I’m very excited to write this blog since it’s about something very close to my heart and it is also something that each and every one of you can participate in. As they say, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating…’

In keeping with our aim of building a healthy and bustling drum community, we already have monthly community drum circles at Pune Handmade Papers on the fourth Sunday of every month where you can dip your feet in the ocean of recreational drumming and understand the therapeutic outcomes of drumming with a group on a first hand basis. Many professional or rookie drummers or students of percussion who are looking to complement their drum training end up being a part of these sessions as well. Now, to extend this opportunity to all those closet artists or soon-to-be arts-for-wellness therapists out there, we’ve got weekly arts based interventions for health and wellness. Through the consistent and brilliant efforts and work of our in-house expressive arts therapist Akshata Parekh, Taal Inc. has collaborated with the Jehangir Wellness Centre to support Akshata to lead arts and wellness sessions at the centre. 

The dates of these sessions vary every week and so make sure to follow Taal Inc and the Jehangir Wellness Centre on Instagram for regular updates. You can also join our WhatsApp announcements group to keep yourselves updated with upcoming events and activities. Here’s the link https://chat.whatsapp.com/EwEM9XcaUI94pRW16fqBvW

The aim of these weekly sessions in collaboration with the Jehangir Wellness Centre is to give the community a first hand taste of the benefits of expressive arts therapy sessions from a mental health, emotional, and psychological perspective. The weekly activities are varied to offer the regular participant an avenue to try out various art forms and finally arrive at their go-to medium for unabashed self-expression. Remember that in arts based therapy sessions the process is more important than the product. It doesn’t matter how artistically or aesthetically beautiful these creations are. What matters is the intent behind this work. What matters is how this expression made you feel and the realisations it held space for. Energy follows thought and creating space for these epiphanies is important from a mental health perspective. We will be offering drumming circles for healing and catharsis one week and creative movement sessions or dance movement therapy sessions the next. Other modalities include creative writing sessions, music therapy sessions, sound healing and visual art therapy sessions. The schedule is not fixed and is dynamic based on the time of the year, cultural festivals accompanying that time of the year and so on… Each session is tied in and is independent of each other so if you have the chance to attend one, please do.

In this video you’ll see glimpses of Akshata Parekh leading an introductory drum circle for healing. The group comprised people from varied ages and backgrounds but what brought them all together was the pulse, the simple rhythmic phrases that were passed around. You can see and hear the childlike glimmer and excitement in the participants at the end of a 60 minute session. Imagine the psychological and emotional benefits of ongoing drumming for wellness sessions for an individual or group of participants? 

I, for one, am VERY excited to continue these sessions and collect data to be able to add to a swiftly growing body of knowledge that is arts for health and wellbeing. Come be a part of these sessions and support this pursuit, why don’t you? It sure is the need of the hour… 

Come. Drum. Be One.
Varun Venkit
Team Taal Inc.