REMO Ocean Drum
Every time I pull out an Ocean Drum in a music making group session, I hear lots of Oohs and Aahs. What is it about the Ocean Drum that makes us feel so good?
- Our association with the soothing sound, which ladies and gentlemen, is a lot like being in utero. Studies have found that sounds that are like that of the uterus are calming to fussy babies.
- Our association with being outside on the beach in a beautiful place, kicking our biophilia into gear. (Read more here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2011/04/16/)
- Rhythm wise, there is safety in approaching an instrument that sounds good, but requires very little effort, concentration, talent, or skill.
Because of these reasons, the ocean drum is an excellent instrument for anyone to use when wanting to explore release, visualization, and anchoring.
Ways to use the following exercise:
1) If you are facilitating a Drum Circle. As you are introducing the instruments, give a brief summary of this exercise. This will invite participants to use the exercise if they’d like and will give them something to connect to with this instrument. After, you can ask participants why they selected the various instruments and what they released if anything by using the ocean drum.
2) If you are teaching or working on grounding and anchoring techniques, the sound of the ocean can be a cue for clients to calm down and ground themselves. Using the ocean drum not only provides the sound stimulus, but is a tangible object for someone to hold.
3) This exercise would fit into Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy curriculums, by promoting mindfulness, and thought and emotion awareness.
4) This exercise gives you or your client an opportunity to be in control of thoughts and creates a feeling of safety and calm.
First, find a comfortable seated position, either in a chair or not.
Second, close your eyes and find your grounding. If seated on the ground, relax your hips and ankles into the earth. If you are seated in a chair press into your feet.
Breathe in through the top of your head.
Breathe into your shoulders and lungs.
Breathe into your core, stomach, and hips.
With your eyes closed, imagine that you are lying on the beach, with your toes pointed toward the ocean.
Take hold of the ocean drum, gently tipping it as slowly as you can. As you hear the woosh of the ocean drum, imagine that a gentle wave is crawling up the beach toward your toes. As you tip the ocean drum again, imagine that the wave is pulling back into the ocean, carrying with it any worries, discomfort, or thoughts that you have harbored in your toes.
With each tip and woosh of the ocean drum, allow yourself to imagine a gentle wave coming up higher on your body. As it retreats back into the ocean, it takes more and more of the thoughts, feelings, and memories that do not suite you.
Surf back to your body on the next wave. Become aware of your heartbeat. Relax into your feet and hips. Breathe clean refreshing air into your lungs. Bring the ocean drum to a quiet. Open your eyes.
Have a Peaceful Day!
~Davida
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