Tonight I attended a fundraiser for the Young Woman's Drumming Empowerment Project (YWDEP). The founder, Kristen Arant was my drum teacher last summer when I joined a weekly woman's drum circle. Our djembe lessons began shortly after my father died and I found every part of the process to be healing and uplifting.
The drum itself has power...the shape of its body, the way it feels when you have found the most comfortable way to place it between your legs...the cream you put on your hands and the softness of the skin that serves as the head of the drum. The sounds these drums produce most certainly carry vibrations that are in alignment with Mother Nature...you don't just hear them...you feel them. The music is intoxicating and compels you to move your body...absorbing the vibrations...becoming one with the sound...feeling connected to the place inside that knows truth.
I loved my time with the women who shared in this discovery with me and I felt connected to them...through the drums...we lifted eachother up. The more I have learned about YWDEP the more I am impressed and grateful for women like Kristen who are making a difference in the community, and in this case specifically with our young girls who so desperately need guidance and love in their journey to womanhood.
Having spent the last six months working at a domestic violence agency I see the need for programs like this everyday. Our young women are struggling and the media continues to make it difficult for them to accept themselves unless they fit into the mold that has been projected as "most appealing." There simply are not enough programs out there teaching young women about self-love an offering them tools to achieve this goal. YWDEP is one of these AMAZING programs so I encourage everyone to check out the website, http://www.youngwomendrum.org/ and to offer their support by becoming members.
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