and energising, I recommend that you ‘google a shaman/drumming circle’ and get along to one in your area.
Try it out, at least once in this lifetime, okay?
It is a relatively inexpensive form of healing compared to Reiki and other forms of natural therapy used today.
The kit contains a drummed CD and guided meditation, to lead you along your way, and the results can be no less powerful … however, in today’s world of 'isolated cells,' having the courage to share the experience with others, is so very often profoundly magical and I recommend it.
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Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
oooh this sounds like such a great evening. I have been hearing drums in my head ever since you first mentioned it.
Your animals have brought you pertinent messages I see - hopefully they are the bearer of good news over bad for you.
I tried to imagine myself in a forest last night after I read your post but it was raining and my mind kept drifting... my first thought was of snakes and frogs but I think that is just because they are the first things I would think of being in a forest.
I think there is a drumming group up here actually, I may have to look them up and go along for a peek... I`ve always loved tribal drums... there certainly is something magical about their sound.
Hope you are well and enjoying this beautiful weather. The sky is poetic today.
Ash
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
beautiful!
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
I can see from your comment that you would really get a lot of these circles too and really hope you get along to one, as you say. They are really inexpensive - usally lots of change from a $50 bill - and so worth the investment - I will call you next time too, okay... this one was at such short notice, I had to ring the booking agency immediately and pay to get my seat for the next night, there was just no time to pass it on.
A native American Indian would probably tell you that no thought is random, if you were focused on your breathing and in a relaxed state...he'd probably say that those animals have come to you... either because you have called for what you need, or because they need to reach you with their wisdom and 'power energy.' Keep an eye out for signs of them occurring again, over the next few days, you'll know if they keep repeating... you can ask too, if you thanked them. "Did you mean to come to me?" They will appear again if they really did.
So , let's assume that you weren't 'dreaming...' and having looked at my dream post animals, and had a few repetitions ... and see if it means anything to you?
Steven says about snakes, when he comes to you that ;
~ You're about to go through some significant changes, so intense and dramatic that an old self will metaphorically die as a new self emerges!
(woo hoo - sounds like you'll get ALOT out of a drumming circle, doesn't it? Either that or our next outing together?)... can't wait.
~ You're going ot feel a surge of energy that will sharpen your senses
~ You're about to resolve a long standing issue...
~A good time to start either tantric or kundalini yoga - to learn about the snake energy. (shoudl be something about that on my dream post).
~You'll experience an unexpected emotional and dramatic physical or emotional healing real soon, coming from unexpected source.
All sounds good to me... as for Froggie...Steven says;
~ Do a physical cleanse to detoxify your body. (Try some high strength magnesium)
~ Do an emotional cleanse by letting yourself really feel your emotions, and cry as much as you need to in order to clear and release any emotional toxicity.
~Singing or chanting out loud will really help you balance now. (HA, keep up that humming
~You're moving into a time of plenty and abundance.
~ This is the start of a slow and steady transofrmational process for you, a movement from an old life to a new.
(wow, that connects with snake's message too, doesn't it?)/// double woo hoo. I hope this is really all happening for you soon... transformation is always so good, although I always get frusterated with the growing pains and usually end in tears, because something has to be let go of, in order for the something new to be let in, doesn't it?
I'm a bit of a horder, even of my emotional baggage *chuckle* I don't give up my pain and suffering so easily either... although I am getting better at it, I must admit... it must be all these drumming circles I keep going too
I just drove back from Kilcoy where the clouds were scraping the mountains...some even touching the heads of the cattle. Absolutely b-e-a-u-tiful indeed ..inspirational more like it.
I think I need to move out of suburbia, I really do.
Inspired hugs,
Lilla ...
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
HA! Once again I`m just blown away by this all! AMAZING! And I`ve been humming more than ever this past week - to the point of distraction for those around me
I look forward to trying all these new experiences - I feel like a bit of a goose when I think about it because I just have no clue, none, zero, nada as it`s all so new... but I guess everyone, even the teacher, started off in my shoes at one point... and you have to start somewhere now don`t you
I was thinking about going to a language school in Ecuador the other night for a month or so before volunteering starts and I was getting all excited. Then all of a sudden this image came bombarding in of me lying on a dorm bed one night thinking WTF am I doing In Ecuador? hahaha my sense of adventure has definitely been dulled over my time in Aus!
Ug I know what you mean about the growing pains. Sometimes you just think... please no! I don`t want to do this anymore it`s all too hard. It`s like that with getting rid of the emotional baggage too isn`t it? And then all of a sudden the sun comes out from behind the clouds and you emerge into this beautiful new world and wonder what it was that you were worried about in the first place. I`m glad that you are moving forward though - that`s the best direction to go in.
The sky was incredible today wasn`t it? I just couldn`t resist it any longer and had to get out with the camera. Glad you were able to enjoy it too.
Thanks for all this info - WOW! I`m loving it... this gal is on the mooooove!
fresh, breezy hugs
Ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
I went with you, what a ride that was! Youve inspired me so....I will have to try and find the time to check this out. This post was just so alive every word had a place to go.
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
.. if you can get so muchout of my words, just imagine experiencing the real thing?
I really hope you find a good circle and give it a try... I feel you are amongst the closest to me in the animal earth planes ... your energy of an earth healer is apparent to me... this is of great benefit to that energy ...
When he's back next year, you should try Medicine Crows circle in Sydney, it will blow you away and is much more controlled and beneficial than this one was, but then Crow is a native American... big difference.
Much healing energy to you,
Lilla ...