Women gather for drumming

A group of about a dozen women has been drumming in each other's homes in the Sisters Country for nearly 10 years, sometimes bringing a daughter or a grandmother.

Honoring the earth, Gaia, and native traditions, the women meet to find a centeredness, an inner peace and a calm not easily found in today's world.

"There's a certain sacredness to coming together," said Kim Kinney, member of the drumming group for three years.

Kinney often brings her daughters Josie and Sonja to the drumming sessions. One daughter has made her own rattles.

The members vary in age from the very young to more senior members.

The act of drumming causes breakthroughs. Even when no words are spoken, a drumming session brings a release of all the pent-up emotions from days prior to drumming.

Drumming requires no special skill. Anyone who can tap their foot can tap their hand on a drum, shake their rattle, or tap two sticks together.

When the drumming stops, something happens. Listening to your internal clock, there is a quiet. No need to rush. No tension. Just quiet. When you get home, for a while there's still quiet. The quiet will be interrupted, eventually, but later, after drumming again, the quiet returns.

Louise Jacobs, the group's founder, previously lead a Portland group for 10 years.

"Drumming came out of doing women's moon ceremonies," Jacobs said. "It came out of that to connect energies of women with other women. It's not just drumming, it's a spiritual connection. The Earth has a rhythm and we have a rhythm which is a heartbeat of the mother, the Earth."

"You're creating a vibration, a heartbeat associated with life vibration," Kinney said. "It's an alternate state of meditation and prayer. When I come together with women it helps me amplify my purpose, and it's very healing."

Jacobs makes drums for herself and her family, as does her husband Harold. They occasionally perform together at public events.

"We are conscious about who we are in a circle and drum in a conscious way," Jacobs said.

"When you look at the Earth," Jacobs said, "and notice the ebb and flow of the tides, there is a breathing in and breathing out. We connect to that and honor that life force as an essential element to our existence."

This summer, the Sisters Women Drumming Group will begin drumming outside. They meet the first Saturday of every month. For more information contact Louise Jacobs at 541-549-0184.