My Drums Are My Temple

by Heidrun Hoffmann

I believe that drums are a tool for growth, for all of us, men and women equally. For me it is a matter of how I play them. My attitude creates a sacred field, where healing occurs. My drums are my temple. When I play and dance with my drums, I find strength, clarity, and satisfaction for my whole life.

Kre Tung Ki Tok Kre Tung Ki Tok Kre Tung Ki Tok Kre Tung Ki Tok is still ringing in my ears after a long session with my drums. The Korean heartbeat resonates in my chest as a beautiful melody inside of me. My feet are full and radiant, because the dance with my drums gives me a vivid sense of roots. I look at my drums and smile, as they stand there in a half circle, upright and straight like beautiful creatures talking to me.

I have always liked to dance and express myself through my body, but with my drums I finally feel whole. Letting the flow of my movements create rhythms is very liberating. Since I have discovered dancing and playing drums both at the same time, worlds have been melting together, balancing my male and my female sides, my aggression and my softness. Here I find quiet meditation, music, and direction for my movements. When I let rhythms of different cultures flow through me, I play them until they become my own. Each beat gives me a chance to grow and to see myself and my life.

The first steps of learning to play a dance drum are very crucial, and they were an unexpected challenge for me. I had to accept my body’s limitations, and I only felt free in my mind when I acknowledged my body’s pace. In accepting this pace, my playing abilities increased naturally, easily. I found the deepest satisfaction when I didn’t push myself. Sometimes I felt moments of great joy, but also I often experienced intense emotional waves. Ancient sadness and sudden anger came through, and I learned more and more to channel them through my whole system. The anger transformed into an uplifting, positive energy, and the allowance for sadness became a truly purifying process. Both freed my soul. Now the drums are a powerful and joyful place to find freedom and peace. Drumming is flying, but being deeply grounded at the same time. This is pure medicine for me.

The drums make me feel humble, small in the face of everything. They teach me respect and give the confidence, that everything is possible, when I face my truth. I am tremendously grateful, walking into the temple of my drums.