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  • Krista Holland

The Sacred Drum and the Grain Sieve


Many believe the origins of the frame drum originate in the grain sieve.

When humans first settled down into agricultural settlements and began cultivating grains, women were traditionally the artisans of rhythmically winnowing the grain. Of course, women were also bleeding in rhythm with each other and the cycles of the moon.

There is such deep herstory of women being together in rhythm. In looking at cultures that still employ the ancient technologies of grain winnowing, we see that the women will entrain with each other rhythmically so as to move into what we now would call a "flow state".

The flow state is a time tested way to get deep work done, art created, ecstatic love made, and express elite athletic performance with profound ease and pleasure.

There are numerous ways to help elicit flow state - two of the best ways are rhythm and rhythmic breathing.

The antique grain sieve below pictured next to my frame drum welcomed me at the converted windmill where I was staying when I first arrived on the island of Crete. Such sweet serendipity for me and my frame drum as it intuitively gave me deeper insight into the ancient origins of this sacred instrument. I finally got to see the two side by side.

It's a reminder for us to keep tuning and attuning to life's rhythms ~ individually, collectively, and cosmologically.

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