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Beautiful Ocean

The drumming and dancing continued during that wonderful evening! The sun began to set, but while there was still light we were going to continue to drum and dance and honor the ocean and sacredness of the beautiful island of Kuaui.

The colors begin to take their place in the clouds, and the rhythms shifted and changed. The dancing became more vigorous, and I think Tanis got a little tired because she switched from dancing to playing the drum. When I first met Tanis she could not play the drum to save her life. Over the years she has become a very proficient drummer. I think she can drum as well as she can dance! She does both very well.

We continued to send the rhythm to the ocean. We drummed for the healing of the planet, the unity of the people, and the joining together of all tribes! People were switching from drumming to dancing, and from dancing to drumming, and back again. As the color filled the sky and the ocean waves rhythmically connected with the lava rock on the shores, there became a sense of peace and well-being in the midst of this vital life force energy.

Unity in the Rhythm of the Drum

It’s amazing how the drum activates the energy around it. Our group went to the pavilion to drum and enjoy the rhythms and sounds that were being created. What ended up happening was an energetic expansion in each and every person that sent us into an ecstatic and joyful state of well-being. Most of these people had never met each other, yet we were able to unify in the rhythm, in a way that made it seem like we were all family, we were all of one tribe!

This kind of unity I find to be very unique to the drum. It is one of the reasons why I treasure this instrument so much. Each person carries their own rhythm, each person carries their own unique heartbeat. We are all the same, but in our own unique way.

Potent Energy Beneath the Stars

Penny and I Drumming Together

Another one of our crew who was a beautiful addition to this special evening is Penny. A veterinarian by trade and angel by energy, she was a beautiful soul to have in our group.

I’m not sure how much drumming experience Penny had had, but she did great! It was magical to drum with her and the others as the sun set. It was interesting to feel the difference in the energy between the sun time and the moon time.

The night energy that particular evening was very potent, carrying the power of the island and the cosmos simultaneously. The grounded energy of the water and the island combined mysteriously with the high vibration and expansion of the stars.

There’s something about the energy of the island, the dark night sky, the sound of the ocean, and the feeling of the land. I can’t put my finger on it, but I know that is something indigenous, something very old that resonates deeply with my soul. It is so awesome to see the power of people who come to the island, wake up and embrace that which has been lying dormant deep within them and owning their power!

Gratitude for Island Experiences

It is these experiences that keep me coming back. It is not only my own personal experiences which have been life-changing on the island, but watching those who come and join me blossom and expand in ways never expected and not always understood.

The embrace of this magnetic pull is beyond explanation to me. But I’m glad it’s here and I’m glad that I have experienced its wonder.

Many of you know that I have done extensive training with Malidoma Somé and in my work with him have learned a lot about creating a space of fun and welcoming for the ancestors. When we do ritual, it’s usually in a very festive atmosphere. Good beverages, oftentimes a cigar, and always drumming!

I recently read an interview with Malidoma where he talks about spirituality and seriousness. Here is a small excerpt from the interview that I thought was very interesting, and definitely worth putting some thought into. Needless to say, these words of wisdom from Malidoma can come in handy in each of our lives!

Playful Spirits

Interviewer: Some people make an assumption, often unconsciously, that any spiritual practice worthwhile needs to be serious and somber. Can you speak to the role of play and fun and spontaneity in ritual work?

Malidoma: You must understand that the other world doesn’t know anything about seriousness. The issue at hand is that anytime I’ve had an encounter with the other world, and I mean that literally—we have little people in my culture that we call Kontomblé—every time you meet them, they’re playing around. They look like irresponsible people jumping around, finding you rather funny looking and serious. So it has led me to wonder: where do we inherit this solemn attitude, in fact, associated with the word “serious?” I tried to understand it by way of trying to find out whether there is an equivalent in Dagara of the word “serious”—there is none. There’s no word for “serious!” The closest word to it is literally translated as “red eye!” It’s funny! But this is as serious as it gets! Because “red eye” means you can’t close your eye, you’ve gotta keep it open, because you might miss out on something! So there is a direct connection between ritual and fun and also play. Where does it come from? We can see it in children whose world is all about play and the choreography of it. Why do we grow up and find this rather childish, as if childish is less important than solemn and serious? I really would try to do be more playful just to see whether in fact there is a greater chance of success than this seriousness.

The bottom line is the further away from the sacred a culture grows, the more serious and solemn they become. That simply suggests that the closer a community or a people get to the sacred, the more access to joy, playfulness, and a lot of laughter! So it’s up to us to choose. Modern culture seems to understand that. Even the corporate world understands that. That’s why they have such a time as “Happy Hour!” Every time, everyday between four and five is a happy hour where the drinks are cheaper, but it’s only between four and five. After that everybody’s back to seriousness—I’ve got a problem with that! The playfulness associated with work has been shrunk so much down to an artificial happy hour that you cannot even be playful or come close to happiness without the help of a couple of glasses of heavy duty liquors! That means the genies of laughter and happiness are becoming really thin, and we’re approaching the idea of laughter and joy from a serious deficit and that’s why we need the substitute of liquor in order to make that happen.

That being said, the fundamental piece is for us to look at ourselves from the perspective of the amount of joy that we’re willing to bring into our lives—how much of that is in there—and to raise the question that puts a balance between what we are able to achieve and the amount of joy that accompanies the initiative towards that achievement. Are our failures due to a rather pathologically seriousness given to life? Or are the things we fail to achieve associated with a deficit in joy due to too many repressions and repressed things within us that are blocking the channel of joy? These are pertinent questions that we should ask ourselves. We just can’t make a laconic statement saying, “Well there’s not enough joy; there’s not enough laughter; there’s not enough playfulness!” We have to associate that with our productivity, with our capacity to muster healing and transformation in our culture and see whether it is not the reason why we have an industry called “entertainment.” In other words, in order for you to laugh, somebody must be over there making a fool of himself so that you can giggle a couple of times! The point is that it’s revelatory of a deep apology that is keeping us away from each other, keeping us away from the healing power of joy and laughter. Anyway, I don’t want to be too serious about it! (laughs)

The Benefits of Random Laughter

Interviewer: Malidoma, as we come to the conclusion of our interview, is there anything you would like to share about what’s bringing you joy or passion or excitement currently in your work with spirit and with your teachings?

Malidoma: What I do brings me a deep sense of peace inside. The core of what I understand as joy is a deep inner peace, the kind that is really hard to put in words. It has less to do with random laughter and superficial socialization; it has to do with a deep sense of joy experienced whenever change in the right direction is seen in a person in whose life I have intervened. The truth is I derive tremendous pleasure in it, and I think that this is something that everybody should be entitled to. This is radically different from entertainment—I’m not entertained by that, I’m overjoyed by it! At the same time, I can sense the pull to grief and I take that as a sign that my heart is not closed, and that I derive joy! It is the contribution to the sense of peace, which for me is authentic.

I stay in this work, regardless of its turmoil and the fact that, as I said in the beginning of this session—that I hear more bad news than good news—but I stay in it simply because one healing at a time is proportional to a massive influx of joy and peace inside of me. This is something that I see being needed by most everybody in this field who end up taking what they’re doing too seriously and as such become a prisoner of very bad weather that they’ve chosen to lock themselves into. People say my lectures are too funny; that whenever I start teaching something, every minute I’ve got to add a little joke in it—I can’t help it! Just don’t take things too seriously! It is true we’re all in pain, but sometimes you laugh at pain, and pain gets panicked! You start looking at pain with the strange eye of the clown and the pain says, “Usually this is not how these people behave!” And then the pain wants to go somewhere else!

It is important to realize the healing aspect of this whole thing. For me, after gauntlets of 15 years in this work, I realize the best healing for me is humor, to stay within the field of humor. I think this is something that people should entertain. Let’s get together and crack ourselves up with all kinds of things, because in the end, it is this inexplicable sound coming out of our throat chakras that sends a message to all—that which wants us to look so weighed down by the bad news, that it can then enjoy watching us. The minute we’re cracking up in front of it, then we start creating tremendous discomfort in it. And that’s a show of our capacity to heal each other, as opposed to waiting for some kind of salvation agent to come down with a basket full of it to toss around—that doesn’t work. Or if it works, only a few benefit from it and the rest are left even hungrier than before. So for me this is what I’ve ended up embracing because my own salvation, my own well-being rests on that. And I hope it can expand sufficiently to affect as many people as possible. Contagious laughter is healthy!

Thank you, Malidoma, for your words of wisdom!

This rejuvenating ritual is based on mineral. Mineral represents communication: how can our purpose be communicated within ourselves to to the rest of the world? Each of us has and lives a story. Some of us feel this story is out of sync with who we really are. This mineral ritual can benefit us in so many by allowing our old stories to be finished and our new ones to begin.

Connecting with Nature

You will need an ordinary stone or crystal for this ritual. Search for a stone in your yard, on a walking path, in the park, or wherever. It doesn’t have to be a fancy stone, but should be comfortable to carry with you. I’ve done healing work with many people who have used a crystal in place of the stone, and it worked beautifully.

For three consecutive days, keep this rock or crystal with you. It can be carried in your pocket, purse, or even in a pouch around your neck. The point is it should remain with you throughout the three day period. For fifteen minutes each day, hold the stone or crystal in the palm of your hand and close your fingers around it. During this period, focus on connecting with the stone, asking it to grant you a new story that can help improve your life. Be open to receive whatever new story comes your way using this mineral ritual.

When you are finished downloading your new story, take a moment to thank the rock for helping you in your discovery. If you found the rock in nature, please be sure to return it.

Start a New Chapter of Self-Improvement

Far too often we get stuck in a rut. We automatically support the stories in our lives that are not necessarily the ones that we want to continue. The problem is it’s easier or more habitual to do this, because we don’t have a new story to replace the old one! We end up stuck in the same, repetitive story.

So use this ritual to start a new chapter. Ask for a new story! Take the time to really focus on how this new story can change the current unhelpful conditions in your life and support you as your continue down your path of purpose.

I would love to hear what each of you gets through this exercise! Please let me know your stories of renewal at toby@healingdrummer.com.

I love the comments that I received from my first posting about our full moon fire ceremony that took place this past July. Since then I have had the opportunity to do several sessions on those who were present for that electric experience. It is amazing to me even after all these years how powerful and transformative the drum is.

Healing the Ohana

Toby rips it up on a full moon!

There were several people that night that laid under the drum for a few moments of healing. And as each of them came forth, it was clear that the intention of the full moon was to heal the family—or ohana as we say in Hawaii. The other drummers that were present did a great job in holding a container for the people who needed healing.

If you look to the right side of the picture there’s a gentleman with a pair of jeans on a grayish blue shirt. This is Chris Hayden. He is the anchor here on the island for 5 element drumming. Chris took an interest  in this work after seeing me at an expo here on Kauai a few years ago. Since then, every Friday night he and many of his friends gather to practice the 5 element rhythms. It is my intention this year to have them as my backup band for my appearance at the expo.

Joined by Sound Healing Students

Toby drumming with sound healers Tibo, Lisa, and Debbie.

One of the awesome aspects of this particular night is that in front of the fire with their drums resting on the blankets were 3 attendees of my sound healing workshop. Immediately to my left, in the gold colored shirt, is a wonderful man from France named Tibo. It was a pleasant surprise when I found out the amazing synchronicity that he and I shared. He is involved in a long-term study with my dear friend and brother Malidoma Somé. This event is hosted by a couple of my friends that I met at the 4 Winds Society. His wife is attending a graduate school that I worked with many years ago. And Tibo, in addition to being a very proficient drummer, is also a great  didgeridoo and flute player. In fact, his teacher is good friends with my friend John Dumas. It is a very small world!

In the middle of the three, wearing the purple top, is Lisa from Cincinnati. She came into profound power during the workshop that allowed her to step aggressively and confidently into the drumming we did the evening of the full moon ceremony. I met her some time ago during one of my journeys to Cincinnati, and look forward to seeing her again as I visit there more often.

On the far right, with a bunch of orbs coming out of her head, is Debbie. She is from the Chicago area, and with her husband, Marty, owns one of the premier labyrinth building companies in the world. Debbie is already an experienced healer with other disciplines, but after our time together in Tucson, Arizona for the Earth Walk event, she decided to take the sound healing course.

Rhythm & Unity

The sound healers putting their skills to work.

I was not sure how things would go at the full moon ceremony when almost everyone who showed up had a drum or an instrument of some sort. Although people come with good intentions, sometimes it can be challenging over the wind and the fire to hear each other and stay connected. That was certainly not the case that night. Once the rhythm started, the students got their groove on and the whole group unified and created an amazing place for healing transformation.

It was also interesting to watch the way the fire held the energy of the group. When the rhythm would increase in intensity, the fire would rage, pop, and expand. As the energy would cool down, the fire would be more subdued. It was an evening of connecting to the community, connecting to the planet, and experiencing the dance between the sound of the drum and the rhythms of nature.

Everybody did a great job. I’m very proud of you all! And thanks to the ohana for welcoming us mainlanders by helping us feel so welcome and included in your community.

The element of nature is one that inspires personal transformation and guidance towards an authentic life. Nature rituals of renewal promote reflecting inwards and asking yourself questions of truth. The ritual I write about today involves personal energy, focus, and discovery.

Shift Your Perceptions

With this ritual I recommend that you spend some time in nature, peacefully and quietly. As you bring your awareness to the energy around you, look at the trees, shrubbery, and grass with a soft eye. Take note of how your perception changes as you allow your eyes to gaze softly at the energy around the objects of your attention.

Begin to focus in on that energy. I want you to focus and feel with all your senses the energy of that object, whether it’s a tree or even a body of water. The idea is to allow your perception to change as you feel into what you are putting your attention on.

Turn the focus of attention onto yourself. Feel into your body and ask your powerful awareness to help you focus in on your true nature. Consider all the things you do, all the things you say, and all the feelings you have about things in your life. Take the time to ask yourself this very important question: “Is this really who I am? Is this in alignment with my true nature?”

Release Negative Energy

Open yourself up to receive the answers. As the answers come, allow yourself to shed the things that are not in alignment with your true nature and begin to feed the things that are. How do you shed the things in your life that are not in alignment with your true nature? Here’s a simple process: Find an object in nature, such as a rock. Imagine in your mind the thing that you want to release in order for you to come into your authentic life. Blow it into the object as you focus on releasing the negative energy. Bury the object from nature in the ground, leaving behind the aspect of yourself that may not be authentic or not in alignment with who you are now.

Embrace Your Authenticity

After you perform this renewal ritual, I want you to keep awareness on how your actions and mannerisms, the way you speak, and your responses in situations that support those aspects of yourself that are in alignment with your true nature. You will begin to notice yourself coming more into your personal power and authenticity!

I hope you enjoy this ritual of personal transformation. Please share your experiences with me!

What I love best about fire rituals is how they allow us to connect more deeply with our ancestors, our life’s inspirations, and our dreams. The element of fire represents a powerful transformative energy that drives change in our lives where we desire it most.

I’ve previously shared another fire ritual designed to help you bring your dreams into reality. This restorative fire ritual also “feeds” your dreams and desires, helping to bring them to materialization. It is a simple, but profoundly powerful practice.

Feeding Chakras with Fire Energy

Position yourself in front of a lit candle and focus intently on the flame. As you watch, express your ambitions, desires, and dreams. Let the fire feed the images in your mind as you hold your self, whole and complete, connected deeply to these dreams.

Reach forward with your hands cupped, fingers pointing towards each other. Reach over the fire flame and pull it to your body as though you are scooping the fire energy and bringing it to yourself. The process of bringing the fire energy into your system is about feeding your dreams and aspirations. This ritual involves three “scooping” processes that distribute this essential energy.

The first three “scoops” of fire energy you take will be fed to the second chakra, located just below the navel. Feeding this chakra helps support the action that needs to be taken in the ordinary world to support the dreams that you have in your heart and mind. The second three “scoops” of fire energy are for the heart. This feeding process symbolizes the good intentions in creating stream in your life. The last three “scoops” of energy go to your third eye, or sixth chakra. The feeding of the third eye is about feeding the thoughts that help create your dream and materialize it in your life.

Schedule Regular Visualization

I would recommend that you do this ritual regularly. At least once a week! The more you feed your dream, the more easily it will be created in your life. As you visualize the dream materializing, view it as though it already exists on the energy of your success and supported with the actions that you take.

I hope this ritual is helpful for you and helps you to reconnect more powerfully with your dreams. I dare you to create in your life the dream that you desire to live!

As always, let me know how this restorative ritual works for you!

Earth represents the energy of nurturing, abundance, welcoming, and home. As we create a place of welcoming and home, we find our power. As we allow abundance to come into our lives, we attract all of the things we desire: community, support, financial prosperity, good health, and well-being!

A ritual I want to share with you is one that helps us find that sense of “home,” the place where we can openly welcome positive change to come into our lives.

Remember, no matter what the circumstances are in your life, there are some very real, very powerful, very transformative things you can do to change your life!

Channel Positive Energy into an Earth Shrine

The first step is to create an Earth shrine. Find a place in your home where the energy feels good; a place where you like to hang out, a place that feels welcoming. Make a mound of dirt approximately 2 feet in diameter and about 10 inches high. As you work with the dirt, invite the spirit of the Earth to be present and occupy the shine and come to your assistance.

Next, place a flat stone on top of the shrine. Make a circle of ash on the stone, then take some water and pour it on the middle of the stone. As the water washes away the ash, ask for the obstacles to be removed that are preventing you from connecting to the energy of earth: nurturing, abundance, welcoming, and home.

If you cannot build a shrine outside, collect a bowl of dirt and place it on a yellow cloth. Ask the spirit of Earth to occupy the shrine as if it were outside. Without the stone or water, ask for the obstacles that prevent you from connecting to the energy of the Earth to be removed.

Then watch as your life begins to change. Every day for the rest of the month, go to your Earth shrine and express gratitude for three or more things in your life!

Mineral is about communication; it’s about the stories that we live, that we think about, and that we speak about. Mineral is about connecting to your life’s purpose and communicating that purpose in the world.

This mineral ritual is powerful. Not only have I used it several times, but I’ve witnessed its efficacy in others. This ritual is profoundly simple and can change your life in a very short period of time. The purpose or intention of the ritual is to change the stories of your life that are not helpful, and to activate the stories that you would like to be living in present time.

A line in “Who Says,” the great song by John Mayer, goes like this:

Who says I can’t be free from all of the things that I used to be?

Rewrite my history.

Who says I can’t be free?

I love this line because it speaks a deep truth about how we can change the way we live our lives today and the things that we draw to ourselves. To be free of the things that we used to be requires the release of old stories. Once these old stories are released, it makes room for the creation of a new history! This can be profoundly healing and freeing.

Ritual to Rewrite Your History

So here’s the ritual. First, you need to find a rock. Any old rock will do—you do not have to go to the metaphysical bookstore and buy an expensive crystal. The Dagara people of Burkina Faso say that the stones are the beings that hold the stories of all humanity. We want to pick a stone that is going to hold the stories that we are ready to get rid of. Sit with the stone for a day or two, and go within yourself while thinking about the stories you hold onto and about the past that no longer serves you.

When the time is right, sit down with your stone and speak into it all of the stories that you are ready to release. Here’s the catch: when you release a story and give it to a stone, you can never speak the story again. So make sure that you’re really ready to get rid of that story. As you speak the stories into the stone, allow the energy of that story—whether trauma, drama, or any unhelpful feeling—to drain from you.

Once you have sufficiently released the story, go bury the rock in the earth and thank it for holding the stories you do not have to hold onto any longer. Now you can get some paper and began to rewrite your history. This can be very fun because you get to create whatever story you would like to about your past. As we undo the negative programming of the past and replace it with new information, the way that we live today changes.

Nature carries the energy of magic transformation. It is about authenticity and living your “true nature.” This ritual is one of reflection, of going deep into your soul to discover more clearly who you really are. What is your authentic dream? Is what you’re doing right now in your life the thing that really suits you? Is the vocation that you currently invest thousands of hours a year in, in alignment with your true self? The answer I’m getting most of the time as I ask these questions is something like, “Hell no!”

Well, if that’s your answer this is the moment to change your life!

Energy of Magic and Transformation

This ritual involves connecting to nature and asking the spirits of nature to help us align with our true self. The ritual goes like this:

Take an object—or several objects—that represent the parts of yourself, your life, or your work that are not in alignment with your true nature. Take these objects to a place in nature and burry them at the base of a tree. As you do, call upon the spirits of nature, as they have the energy of magic and transformation to transform what these objects represent into the energy that is truly in alignment with you.

When you go back to your home, build a small altar to nature. This is comprised of a green cloth, some greenery—whether this is flowers you purchase at the store, or flowers to pick from your garden, or greenery from the trees around you, is that things that represent nature to you—and a few green candles. The shrine is “opened” by lighting the candles, and “closed” by blowing them out.

Ritual to Honor Your True Nature

Once your nature shrine is built, place some items on it that represent what you believe to be your true nature. Ask the spirits of nature to feed these aspects of your life and create the synchronicities to occur “effortlessly and delightfully” for you to come in to your true nature in all aspects of your life.

Each day of the month place a small glass of water on the shrine. This is important, as water feeds nature. Each morning, spend time at your shrine asking for your true nature to be supported. Pour the water from the previous day into a plant or at the base of a tree. Refill the glass, offer it to the shrine, and renew your commitment to honoring your true nature!

When I started this path I am on, I owned some coffee bars and a restaurant. I never dreamed I could do this work full-time. Through training, persistence, and following some suggestions from those who had done it before, I was able to let go of the job that was sucking the life out of me and step into doing what I love!

There is always something you can do to change your life, to bring about the life you’ve always wanted. I’ve found following rituals central to the West African culture to be quite powerful in bringing about change. These rituals can help you realize how to bring your dreams to fruition and how to live by your intentions.

Transformative Change with a Fire Ritual

The second ritual for renewal I will talk about relates to the element of fire. The ritual is as follows:

Write down 10 things that you would like to see happen over the next year year. You can put them in consecutive order-like what you’d like to see for this month, then next month, and so on. But that’s not completely necessary, for many of the things that you want to achieve may not have this particular kind of sequence.

As you write them down, feel into them. Feel what it’s like when these things come to fruition. Feel the joy of accomplishment. Feel the joy and satisfaction of creation.

Sit with this list for three days. At the end of three days, build a small fire. For those of you who live in cold climates—like my maiden Park City where it was -3° this morning—you can build your fire in your fireplace. For those of you who have the ability to create an outdoor fire, build one somewhere where you can be alone.

Once your fire is going, sit with your list while feeling that each one of your dreams and desires are being actualized. Call in the help of the ancestors, spirit guides, angels, and all of the otherworldly beings working on your behalf. Ask these beings to create the synchronicities to effortlessly and delightfully have these things manifest in your life. As you do this, gently place the list in the fire. Ask the element of fire to light the path for your actions that will help to create these things in your life. Watch the paper burn until it is completely consumed by the fire.

Manifesting Your Dreams

Sit for a few moments and enter a period of reflection while you watch the fire burn. Be sure to ask yourself, “What is the first thing I need to do or to take action on in order make these things come into being?”

Now you can begin your journey having the element of fire to light your path while bringing new vision and a deeper connection to the spirit world—which is rallying on your behalf to fulfill the things you wrote on your list.

Be aware that over time some of the things on your list will become less important than they might be the day you do the ritual. Also, new vision may come. Part of connecting to the element of fire is a renewal of vision. Be aware! Let your vision grow and expand.

In the song “Rock Star” by Nickelback, there are a couple of lines that hit home with some things I’ve heard from others and, quite frankly, some things I feel from time to time. The song is about a guy who wants to change his life but feels it’s too late, so he’s asking for help. The lines that stand out go like this:

…It’s like the bottom of the ninth

and I’m never gonna win

This life hasn’t turned out

Quite the way I want it to be…

So, the questions I ask myself and that I pose to you are: Do these lines relate to you? Do you feel like it’s the bottom of the ninth and you’re never gonna win? Has life turned out the way you want it to be?

The good news is that no matter what your life’s circumstance there are some very real and very transformative things you can do to change your life. One of the aspects of the West African culture that I’ve found to be the most powerful is ritual. I’m going to discuss several different rituals you can do to help realize your dreams and your intentions. The rituals will be in alignment with the 5-Element Cosmology that I’ve found to be profoundly life changing.

Rebalancing and Reconciling Our Lives

Water is the element we call upon for healing of the areas of our life that are preventing us from coming into alignment with our intentions. This is also the element we call upon for reconciliation; when we need to reconcile all the aspects of our life that are not in balance.

Water is also called upon when we need flow in the parts of our loves that seem stuck or unmoving, and we want them to flow smoothly and—as I like to say—“effortlessly and delightfully” towards our intended destination.

Water nurtures and feeds the earth, creating powerful growth and feeding the planted seeds, which grow into great crops of prosperity. We ask that the power of water feeds us so that the seeds we have planted will be richly fortified, and grow quickly and powerfully.

Transformative Water Ritual

The first step of this ritual is to find a flowing body of water—this could be a river, a stream, the ocean, etc. No matter what body of water you find, make sure the water is moving. I have found that a larger sized river is the best.

Next, go to the river with a pint of milk and—if you can—find Indian corn. Indian corn is the best, but if you can’t find it any kernels of corn in any form will do. Offer the milk to the water, as milk is nourishment. Then walk along the water tossing the kernels of corn into the water. As you do so, ask the water spirit to feed the seeds that have been planted so they can grow into healthy, vibrant crops of good health, overall prosperity, and well-being.

After you have performed this ritual, give thanks to the water, to the corn, to the milk, and, most importantly, to the ancestors. For the Dagara nothing happens without the blessing of the ancestors. Thank any and all members of your family that have come before you and now reside in the spirit world. These are your ancestors.

I will discuss more about the ancestors. For now do this ritual and thank both the elements and the ancestors. Stay focused and attentive to what you would like to produce in your life and take action towards that end. Watch things change!

Let me know of your stories of healing and transformation!

Drumming in Arlington VA

So now you know how things got started I would like to answer a few commonly asked questions. If you can think of anything you would like to know that I don’t cover here feel free to make a comment and ask. I’ll be happy to get back to you.

“Are Healing Drummer Private Sessions only for healing physical problems?”

The simple answer is no. The session work can help to shift the energy in every way, and in every aspect of your life. The results of what can occur for you are profound. I look at any difficulty—any “configurations of energy” that are not in alignment with your intentions—as something that is not helpful. What I do is use the sound energy from the drum to disrupt the aspects of your energy system that are not in alignment with your intentions.

In the beginning of your session, we align around your intentions. I then access these intentions to help guide the rhythms to realign your energies—body, mind, and spirit—so that effortlessly and delightfully the things that no longer serve you fall away. What you desire to create can come to you easily.

“I’ve been studying the Law of Attraction and wonder if working with you can help me manifest my intentions.”

Yes, absolutely. You have intentions. You have dreams and ideas. You have goals that you want to accomplish. If you’re not yet manifesting the life you want, your current energy field is not in alignment with what you are wanting to create.

I can help to empower you to set intentions to redirect your energy. One of the beautiful things about this drumming work is that by using the sound vibrations we can direct the energy toward your specific intentions. The rhythms will support you in clearly holding those intentions. The sound energy from the drum will reconfigure the energy in your field so that it comes into alignment with what you intend. Working in this way causes the energy of your intention to draw to you the power to create what you envision. It’s an effective process that I love to co-create with my clients.

“How long are the Healing Drummer Private Sessions and what happens during a

Drumming Up Intention!

session?”

Sessions are one hour long and cost $150. We’ll spend the first ten minutes or so talking, looking at what you would like to see happen in your session. I often will ask, “After our session, when you walk out the door, what is it that you brought in today that you would like to release? And second, what is that you would like leave with that wasn’t here when you arrived?” I encourage my clients to focus on the healed or transformed condition that they would like to be in when their session is complete. I find that since energy attracts like energy, if you focus on what you don’t want you just get more of the same.

I often ask people, “What is it that you would like?” and they answer, “I don’t want to be sick anymore.” That’s a good thing to know, but it’s a counter-productive intention, since energy flows where intention goes. So, what I encourage people to focus on is what they do want. Once my clients begin to understand the power of focusing on their positive intentions, they start to express intentions like these:

• Iwantperfecthealth. • Iwantvitalenergy. • Iwantabundantfinances. • IwantajobwhereI’llbehappier.

And many, many more.

We always work to create a proactive statement so that the energy we are attracting is the energy of the solution—the positive creation—you would like to see come into form.

From there, I invite you to lie down on your back on beautiful mat that is very comfortable. Your eyes can either be open or closed, and many choose to close their eyes and allow their attention to focus inward.

Healing Drummer Private Sessions

I start with either a hoop drum or a rattle, initially walking around in a counterclockwise direction. This begins to activate the energy field of your body with the sound energy of the device I use. Most of the time, I feel led to use a Native American hoop drum, which is a round, wooden drum with skin on one side. As I walk counterclockwise, we start to unwind the energy that has kept you bound, deconstructing any problematic patterns and activating your energy field, which is now holding the positive intention for transformation.

Next, using support straps, I put on my djembe, which is an African drum often called “the healing drum.” My feet are on the outside of either side of your hips and I face the direction of your feet. This position allows the bell or exit place of the drum’s sound energy to flow directly toward your heart area. My teachers in the West African Dagara tribe say that we begin the healing and transformation process by first activating intentions that we set at the beginning of heartfelt desires, so we honor your heart.

Before I begin drumming, I show you how to tap my leg.It is our safety signal. That way, you can always easily get my attention if needed for any reason. It’s rare that anyone needs to do this, since people usually experience the power of the drum as very pleasant, but it’s helpful for people to know they’re safe and can communicate with me whenever they need. Knowing you’re safe will help you to completely open to the drum’s healing energies.

I stand over you and begin to drum. This is where the drum energy begins to build and starts transforming your energy field. I drum anywhere from thirty to forty minutes, straight and continuous. It’s a very intense healing and transformation energy.

After the drumming is complete, I set the djembe aside and pick up the hoop drum or rattle. Again, I most often use the hoop drum. This time, I circle you clockwise, which brings the healing energy into present time. This important part of the sacred ritual seals your body in the energy of sound so that the transformed energy stays with you.

You’ll find that through your dreams, thoughts, meditations, and contemplative times that the effects of the session will continue to unfold—stimulating energetic transformation for at least three to five days after the actual drumming session. We begin a process and you will continue to carry. That’s one of the beautiful things about the healing drum’s sound energy activations.

We then talk about what occurred. You have the choice to share any thoughts and feelings that arose. If you like, you can keep some or all of what you experienced to yourself—it’s totally up to you. I will then share what happened for me. Oftentimes when I’m drumming I will receive what I jokingly call “home work,” things you can do outside the session that will enhance the processes we’ve begun. Sometimes I encourage specific actions you can take that will help give you a clear path, a solution, toward the intentions you’ve set.

You’ll also be more than welcome to ask me any questions that may have arisen during your

Drumming In Hawaii

session. I’ve found that sometimes the drumming stimulates deep questions that you may have never considered or haven’t thought of in a long time, so you’re welcome to ask whatever your heart desires.

Finally, I make sure that you’re feeling good and ready finish the session. Then we complete our time together.

All of the feedback I’ve received over the years has been very positive. While powerful, the entire process is gentle and completely safe. One of the things I love about this work is that your being interacts with the sound of the drum, so there’s no laying on of hands or physical contact. The rhythms work with your energy system—body, mind, and emotions—in alignment with your intentions.

“When you conduct a Healing Drummer Private Session, where do you place your attention?”

While we won’t usually communicate verbally during a session, our beings work together. I have an intention for you, which is to have the intention you expressed be manifested. So, in addition to drumming, I place some of my attention on your intention. Using my shamanic training in the African and Native American traditions, I tap into the resources of ancient wisdom and ask to receive whatever is necessary to facilitate your healing and transformation. I ask for the wisdom to come through, and it always does. For me, the experience is a shamanic journey, one that honors and enlivens your intentions to heal and transform.

As you listen to the drum and sense the energies in whatever ways are most comfortable for you, you can also allow some of your awareness to focus on your desired results. Truly, since you’ve set your intentions, whatever you do will work. Some people stay very focused, while others allow their mind to drift and flow.

5 Element Drumming Rhythms

“What rhythms do you play on the drum?”

I start with the 5 element rhythms that I’ve studied and played for many years. They provide the foundation for balancing the physical, emotional, and energetic systems. Then I begin to work from those rhythms. There are patterns I call “sub-rhythms” that are specifically dedicated to your own energy field. This is where the drum—combined with your and my awareness—becomes a collective unit seeking to bring in the energies that will help bring in the solutions to your specific situations. The rhythms that come are unique to your session, unique to your own energy field, ones that help shift your energy so that smoothly and joyfully what no longer serves you falls away, and what you desire comes to you.

“I know drums can be loud. Does the noise ever stress people out?”

Drums can be loud and occasionally some people feel a little bit of apprehension. I do have earplugs available; however, what I’ve found in nearly every session I’ve conducted over the years is that people that are pleasantly surprised that, even with the volume and intensity of the drumming, they become calm and peaceful. The physical sound waves impact your body, which is like a massage with sound that creates a very relaxed state. Then you have the rhythm, which has a profound effect on relaxing your mind and emotions.

“Do I need to have a problem and/or questions formed in my mind before I show up for a session.”

Not necessarily. A favorite story is when a medical doctor from the east coast came to see me. At the start of our session, he said, “You know, I don’t really have any problems in my life. As a matter of fact, I think I have an absolutely perfect life. What I want to do is lock that in, have more of the same, and continue to enjoy the path that I’m on.” I considered that a beautiful intention and we got right to work, creating a powerful session.

Yes, I conduct healing sessions…and…the essence of healing is transformation. Often, the focus of a session isn’t on overcoming an illness. Drumming that reinforces positive intentions to continue improving, expanding, and learning to flow with life’s mysterious unfolding is a wonderful reason to schedule a time to work together.

I’m also reminded of a woman who came to me for a series of treatments for a physical malady she was experiencing. As the rhythms of the drum and our shared intentions shifted her energy field, the problem was no longer part of her life. At that point I said, “This is great. It doesn’t look like you need to come back anymore.” Then she replied, “You know what? I want to know how good I can feel. I want to know how much better I can get. I’d like to keep coming in for regular sessions.”

So, scheduling Healing Drummer Private Sessions is a useful way to support yourself—to support your life and wellbeing—and help a good life become even better. It’s really helpful to strengthen your energy field, making you stronger and more powerful.

“Is there anything I need to do before a session to help prepare?”

The Rhythms Flow!

Sure. Getting clear about your intentions—what you’d like to receive in your session—can be helpful. The more aware you are of what you want, the more we can focus on achieving those outcomes. Still, I have people who arrive for their session without a specific intention, and that’s fine, too. They might present a general goal, like discovering their life purpose and overall direction in life, and we can definitely work with that aspiration.

If you’d like to invest some time before your session, simply look at the situations in your life—the general energy of your life. Ask yourself, “If I could improve things, what would I want to have happen?” Then notice what arises in your awareness, from specific outcomes to a general sense of what you’re wanting. Those are beautiful kinds of intentions to bring to your session.

“Is it a good idea to schedule more than one session?”

Oftentimes, we see a profound shift in the first session. If a person wants to do only one session, they will receive value. When asked, I recommend at least three to four sessions. I dedicate about 80% of my time to traveling, and it’s common for me to come to an area once every few months.

What I find is that the first session will begin to transform your energy field and wake up aspects of your being that you may not been aware existed. Shifts begin to occur. You enter your second session more aware of the process and what can happen. It’s common that the results created in the second session are much more powerful than the first, simply because you can let go and relax into the process more deeply. This way, we build on the transformations catalyzed in the first session.

Bringing in The Transformation

One thing that is really useful to remember is that we are always in a state of transformation. We’re always encountering energies that support us and those that attempt to thwart aspects of our lives. There are people and energies that are very loving and there are those who would like to see us falter and fail. Part of the power in Healing Drummer Private Sessions is that you get to take in a phenomenal amount of energy that radiates into your field and supports all aspects of your being, helping you to create the life you desire.

To learn more about me and the Healing Drum, and to see a video of a private session, go to www.healingdrummer.com

To experience one of these transforming sessions contact me at toby@healingdrummer.com and we will schedule a time for you.

Orbs?, You Must be Kidding

Okay, this is an ongoing joke with many of my friends. Every time they take picture somewhere and there’s a spot on the lens they start freaking out that there are orbs floating in the atmosphere that the cameras picking up. They view this as an indication of some spiritual presence. I of course give them a hard time and say listen, “Don’t put your finger on the lens, and you won’t get those spots on your pictures.” They insist that they are some sort of spirits, aliens, or some sort of intervening energy that is making its presence known through photography.  Well, on this last trip to Burkina Faso we were out in the village of Dano. One of the girls in our group said, “let’s go out and see the Baobab trees.  I thought that would be a great idea since I have a beautiful photo that was taken on my last trip of these very trees. We went out at dusk and had a group of people, many of the village children included posing around these great trees. These trees are an amazing source of food for the native people. They are absolutely  Enormous! And the bark is like the skin of an elephant. They also have a fruit that hangs from their large limbs that is very good and holds a tremendous amount of water. In many cases the Baobab trees  have saved village people during drought by providing large quantities of water stored in the fruit. So needless to say, these trees are very important, and very sacred.

The Story Continues

Okay so I’m back on track. We go out to the Baobab trees posing around the trunks as the sun goes down. In the dusk light someone says, “Hey, take a picture of the Baobab tree against the beautiful sky.”  So we began to take some photographs of the trees against the night sky. I will show you the order of pictures and what was happening and you can see for yourself the change in the energy that was around us. If i was not there to see it for myself I would never believe what appeared on the camera.

120 Seconds of Transformation

The photo to the left is the first in the series of three photos that were taken within 120 seconds of each other. This is a photo of the night sky the moon center top, and the branches of the baobab tree reaching into the night sky. Second picture was taken immediately after as I began to call on the ancestors to be present for us as we head to an evening of community from the trees. The third  photo was taken a few seconds later, it is clear, that the ancestors were gathering on our behalf. As we continued to take pictures you could look into the night and see the flash physically reflecting off of the spirits that were coming through! This is how thin the veil is between ordinary reality in the spirit world is in this remote village. It was like walking into a Harry Potter movie. Things that could be seen in the night would have been considered profoundly unusual in the West but it was everyday normal “everything as usual” for this village in Dano.

Proof Is In The Pictures

I will never give anyone a hard time about saying there are orbs in a photograph. I have become a believer. There is no denying that in 120 seconds there was a rally of spirits who answered the call to join us in celebration of community and joy. The evening that followed these pictures being taken was full of dancing and play with the children of the village!

More to come!

One of my goals for 2010 is to open 3 new major territories. A couple of months ago I made my first steps towards doing that with my first workshop in Denver Colorado. With the help of Dr. Peter Bonaker, Valerie Zampino, and Carolina Woodrich I had a very successful trip and am thrilled with the response from the Denver community. We started off with an evening of drumming sponsored by Dr. Peter at his newly refurbished and amazingly beautiful Institute For Spiritual Advancement /www.ifsadenver.com.

We had a great crowd, filling the building to capacity. After a night of drumming I spent as few days doing HealingDrummer private sessions and then a multifaceted shamanic workshop investigating the Dagara cosmology and how our elemental construct effects our daily lives, the shamanic journey and of course lots of drumming.

Here is a photo of yours truly as we discuss  the benefits of being a FIRE person in the Dagara construct! Not everyone agreed with me that it is beneficial to travel 300 days a year, drink gallons of coffee a day and eat junk food. But we had a fun discussion.

We later moved into the Shamanic Journey portion of the day as I dawned the hoop drum. The shamanic Journey is one of if not the most powerful tool on ecan have to connect to great wisdom, direction and personal power. I have begun teaching it almost everywhere I go with profound results.

Last but not least a group photo of the gang who were brave enough to wander into the “other world” and claim their power. We did power animal retrievals this day so you may see some creatures lurking in the background. In addition to the non-ordinary beings we also had Smokey the cat and Sophie the shaman dog holding space in ordinary reality.

I am planning to visit Denver again soon so stay tuned!!

This blog is the operations central for the HEALINGDRUMMER WORLD PEACE PARTY that will take place December 20th. For the past three years I have ended every event with a few minutes of DRUMMING FOR PEACE. What I mean by peace is summed up in the statement below. I’m not asking anyone to change their mind or agree with me in every way I only ask that we focus on our similarities so strongly that we have no time to fight about our differences! Check Back for details.

To honor this passionate cause I produced a CD called World Unity. The following are the words on the jacket. The song posted is Wake Up! It is my call for people WAKE UP to PEACE!!!

“This CD is dedicated to the Peacemakers of the world. It is for those who realize that we are held lovingly in the arms of the universe, and that since we are here not only to survive, but to THRIVE together, then we must begin to act with peace and harmony in all that we do. This is to act peace with the air, the water, the land, the animals, and with each and every one of our fellow humans. May we all find through this music the ability to focus on our similarities so strongly that we have no time to fight about our differences! WORLD UNITY is WORLD COMMUNITY”

Let’s make it happen!

It is with this intention I ask you all to join me in a wold wide campaign and join the HEALINGDRUMMER WORLD PEACE PARTY! Stay tuned and enjoy the music. I will post new tracks every 2 weeks!

Peace

While in Cincinnati last week I had the good fortune, and the good organization of my trusted handler Suzanne, to visit my friend Dana.  Dana is an amazing guy who’s life makes mine look boring! He is one of the great tattoo artists of our time and I have the pleasure of wearing his work on my body here and there. So anyway I thought I’d show you a photo of the new tat!

Here is the master at work. When Suzanne took this shot she had to remind me to breathe, relax and SMILE!!!

And here is the final product!! So my trip was not all work. I did have some fun!!

Loving a Drum

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I got my first hand drum about five years ago. I was absolutely helpless to resist its lure and so this oversize piece of African art followed me home from a conference. Once it took its place of honor in my home, I studied it intently but never played it – something I laugh at now.The deep carving around the stem depicts what seem to be okapis, but could just as easily be almost any African antelope. It is hand-carved from a single piece of wood by some anonymous African craftsman. The skin is made from the back of a goat and smells of the business end of one – despite my best efforts. It is marbled in browns and greys and it carries the line of the spine, which in tribal lore signifies that the animal was a willing sacrifice. I have since added a hennaed phoenix design to the skin as well. I did not expect that bringing this piece of Africa into my home would reignite my own passion to travel there. I would catch myself looking at it and inventing the story of the carver, the goat, the village and the people who crafted it.

It would be almost a year before I did more than pet this drum and I can still remember vividly the angst of playing it for the first time (mostly because that still exists). But a strong bond developed between that drum and me such that I came to love this instrument in its own right. My ‘playing’ is still fairly spotty and I play less these days than I did a while back. Definitely less than I should. And let’s just say that I will probably never make a living as a professional drummer. But there is a joy in beating on it long past the place where my hands throb. There is a freedom in not caring if I mess up, in letting my hands find weird new rhythms known only to them, in letting my spirit soar out with the wild booming.

According to the West African culture where the drum was made, the drum is one way that a person speaks to the Creator. The skin of the drum is the ear of God, the stem and bowl of the drum the birth canal and womb of the Mother. By playing we give our fear, anxiety, stress and hatred to them. Thru the drum these things are transformed and re-birthed into the world as love, joy, and healing. I have certainly found that to be so.

My collection of drums had grown to four – possibly due to my association with Toby Christensen and the steady influx of really beautiful drums from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. I gifted two of those so that someone I loved could have a way to transform his sadness, so that his son could find love in a life that contained so little. So these days I am down to just two and that feels right for me. One for me and one for you to come over and join me in a really bad ass jam session….or just a bad one. With the drum it doesn’t really matter. Guaranteed to make you laugh!

Curious? Get on over to Suzanne Singh’s (merlin@healing drummer.com) and get yourself a drum. Or maybe take in the drum circle with Toby himself at the Zen center in Hamilton! on Tues (info from Suz as well). It may just change your life.

Feel free to repost this note.

C’mon and drum

OK, so as I have been working on expanding and creating my new world for this coming bit of time, I have been pondering the energy of creation, destiny  vs free will. I have been pondering should’s, and supposed- to’s. I found this and I am not sure if it helped or made things more confusing? Lots of interesting stuff though.

On his recent US tour HealingDrummer Toby Christensen taught courses on Shamanism and Sound Healing. He continues his practice as a practitioner as well. Because of his dynamic private sessions Toby’s gift as a teacher is not always acknowledged. Here is what Dr. Johnson had to say

Endorsement: Toby Christensen is so much more then a practitioner, and he is more than a brilliant “teacher”, in sharing his gifts – he introduces you to your own! I took my first workshop with Toby not knowing what to expect. After all, while I have known and appreciated him as a very talented drummer, I had no idea of his depth and clarity within Spiritual realms. What a joy to experience his insights, patience and practical application to the world of Spirit! I learned so much during this first class – techniques I use to this day -,  that I look forward to and take his workshops every time he comes to town.