Post by Gwenith

One cold and windy morning, a man awoke in his cabin in the woods. His eyes opened quickly with a knowing of what he had to do. There was little food left in his cabin, just enough to leave a meal for his mother, his wife and his daughter. He gathered his bow and arrow and set out for the hunt.

It was not long on his walk that he began to question his faith and ability to return home with nourishment for himself and his family. His heart knew what he had to do. But no, there was no time for that, there was only a small opening of daylight, and he was feeling hungry.

His heart knew what he had to do. But no, this was not the plan, this was not how this day was supposed to unfold! Still, his heart knew what to do.

He put down his bow and arrow, sitting down on the snow, crossing his legs, and closing his eyes. Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom! He heard a growing heart beat moving around him with the swirling winds. Boom, boom!

“Do you know you have a light?” He heard a voice ask. He opened his eyes to see where the voice came form, but he saw nothing.
“You have a light,” the voice said.
“But where is this light you speak of?” the man asked.
“It is is in your drum” the voice replied.
“But I do not have a drum”
“Do you have a heart?” the voice asked
“Yes, I have a heart, it is what keeps me alive,” the man said.
“Or perhaps it is you who keeps your heart alive. Breathe into your heart now!” the voice commanded.

The man took a deep, deep breath into his heart.
“Breathe out from your belly now!” he then heard.
And the man did, he took a deep, deep breath out from his belly.
As he did this, a bright flash of light came into his closed eye sight with the immense sound of a drum, BOOM, BOOM!

He continued to breath this way, into his heart, and out from his belly, each time creating a flash of light with the beat of a drum, his drum.

The voice explained, “Your drum must be played, polished and warmed with your light. If not, it grows weak, and dry, and begins to crack, and can no longer be heard.”

The man continued to sit with his breath of light, playing his inner drum with the beat of his heart, and started to hear songs of faith, songs of love, songs of his soul. He did not know how long he had been sitting there, but it must have been some time, for when he opened his eyes it was much darker in the sky.

He was surprised to look down before him and see a steaming pile of deer meat, a basket of luscious red raspberries, and a heaping pile of corn. With whimsical thanks and laughter, he picked up this food and headed back to the cabin.

By candlelight, the man set the plates on the table for his mother, his wife, and his daughter, as he prepared the food for feasting. But as it was time to gather at the table to eat, it was only the man who sat down.

He first served his ancestor mother _within_, who’s plate was set to his left. He then served his ascendant daughter _within_, who’s plate was set to his right. Followed by serving his soul mate wife _within_, who’s plate was set out across from him.

Upon serving his own plate, he craved only a small taste of each food to honour the food offering that had been so graciously gifted. For, he found that he was already quite full.

*****

I give thanks and offer deep gratitude for this medicine story that came through as a gift from the world drum as I was listening to her one-drum-heart-beat.  

*****

Home Practice
What would it be like to play your inner drum with the beat of your heart? Take a moment to be with your breath of light, as you inhale into your heart, and exhale from your belly, and ask:

• What does my inner drum sound like? Smell like? Feel like? Look like?
• Listening deeply to your heartbeat…what is it saying? How is it guiding you to receive nourishment on behalf of the greater whole?