DARK 40 Day 11: Sacred Percussion

Setup: Light your Aeloure candle with the intention to have the flame carry off and transmute the excess we will slough away and prepare to awaken your body through the ancient practice of self-percussion. This gentle drumming is both release and rhythm, creating space for the new while honoring what’s ready to fall away.

Engagement:

1. Create Your Container:
   • Choose music with a strong beat (try one of these—quite the variety here, so find what’s your today beat—or send me what you landed on today and I’ll add it to this list for future fun!)
   • Find enough space to stand and sway
   • Begin by lifting up onto your toes and dropping your heels to the beat
   • Feel the downshift vibrate through your entire body
2. The Sacred Percussion:
   • With soft, flat palms, gently but firmly pat your chest
   • Find just the right pressure—firm enough to feel, gentle enough to honor
   • Create a rhythm circuit—down the right arm, clap at the hands
   • Up the left arm, across the heart, back down the right
   • Bring your percussion to your abdomen, diaphragm, low belly
   • Fold softly at the waist while maintaining your rhythm in your hips
   • Continue down the outside of the legs, tops of feet, up the inside seam
3. Deepen with Fists:
   • Switch to soft fists and repeat similar pathways
   • Down the outside of the legs, up the inside
   • Release tension in hips, glutes, pelvis, shoulders
   • Imagine all that’s draining off being composted by the earth
   • Feel the space you’re creating for what’s new

Integration: What tension melted away through this practice? Where did your body most need this release? How does your container feel after this sacred clearing? Did any sound want to escape? Full permission to make noises!

Choose Your Percussion:

• Option 1: Morning Activation
  • Use as wake-up ritual
  • Start gentle, build energy
  • End with full-body shake
• Option 2: Pre-Sleep Clearing
  • Use to release day’s accumulation
  • Softer, slower rhythm
  • Focus on complete release
    
• Option 4: Partner Exchange
  • Take turns gently percussing each other 
  • Communicate (and honor) preferences in real time
  • Create shared rhythm

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