Log in

NEIGHBORS

Drumming heals, builds community at Grief Project

Posted 5/24/23

Dr. Lydia Woods, founder and CEO of Drum Arizona, Inc., facilitated Native American style and djembe “drum circles” May 21, presented by Doing Grief Community Healing Project, located at …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor
NEIGHBORS

Drumming heals, builds community at Grief Project

Posted

Dr. Lydia Woods, founder and CEO of Drum Arizona, Inc., facilitated Native American style and djembe “drum circles” May 21, presented by Doing Grief Community Healing Project, located at Interfaith Chapel for Healing–Church of the Palms, 14808 N. Boswell Blvd.

Woods is passionate about drumming and it shows. “Dr. Lydia’s youthful enthusiasm allowed all of us to rekindle our inner child,” related Scott Gill, Sun City West resident and drum circle participant, “The peals of laughter and creativity by everyone present made for a joyous afternoon.”

Woods is a poet, author and retired professor who earned an Ed.D. in Kinesiology (the study of human movement). After retiring from teaching at Morehouse College, she turned her interests to the art of drumming. Woods has facilitated more than 700 drum circles and donated more than 550 Native American style drums to children and youth who have experienced trauma, including homelessness, hospitalization and foster care.

Woods mission through Drum Arizona, Inc. to promote emotional, psychological and physical healing through drumming is strongly aligned with the mission of Doing Grief Community Healing Project — empowering grievers to heal in mind, body and spirit. The Healing Project provides arts and spiritual enrichment programs and grief support and education for those who experience grief due to death, injury, illness, aging, broken relationships, trauma, loneliness or any loss that causes grief.

Ongoing Healing Project programs include one-on-one and family grief support and spiritual direction and small group Healing Circles, facilitated by Healing Project director Shea Darian. The project’s arts, spiritual enrichment and grief education programs are for anyone who wants to participate, whether a person is actively grieving or not. Seasonal programs, including drum circles, will recommence in late summer.

“From the first rhythms of our mother’s heartbeats (on Native American drums) to the forceful and peaceful tribal drum calls (on Djembe drums), we came together as family and friends, both new and old, to experience the joys of Native American and African communal messages of love and shared humanity,” added Gill, who drummed alongside his son and friends who attended.  

Doing Grief Community Healing Project programs and services are for those of all faiths or no faith. Visit DoingGrief.com, email Connect@DoingGrief.com or call 602-315-8480.