White Skin, African Heart:
Finding my Life’s Purpose through the Power of Drum Healing

by Toby Christensen

Among the Dagara people of Burkina Faso in West Africa it is a common and well-accepted belief that every child is born with a definite goal and purpose. "As a result, tribal practices emphasize the discovery, before birth, of the business of the soul that has come into the world. A person’s purpose is thus embodied in their name, thus constituting an inseparable reminder of why the person walks with us in this world." (Some’, 1999:3)

Here in the West, figuring out who we are and what our soul’s mission is, is not so simple. In my own case I was nearly two before I announced my life’s purpose by beating on a windowsill in my parent’s home with a pair of can openers. Unfortunately, my mother was not appreciative of my natural sense of rhythm. Her outraged reaction tamped down my emerging talents for a few more years. I reconnected with the drum at the age of six and found it to be a place of peace in a very tumultuous world. In 1991 I met the Dagara shaman Malidoma Some’. I became his student and began to rebuild my life by embracing shamanic practices and principles in my personal and professional life. Through Malidoma I was reintroduced to my first love, the drum. Playing the Djembe (a drum from West Africa) with my hands I experienced the same sense of delight, power, and freedom I first felt on that windowsill so many years ago. I realized that it was through the drum that my life’s purpose would be fulfilled. Malidoma used to say, " you look like a white man, but you play like an African."

While dedicating one’s life to drumming might sound like an odd career choice to some people in the West, in Africa it is a well-respected profession. Drumming is an ever-present part of nearly every ritual among the Dagara and many other indigenous cultures. People drum when a baby is born, when someone is sick, when there is marital or family discord or when someone dies. There is always a very good reason for this practice. As Sobonfu Some’ suggests, "The sound of the drum is the tuning of the soul." In the tribal context it draws people together by removing or smoothing out conflicting energies that threaten family or village unity. Drumming also helps restore or reaffirm a person’s energetic sense of self. As a result they are better protected and less susceptible to disease. By the same token if illness is already present in a person, drumming can help drive it out. As Malidoma explains,

.in the mind of the indigenous, illness is like an unwelcome guest that wants the place it has taken over to remain the same so that it can be comfortable. Certain healing practices ...involve altering the energy structure of the person. By doing this, the illness, if there is any, becomes "irritated" at the rude hospitality and moves away in search of another place (Some' 1999:26)

In my own practice I have seen ample evidence of the drum’s healing power. For example, a client of mine who is a nurse practitioner had suffered for years from low energy and poor health due to adrenal gland failure and a thyroid imbalance. Doctors were able to control the condition with medication, but they were able to offer no permanent cure. After only three healing drum sessions with me, her adrenal system was completely regenerated and the thyroid imbalance had been corrected. She was able to go off her medication and resume a normal life, much to the amazement of her doctors. Another client who is stricken with AIDS was so weak that he could hardly get out of bed when he first came to see me. After two months of weekly treatments his energy level was to the point he could cut back on his medications, return to full time employment, and resumed an active social schedule

These stories and many others inspire me because they are eloquent proof of the power of the drum. Its sound penetrates deeply into our physical tissues, clearing away negative emotions, improving mental clarity and strengthening our connection to Spirit. The first time a person comes to see me I rarely ask them what their issues or physical problems are. Rather, I suggest they lie down and relax. Then I let the spirit of the drum guide me in determining what is wrong. I use a hoop drum or "shamans drum" for this diagnostic work, moving it sequentially around the body in a counter-clockwise direction. In this process I note the presence of energy blockages and intrusions. Next, I move to a larger, more powerful drum called a Djembe. I stand directly over the client and drum into blocked or unbalanced areas. Most people find this process extremely soothing and drift off to sleep as their body releases. Other individuals shake or move physically to the changing beat of the drum. Some people also experience a sense of heat or rising power as the drum works away blocks. Occasionally the heat radiated by the client’s body is so intense that I feel like I’m standing in a sauna!

Unless the client becomes uncomfortable, I usually continue drumming until I sense full release of all energy ready to move at that time. I then sit with the client and discuss the locations of energy blockages or intrusions I was working on. I also ask the clients to convey their own experience and reactions. I also inform clients that even though the drum has stopped playing, the effects of the treatment may continue for several days. In fact, some people report that their most profound healing takes place hours, days, or even weeks after they have left my office.

In closing I would also like to say a few words about my ethnicity. Some people are frankly put off by the fact that I am a white man and wonder how someone of Scandinavian descent can deem himself qualified to speak about drumming and other shamanic practices of indigenous Africa. I have no defense except to say that shamanism, like energy is universal. It cannot be owned exclusively by an individual or a particular culture. When I traveled to Africa with Malidoma and Sobonfu I was not judged by the color of my skin, but by the strength and integrity of my connection to Spirit. I was included in all the rituals and made to feel a part of the community. My skin color was such a non issue that the only time I remember it being referred to was one night after we drummed for the village elders an old man came up to me and started rubbing the skin on my arm. He was saying something as he did it. I asked Malidoma to translate. Malidoma began to laugh as he said, "the elder is wondering why the white does not rub off, you are in a white body but you have an African heart".

Toby Christensen can be contacted at 360-573-4848 or 503-224-6361.