These people sitting in a circle gathered together regularly because they were suffering. Some had heart problems, others had multiple sclerosis. In these meetings, they talked about how they felt.
Here, in their circle, they could listen to others and give each other at least a little of that human participation, which they sometimes so desperately lacked … But that evening, none of them knew how to talk about what happened: after a severe asthma attack Alexander passed away. His laughter still sounded in their ears, which will never warm their souls with warmth again. It was difficult for them to look at each other, their eyes reflected only their impotence and sadness.
Despite the efforts of Sonya, the nurse who led the group, no words came. Then she told how people act in other, different from Western cultures. In moments of sadness, when you especially want to feel intimacy with others, but the conversation does not work, they sit in a circle and just play rhythmic music.
She offered to do this, distributing to each a small African drum, one of those that were stacked in the corner. Sonya began tapping her instrument lightly, and the others followed suit. There-ta-there, there-ta-ta-there… Little by little, this rhythm carried them away. 12-year-old Mark, whose tense face spoke of his autism diagnosis, was barely able to keep up with the others. He gave Sonya a worried look. She encouraged him with a smile, and once again he tried his best to focus on the rhythm. The leader then slowed down the pace, then accelerated, and the group followed her.
It is up to each of us to go in search of our inner music and those with whom we can share it.
Suddenly, the overall rhythm became music. She did not come from anyone in particular, but led everyone, and everyone led her along. And then tears welled up from his eyes. Karina was the first to cry: she remembered how Alexander loved to get together like this with everyone … Faces became wet with tears, instruments too, but the rhythm still carried everyone along. The musicians felt that they were together, and Alexander was with them too. Tears of sadness and sorrow, intimacy and unity. Roman, 20, smiled. Behind him are others. The rhythm accelerated. What power, what energy was contained in this silent communication! Mark also found his pace. His hands moved faster, his face lit up with a smile.
The others were happy to see him like this. In twenty minutes something very important had changed in them. Sadness gave way to hope. The custom of playing the jamba, tom-toms and other types of drum together has existed for more than one millennium. It is part of the traditions of shamanism, healing the human spirit through emotions, which, in turn, open access to the body and the subtle mechanisms of its self-healing. American Barry Bittman in one of his studies* showed that the joint performance of rhythmic music has a positive effect on our physiology, regulating hormonal balance and, most importantly, significantly increasing the activity of cells that destroy viruses, bacteria and even cancer.
It was previously known that the activity of such killer cells decreases with chronic stress and increases with positive emotions, laughter and exercise. But no one has yet been able to show that the very feeling of connecting with other people through music can have such a strong effect on the immune system.
Even Pythagoras urged his contemporaries to play music or sing at least for a short time every day in order to free the body from anxiety, sadness, fear and anger. Following him, I also believe that any activity that allows us to feel the music inside, play it and share it with others, must set in motion the hidden springs of our physiology. For example, participating in a choir or social group where we can be who we are, with all our weaknesses or fears. It is up to each of us to go in search of this inner music and those with whom we can share it.* B. Bittman, L. Berk et al. “Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects”. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2001, vol. 7