Dahn Yoga Healing Drum Class
I don’t want to work, I just want to bang on the drum all day…Last night was the final night of our drum class. The experience of the last 6 weeks will stay with me for many years to come. Even though I have been playing drums in rock/punk bands for 20 years, I approached these lessons with a beginner’s heart, as it is a new kind of drum for me, and was greatly rewarded.For me, it was a great experience to play with people who were also beginners on the drum, and to share their excitement and joy of learning something brand new. And fun too! I mean, really what is more fun than the art of percussion… the art of hitting things with other things! Hearing the loudest noises created by the smaller/shorter people made me smile too.
Watching new drummers grow and improve from week to week was really fun and I wondered if I had not ever met these people in a drum class, would I know or even think that they could play the drum if I met them on the street or out in the community? I would probably assume they did not, and be very wrong. My eyes are open to this prejudice now.
When I heard other students talking about how energizing it was to play the drum, how it awakened their spirit in the late evening hours of the class but allowed them to sleep peacefully… it codified and validated what I had known for a long time. When I play the drums, I feel better. If I stay away from the drums too long, I don’t feel so good anymore, and I think only of getting back to it.
And then there was the final performance last night. After many weeks of following the teacher, I had a moment to express my own leadership on the drum, add some personal touches (or mistakes), and throw in a little rock crescendo at the end to add a little extra excitement. I think a few were surprised 
But probably the most enlightening moments for me were the final breathing and relaxation exercises that closed each class. This process of calming and incorporating the healing power of playing the drum into my being was a completely new experience… you can imagine that the post-show or post-rehearsal action of a rock or punk band is a little different, there was no avenue for calming or redirecting the incredible energy that is released from within and among the people involved. This is a powerful new process that I can add to my playing repertoire…
Many thanks to all students and teachers that made this a great class!
Jon Burns — Mountain View
Ilchi Lee has spent several decades investigating ways to develop the potential of the human brain. Through his life-long pursuit of brain-centered training methods and programs, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have achieved the benefits of healthier bodies, improved learning, business success, and personal empowerment.
September 8th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
It’s so cool that when you watch yourself, even something so fun and simple as drumming lessons can show you a great deal about your inner self!
“I would probably assume they did not, and be very wrong. My eyes are open to this prejudice now.”
That is so touching!
September 8th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
What more can I add to Jon’s insigthful sharing? It was a pleasure to teach and learn from all the wonderful students who ventured into the unknown with me. We had a great ride and the culmination of the last class was truly exciting, loud, moving and fun. I hope all of you continue to find ways that allow you to heal your body and calm your mind.