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The use of bilateral rhythmic exercises on the drum can assist people improve coordination, balance and reduce emotional distress, improve regulation and lessen the vividness of traumatic memories.
Here we present a range of exercises suitable for one to one and group work.
1. Crossing the midline
2. Circular arm rotations
3. A Rhythm wave
4. Figures of Eight
5. The Tree
6. The Butterfly tap extended to the drum
7. Soothing techniques with hands and wrists.
Slowing Down
Start off with a rhythm that verges on the edge of complexity for the level of your client or groups ability e.g. Fl Fl, BbB, OoOoO
And play this at a reasonably fast tempo, so that many will struggle.
At regular intervals slow the rhythm just a little. Repeat this process until you are playing the same rhythm at a pace where everyone can join in successfully.
Ask the client or group to continue while you stop.
Then rejoin and add a clap after the five tones - this can symbolise either the ease with which we can be overloaded in life by taking on additional tasks (if people lose their way when you add the clap) or how it is only when we slow down that we can successfully take on additional tasks, (if they can successfully incorporate the clap).
Then ask them to stop.
Post group discussion
What did you notice as the rhythm slowed?
How often do seemingly complex problems become solvable when we slow things down? Can you think of any examples?
How did your awareness change of other things around you as the rhythm slowed?
Do you think this has any relevance to the quality of your relationships?
What might you do to reduce the complexity and speed of your life when you feel a loss of control?
Many of the problems people face in their lives are connected to avoiding painful memories, sensations and feelings, often linked to traumatic events from the past. Acceptance teaches us to learn to live with what we can’t change (remember the serenity prayer) and confront our problems by taking actions to improve our lives in accordance with our values.
We can also use mindfulness to separate the present from the past and seperate our thoughts and feelings from our true selves. We can look dispassionately at our thoughts, feelings, sensations as if viewing them from afar, so that they no longer control us.
Note - ACT does not mean we ask clients to accept every situation (e.g., abusive relationships), but that some circumstances should ultimately be accepted (i.e., physical reality or historical events), should be accepted for now, should be accepted with expectation of eventual change, or should be changed now.
ACCEPTANCE
From a list of feelings, ask your client or the members of your group to pick one they recognise in themselves as a challenge to deal with, and one they often avoid - shame, grief, despair, anger, jealousy, etc.
The client (or one person at a time in a group situation) is asked to express that emotion as a phrase on their drum and once defined repeat it.
The counsellor plays along in a supportive role - holding a foundation.
The client is then asked to incorporate that phrase into a rhythm that represents their day to day life - something steady, stable and not overtly emotional - for instance B O B O or BbOo - adding the feeling phrase to their daily rhythm in a way that allows their daily rhythm to continue unabated but with added texture.
Once the extended rhythm is stabilised the counsellor (or group) combine to play it together.
Discussion
What are some of the thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories you’d most like to get rid of?
What strategies have you used to do that & how successful have they been?
All of us have histories and conditioning from the past that impacts our behaviour and thus our lives in unconscious ways. These generally stem from the disempowered world of the child.
In order to live our lives fully and to function as autonomous members of society we need to recognise these influences, observe them in our daily lives, for good or for worse, that keep resurfacing.
In order to break free of these histories we have to bring them to consciousness. This often means facing our childhood fears and the lethargy of inaction.
Breaking Free Exercise
Ask people to think about some of these unconscious behaviours they recognise in themselves, that maybe negatively impacting their lives or relationships.
Some common issues maybe:
I am not good enough, so I have low expectations, avoid risk, keep a low profile, and maybe tend to self-sabotage
My child self was neglected, so I make up for it by seeking power through material acquisition or power over others
I compensate for feelings of neglect and insecurity through the constant need for reassurance from others
Other addictive patterns that fill the want within - compensating for the pain of loss.
Choose a simple rhythm and make it clear that this symbolises these reoccurring, historically driven, behaviours we have discussed.
As they play the rhythm (together or in one to one work with you as their therapist) ask them to name these patterns (taking responsibility).
Then ask them to break away from the rhythm (the facilitator/therapist maintains the original rhythm) into a new pattern of their own. This can be challenging - tell people to use their Bass notes (values) to give direction to their new pattern.
As the new rhythm grows in confidence, the facilitator should fade theirs away.
Discussion
How did that feel? What helped you find the courage to break free? How important was first taking ownership of the original rhythm?
What might assist you break free from these problematic patterns in real life?
Using the drum to represent arousal and learning strategies to calm oneself. Then transferring this same technique to the body.
A one to one version of the anger management exercise.
how easy it is to be drawn into conflict with others and why. Who has ever found themselves getting drawn into some conflict situation not of their own choosing?
Play 'Call and Response' but with the proviso that a loud rumble represents aggression - the aim of the game is not to be pulled in by other people's aggression. So, if you hear a loud rumble you must respond with a very soft rumble. Every other call you respond to normally.
This exercise requires a degree of regulatory control.
Examining the impact of other people's feelings on your own, by playing the opposite feeling.
How people can bring us down or lift us up.
Using the drum to express feelings of loss.
Emphasising no right way or wrong way to do this and ensuring the facilitator are also involved, so that the client does not become too exposed (self-conscious).
You can do this in groups or in one to one counselling. (You can sit side by side or opposite. One person asks their client to play through the emotional content of a particular experience, memory or just a time period (e.g. the week since they last met) – “Express this week on the drum, taking your time and using the drum as a safe & secure container into which you release these feelings”. Avoid words. The facilitator emphasises only slow shifts between moods so that they can be mirrored easily. Then the person playing the client starts and the other person mirrors (replicates) their drumming. Avoid eye contact – focus on the playing. At the end of the clients drumming the facilitator may look to confirm feelings that they recognised during the exercise, and expand on this if the client is comfortable.
In groups, any individual can volunteer to play through their feeling on their drum in relation to a significant event in their lives, and the group may mirror that music in a show of empathy and support. There is no requirement to discuss the event at all. It is very important to have the experience to help people manage feelings that may surface during this exercise.
Discussion: How did people feel who were being supported? How important is it to find constructive ways to release your feelings? Can sharing these with friends help? Many cultures move away from words to express feelings - why might that be? How important is it to have others recognise & empathise with your feelings? How often do you find that words don’t really do justice, or say what you want to say in regard, to your feelings?
Often a good way to finish a session individually or as a group.
Allowing people freedom of expression and leaving in a quiet, calm & connected place
The Echo-wave done one to one.
An emotional regulation exercise
Discuss the following: What are the elements of good communication? Why is good communication so fundamental to healthy relationships?
One person should be asked to choose someone in the group and start a conversation with that person using their drum and the other person should respond. Analyse the conversation for the following elements – balance, listening, dominance, respect.
What are some of the elements of poor communication we can all fall into? How can this impact our relationships? Why? How can we improve our communication skills?
Choose one person in the group as the controller – the controller can denote who plays and who doesn’t. (In individual sessions the counsellor takes on this role.)
Agree as a group on two signals – one for PLAY and one for STOP. The controller can direct the entire group or an individual.
The rules are firm – you may only play at the invitation of the controller and must stop playing when they ask you to.
The controller should either begin a rhythm or ask someone to begin and the exercise extends from there, with people being directed to start or stop at the whim of the controller.
What did it feel like to be controlled like that by somebody else? Were there feelings of resentment towards the controller? Did you find yourself becoming frustrated? Can you recall other situations where you were at the mercy of others’ power (be sensitive here)? How healthy is it when one person exercises complete power over another? When might it be acceptable? When do you think it might be destructive? In situations where you know you have no power, say when you are stuck in traffic, how important is patience? What about acceptance – how can developing patience and acceptance improve your outcomes in situations like these?
Start a simple rhythm at a low, soft level, and try and maintain that low volume while speeding up.
Examine this in relation to the way people get pulled in (influenced) emotionally by others around them, sometimes into situations that they might be better off avoiding. A key learning in holding your rhythm is knowing it first – knowing what you want to hold onto – your values.
Discussion: How can we better resist this pull? How important was focus? How important was self-belief? What other strategies did you use? How big a difference would it make if you were not alone? (if time permits try one exercise with 2 or 3 people trying to resist in the face of the rest of the group). How do the emotions of others impact you? Are there people around you who impact your emotions for better or for worse? How do your emotions impact others?
Both people start a simple rhythm at a slow pace, and one person is tasked with staying slow, while the other slowly speeds up – similar to staying calm when others around you get excited and emotional.
What helped you hold steady?
These exercises can also act as ice-breakers and help people get comfortable with each other.
One person should play their drum with a particular emotion – the person opposite should play the opposite emotion. For example sad/happy, fearful/brave, angry/calm, jealous/supportive etc.
Discuss the feelings that arise.
Did you want to join in with the opposite at any stage?
Did your feelings shift at all? Did you feel frustrated at all?
Make a list on a white-board of one thing each person feels is unfair (try and be as specific as possible). Categorise them into different environments of:
• school/workplace
• family/home
• community/society.
Use the ‘Rumble If’ or ‘Play How it Feels’ exercise to check in with the group on how these things impact them and follow with a discussion. The world is full of unfair situations – how reasonable is it to expect life to be fair? How can we move our world towards being a fairer place? Are we influenced by people who act fairly towards others? Do you always act fairly yourself? How do you deal with situations you think are unfair?
Ask one person to come up with an upbeat (positive) melody on their drum and then have the person sitting next to them play something downbeat (depressive). Watch for changes in the emotional content of either player. Add additional players one at a time to increase the level of negativity and explore how this impacts the mood of the initial upbeat drummer.
How can you maintain your positivity in the face of others who may be cynical or angry?
These two approaches can also be played out between a counsellor and their client.
Adaption
Reverse the exercise so that one influences the other in a positive way (start off with a sad or despondent drummer and expose them to uplifting rhythms one at a time).
How does having positive people around you improve your situation? Are there some people you can’t lift?
A one to one example of this exercise where the challenge is to hold on to your rhythm (what is good for you) in the face of other people's influence.
Often aligned to holding onto your values in the face of someone trying to get you to compromise them.
It is always beneficial to name the two parts (rhythms/actions) with concrete examples of different choices relevant to the individual being tested.
Taking steps towards an objective.
A fun game that extends from one note.
Remember to slow down the more note (steps) we take the more we may need to slow down and consolidate.
Sometimes we may even need to stop to work out what our next step will be.
The drum can be used to initiate connection between a participant and the facilitator in a fun way. In both one to one counselling and groups you can begin a session by connecting this way, that also often links people emotionally. In groups or classrooms, you can also use this exercise by having people pair up, and explore the different facets of social connection.
The drum can be used to initiate connection between a participant and the facilitator in a fun way. In both one to one counselling and groups you can begin a session by connecting this way, that also often links people emotionally. In groups or classrooms, you can also use this exercise by having people pair up, and explore the different facets of social connection.
The counsellor should work with the client (or divide a larger group into pairs), with the focus being to create a two-part harmony that includes some of the elements of a balanced, healthy relationship.
Discuss what those elements might be before breaking off into pairs to develop a rhythm.
Give them around four to five minutes to come back with a rhythm, which they play, one pair at a time, to the group. The rhythm should contain at least one original beat.
Together analyse each two-part rhythm for the different qualities of a healthy relationships – respect, balance, listening, connection, fun etc.
The group as a whole can be divided down the middle to play any of these new rhythms, with one half of the group playing one part each.
In this exercise, the facilitator takes the client or group through a storm sequence on the drum and links this to the rise of our emotions when we get upset or angry:
• What triggers your storm?
• How do we get control of the storm?
• What allows the storm to pass by?
• Remember - All storms eventually end – what helps your emotional storms dissipate?
Releasing feelings through the drum can be done at any stage and replaces the question ‘How did that feel” with ‘Play how that felt’.
It can be particularly useful at the beginning of each session to run an exercise – “Play how you are feeling’ over the top of a foundation rhythm as a way of checking in on the group.
EXAMINE
• Triggers for emotional arousal
• Calming strategies
Introduce the metaphor of a beach ball representing our feelings and emotions and asking people to support each other by keeping those feelings up – keeping the imaginary beach ball in the air using rumble energy. Say: ‘We start as a group lifting the ball as high as we can with our combined energy and then lowering it as low as we can before raising it to a median level, all the time tracking it with our eyes.’
Discuss the challenges of staying positive and the support we can give each other in keeping our spirits up.
In individual work, I have found this exercise useful in helping clients express how they are feeling and exploring the same concepts but with a more personal focus.