Founder of the Sacred Drumming Academy
Krista Holland
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Experience an ancient sound-healing journey through upright frame drum playing to harmonize your sacred inner rhythms with those of the Earth — and instill a sense of belonging within your own body as well as greater freedom, ease, and authenticity.
Be immersed in the healing power of elemental drumming — a journey through the 5 elements to ignite self-healing, optimal brain function, and creativity.
Are you in step with yourself? In other words, do you confidently walk to your own beat, embracing all that you are and allowing yourself to be nourished and uplifted through self-love?
Do you give yourself permission to experience the wildness of your heart, the bliss of your body, and the yearnings of your soul... honoring the full-spectrum of your life experience?
Do you relish in the comfort of the Earth beneath your feet and the feeling of radiant health caressing your cells as you move through life authentically?
As frame drummer Krista Holland teaches, when you’re aligned with your inner rhythms, every step you take brings you back home to yourself and what was originally intended for your life. In gist, you’re in an authentic flow state.
You embody your innate sensuality as a holy gift of being human. You’re more resilient, and your health is easier to regulate and optimize as you harmonize with your natural homeostasis — and the rhythms of nature.
Your work is likely enriched by meaning and purpose, and your relationships are more apt to flourish because you’ve learned how to accept yourself and are no longer projecting your own insecurities and self-judgments onto other people.
Does this sound like you? If not, it’s likely that you’re out of rhythm with yourself to some degree — causing your desires to fall out of alignment with you...
... and diminishing your ability to maintain physical, mental, and emotional equilibrium, wellbeing, and spiritual alignment from the inside out.
Thankfully, there’s a fun and meaningful fix for this.
During this embodied drumming course with Krista, you’ll explore active meditations and sacred rhythm play with the frame drum to realign with your inner rhythms and the rhythms of the Earth — and inhabit your body with greater freedom, authenticity, and love.
As the founder of the Sacred Drumming Academy, Krista has devoted more than 25 years of research and practice to the frame drum, resulting in a deep synthesis of modern science, ritual, myth, and ancient feminine drum history.
During your time with Krista, you’ll explore how the restorative power of sacred drumming is amplified when combined with specific rhythms, posture alignments, breathwork, and movement...
... eliciting a deeper state of creative flow and creating a matrix of somatic and sound healing that holds the potential to deepen your intuition, enhance creativity, and open new dimensions of consciousness.
Note: For playing in the upright style of frame drumming, it’s essential to look for a Tar or Bendir frame drum with either a thumb notch or a thumbhole in a 10", 12", 14", or 16" frame size. Once registered, you will receive a list of suggestions on where to purchase a drum if you do not already have one.
As you journey through the sacred rhythms of your body, you’ll:
- Connect with the Earth to activate your own inner rhythms — and a sense of groundedness, rootedness, and balance
- Activate the rhythms of your body and unlock your latent potential using ancient, traditional, contemporary, trance rhythms, and guided movement practices
- Liberate your unique rhythm, become more fluid in your body — and elicit a deeper state of creative flow
- Deepen your awareness of the energy systems of your body to transform your drumming
- Explore methods to release mental and physical blockages to the flow state
- Discover fiery rhythms to generate passion and activate your core power — and ignite your life purpose
- Learn optimal postural alignment for longevity and ease in your drumming practice
- Explore breath and drumming as healing instruments — and conscious breathing practices and techniques to enhance your drumming practice
- Discover how to self-regulate your nervous system through the synergy of breathwork, guided movement, and drumming
- Explore how drumming and stepping in rhythm can have measurable effects on your brainwaves
- Begin to express the visionary part of you through drumming
- View your life in rhythmic cycles — honoring the full-spectrum of your life experience to foster growth and health
- Discover how expressing emotion in drumming can help free stuck energy and enhance your playing
You’ll harness the power of ancient, traditional, contemporary, and trance rhythms and somatic movements to unlock the latent potential and innate healing capacity throughout the energy centers of your body.
You’ll learn how being aware of the energy systems of your body can transform your drumming and help you take root in your physicality in a loving and compassionate way, while activating balance in your body systems — and the visionary within you.
Ultimately, you’ll learn how to live in your body with full reverence, in sync with your inner rhythms and those of the Earth. Experience your vitality by harnessing sacred rhythm play as a grounding and inspiring force for your life.
“Krista does a beautiful job of teaching and guiding drumming in such a way to meet the needs of beginners and more experienced drummers.”
Krista does a beautiful job of teaching and guiding drumming in such a way to meet the needs of beginners and more experienced drummers. I really liked the pace of reviewing what we learned previously as well as challenging us with new techniques. And such a gentle style!
— Lisa V., Salida, Colorado
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Weeks
In this 7-week transformational intensive, Krista will guide you through the fundamental skills and competencies you’ll need to inhabit your body with greater freedom, authenticity, and love using upright frame drum playing.
Join the Livestream — or Stream Later to Watch at Your Convenience
You’ll connect with Krista and experience her teachings through livestreaming video via any connected device. This connection is easy to use and will enhance the impact of Krista’s transmissions. Can’t make it live? After each class, you can stream the video and audio recordings to enjoy later.
Course Sessions Wednesdays at 1:00pm Pacific
This course will feature LIVE teachings, interactive training sessions, experiential practices, and Q&A with Krista. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to energize your spirit, wellbeing, and creativity through upright frame drum playing — which activates your inner rhythms by connecting you with the rhythms of the Earth.
Module 1: Realign With the Rhythms of the Earth to Take Root in Your Body & Activate Inner Balance & Ease (January 25)
You’ll begin by setting an intention and activating connections between your feet and hands... your bones and the land... your ancestors... the Earth... and your sacred drum.
Krista will walk you through the fundamental alignment principles and technical foundations for playing in the upright style of frame drumming with ease, simplicity, and agility.
You’ll explore the historical uses of the sacred frame drum from various cultures — and discover how you can use the frame drum in the upright style in ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations.
You’ll also receive compassionate guidance on how to inhabit your body more lovingly and dynamically as the practice of sacred frame drumming becomes an active meditation and a revitalizing (yet relaxing) embodiment practice.
During the first class, you’ll:
- Connect with the Earth to activate your own inner rhythms — and a sense of groundedness, rootedness, and balance
- Awaken a stable foundation from which to set your intention
- Activate the mind-body-spirit connection to inspire and infuse your drumming
- Explore the cross-cultural historical use of the frame drum in ceremony and ritual
- Be introduced to rhythm play and body percussion
- Discover techniques for feeling the underlying pulse in a rhythm
- Learn how to hold the frame drum in the upright position for comfort and ease
Module 2: Enter Your Flow State to Release Mental, Emotional & Physical Blockages & Liberate Your Rhythm (February 1)
Once you have created a solid foundation from which to explore your drumming, the energy and techniques of the rhythms will tend to flow more freely and effortlessly.
In this class, you’ll discover how to enter into a state of flow that will liberate your creativity and musical expression.
You’ll explore how the concepts and experience of flow and the flow state can significantly enhance and vitalize your drumming practice as you uncover methods for allowing the energy and prana to flow and express through your drumming and movement.
You’ll also begin to move through the landscape of your environment with your frame drum, which will open up a world of possibilities for you to venture and adventure into with your sacred frame drum.
In this module, you’ll explore:
- Beginning rhythms on the frame drum while in the upright position
- How to liberate your rhythm and become more fluid in your body with the drum as an ally
- Vital concepts and practices to elicit a deeper state of creative flow
- Why being aware of the energy systems of your body can transform your drumming
- Methods to release mental and physical blockages to the flow state
- Movement with your drum for all bodies and abilities
Module 3: Activate Your Core Power to Transform Lethargy Into Vitality & Energy (February 8)
You’ll explore the physical alignments and energetic signatures that will help you activate your core power for the practice of drumming and other vital life endeavors.
These methods and techniques can be applied to any area of your life, and you’ll find that these approaches become incredibly transformative when used in your sacred drumming practice.
You’ll also experience the direct and immediate effects of embodied drumming with an awakened core.
These methods can catalyze your practice and empower your physical and energetic posture and stance throughout your drumming and life.
During the third class, you’ll discover:
- Time-tested ways to activate your core power for posture and energy
- How tuning into your core can transform your drumming practice and life
- Fiery rhythms to generate passion for your playing and ignite your core life purpose
- Methods to transform lethargy into vitality and radiant self-expression
- How to approach upbeat and uptempo rhythms without burning out
- Optimal postural alignment for longevity and ease in your drumming practice
Module 4: Synergize Your Breath With the Frame Drum to Rebalance Your Nervous System, Strengthen Your Focus & Expand Your Consciousness (February 15)
What does the practice of conscious breathing have in common with drumming? They are two of the most ancient, accessible, and time-tested practices for transforming consciousness known to humankind.
From the yogis of India to the shamans of Siberia, the human quest for activating the body’s innate healing capabilities has spanned thousands of years. It shows up in some form in every culture around the Earth.
You’ll combine these two healing instruments — conscious breathing and the drum — to catalyze full-spectrum health and deepen your awareness...
... and learn basic breathing practices that — when combined with various rhythms — will help create a synergistic alchemy of health benefits.
These universal instruments of healing can act as complementary and adjunct healing tools in your traveling medicine bag for personal revitalization, balancing your nervous system, and self-regulation.
During the fourth class, you’ll explore:
- Breath and drumming as healing instruments — and conscious breathing practices and techniques to enhance your drumming practice
- How to self-regulate your nervous system through the synergy of breathwork, guided movement, and drumming
- How to catalyze your healing potential by being in rhythm with your breath and drumming
- How to bring a breath practice into your playing for focus, clarity, and ease
- Trance rhythms for healing and entrainment
Module 5: Honor Your Life Experience to Release Trapped Emotional Energy, Create Inner Harmony & Enhance Your Drum Play (February 22)
One of the main ways nature creates and maintains balance and harmony is through micro and macro rhythms. From the change of seasons to the cycles of the moon, life is in a continual process of balance.
One of the ways people can learn to optimize their body’s innate potential for harmony and balance is by maintaining healthy rhythms, such as working and resting in balanced cycles.
You’ll explore why it’s vital to your health to honor the full spectrum of your life experience by making space for the natural currents and emotional tides of life.
You’ll discover how to free stuck mental or emotional energy, open to change and growth, and plant fresh seeds of your vision for thriving.
As you begin to view your life in rhythmic cycles, you can apply the concepts of being in rhythm as a form of creative medicine that moves along a continuum from your heart to your breath... to your drum... to your everyday life — this is rhythm medicine.
During the fifth class, you’ll learn:
- How to view your life in rhythmic cycles — honoring the full-spectrum of your life experience to foster growth and health
- How to apply sacred drumming to create balanced cycles within you and your life — and make space for change and a new vision to emerge
- How expressing emotions in your drumming can help free stuck energy and enhance your playing
- Ways to approach your drumming to optimize its healing potential
- Traditional rhythm cycles for inner balance and harmony
Module 6: Engage Your Imagination to Let Go of What Doesn’t Serve You & Ignite Your Inner Vision & Brainpower (March 1)
Many modern humans have lost the art of engaging their inner vision and imagination — and therefore have also lost a path for creating a life filled with purpose and meaning.
If you sometimes feel burned out, mentally overwhelmed, or creatively dried up, this class will help refresh your natural ability to engage your imagination for greater general wellbeing.
You’ll explore how drumming and stepping in rhythm can have measurable effects on your brainwaves... and how you can leverage this information to engage your imagination and activate your true inner vision — and the life you were meant to live.
This practice can have a positive effect on your entire being and may even bring a more profound sense of meaning and purpose to your life and your community.
In this module, you’ll:
- Explore how drumming and stepping in rhythm can have measurable effects on your brainwaves
- Learn how drumming and stepping can activate the imagination — and a deeper vision for your life
- Begin to express the visionary part of you through drumming
- Discover ideas on how to bring drumming to your community
Module 7: Integrate All You’ve Learned Into an Enriching Drumming Practice for a Lifetime of Postural Alignment & Healing (March 8)
Sacred drumming is a practice that can become a lifetime journey of discovery. In this final class, you’ll bring together the various techniques and postural alignments that you’ve learned into a full-spectrum practice that will be adaptable for all bodies and abilities.
You will have experienced stepping in rhythm and walking and swaying with your frame drum... and explored different rhythms and techniques that can be expanded upon and refined over the years that you dedicate yourself to playing the drum.
You will have learned simple yet powerful principles of postural alignment that can be applied to your drumming practice — and help you stay aligned with the vision you hold for your life.
You will have awakened your core and inspired your imagination and vision.
And hopefully, you will have gained fresh insights into the potential of what a sacred frame drumming practice can provide to you over a lifetime of embodied drumming for healing and wellbeing.
Lastly, you’ll:
- Learn how to weave all that you have learned into a powerful practice to increase your vitality and inhabit your body with greater freedom, authenticity, and love
- Experience the integration of drumming and stepping
- Review postural alignment for easeful playing and living
- Receive inspiration for devoting yourself to a lifetime practice of sacred frame drumming
The Embodied Drumming Bonus Collection
In addition to Krista’s transformative 7-week virtual course, you’ll receive these special bonuses to take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Sound Session — Ocean Island Remix
Audio Recording From Krista Holland
Inspired by the play of light on water and the blue expanse of ocean and infinite sky, this 20-minute sound journey, entitled Island Ocean, was composed by Krista, with audio engineering by Eric Novisedlak. Listen to this recording as a sacred sound journey designed to help you relax, free your mind from constricted thinking, and ignite wellbeing.
A Brief History of Sacred Drumming
PDF Article From Krista Holland
This full-color PDF created by Krista details a brief history of the frame drum played in the upright position across cultures over thousands of years. Learn about the different cultural uses of the frame drum for rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, and rites of passage — and see accompanying illustrations that tell the story of an enduring and sacred instrument.
What Graduates of Krista’s Courses Are Saying...
— Kimberly Mallett: “Krista Brings Us Home to the Heartbeat of Ourselves and Mother Earth”
— Lena Hirschler: “Krista Teaches You How to Bring Much More Joy Into Your Life Through Drumming”
— Aimee Ryan: “I Was Just Looking for a Drumming Teacher, But What I Got Was So Much More”
— Melissa Vanek: “I Gained a Whole New Connection, a Whole New Language”
“... the gifts this instrument has to offer come through beautifully in [Krista’s] teaching and playing, and she is so inspiring!”
Krista’s passion for the frame drum, and her understanding of the gifts this instrument has to offer come through beautifully in her teaching and playing, and she is so inspiring! I love watching and hearing her play her frame drum. It lights a fire in me to continue practicing, learning, and progressing in my own playing.
— Rebecca Carroll, Pleasant Grove, Utah
“Krista is a true gem!”
Krista is a true gem! A wonderful, gentle teacher and guide. I have never been good at music or keeping a beat, and this course has provided a safe, nurturing, affirming venue for me to experience both growth and success. Thank you so much!
— Janine Turnbull, Ramara, Canada
“Krista is the best sacred drum teacher I have ever known.”
Krista is the best sacred drum teacher I have ever known. She is precise, patient, and loving. Her presence alone soothes me.
— Ajna, Montréal, Québec, Canada
“Reconnecting and discovering with rhythm and sound through one of the most ancient instruments on this planet is absolutely wonderful.”
Reconnecting and discovering with rhythm and sound through one of the most ancient instruments on this planet is absolutely wonderful. Also, learning some of the history of the instrument and its intricacies is so illuminating. Thank you, Krista, for your sharing, and thank you, Shift, for making it possible for us!
— Katja, Florida
Join the Global Community
Embodied Drumming offers some of the most transformational online teachings available, within a thriving global community of learning and practice.
Join fellow students and practitioners to support and inspire each other as you integrate the teachings and practices Krista Holland will share in this powerful training.
You’ll be part of an international community that’s on the leading edge of a global movement of people manifesting a world grounded in principles of cooperation, harmony, and reverence for all of life.
Here’s What You’ll Receive
Seven 90-Minute Class Sessions With Krista Holland
Experience a unique opportunity to be mentored by and learn from multifaceted teacher and frame drummer Krista Holland from the comfort of your own home. Each class includes a livestreaming video option and guides you to discover specific skills and abilities to activate your inner rhythms through upright frame drum playing and somatic movement. Course sessions are on Wednesdays at 1:00pm Pacific.
Seven Video Recordings of Class Sessions
After each class, the video will be available for you to stream in a high-quality format. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can watch anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
Seven Audio Recordings of Class Sessions
After each class, the audio will be available for you to stream. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can listen anytime and anywhere at your convenience.
Seven Transcripts of Class Sessions
You'll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Interactive Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson
Between class sessions, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each week’s lesson.
Online Community
Our exclusive Facebook online community is the perfect place to continue your discovery process after each class. Here, you can continue the discussion about your course materials and interact with your fellow students to take your exploration to an even deeper level.
The Embodied Drumming Bonus Collection
- Sound Session — Ocean Island Remix
Audio Recording From Krista Holland - A Brief History of Sacred Drumming
PDF Article From Krista Holland
An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Embodied Drumming Online Training
We feel honored that Krista Holland has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive LIVE online training. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly with a multifaceted teacher and frame drummer whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about activating your inner rhythms and reclaiming your health and wellbeing, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and our world to take this one-of-a-kind training.
If you’re ready to take the next step in evolving yourself, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE Embodied Drumming — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form on or before February 8, 2023 and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
More Praise for Krista Holland...
“It’s nothing short of magic...”
Krista is one of those rare magicians that can combine sacred drumming, deep knowledge of the Sacred Feminine, and equally deep knowledge of modern psychology and neuroscience with dexterity and mastery. The resulting alchemy is quite a heady mix, and a workshop with her is the equivalent of diving deep down the rabbit’s hole with Alice. It’s nothing short of magic, and staring in awe at our sacred place in the Divine Mother’s infinite loving womb!
— Raja Choudhury, speaker, filmmaker, and teacher of Awakening Your Kundalini
“Through this work, I have stepped more fully into my feminine leadership.”
Through Krista’s skilled facilitation, I activated my purpose and passion. I was doubting the value of my gifts, but with her help I became more clear on the significance of my contribution. Through this work, I have stepped more fully into my feminine leadership. Krista is adept at calling forth the highest expression of each client. She demonstrates how to live a life of balance, beauty, and prosperity.
— Crystal Arnold, founder of Money-morphosis
“With grace and mastery, Krista invited my best self forward, illuminating a whole new horizon of possibilities for my life and service.”
Working with Krista is life-changing. She effortlessly weaves powerful wisdom from ancient mystical traditions into teachings that feel so resonant and alive — particularly for those of us yearning for a higher way of being in the world. With grace and mastery, Krista invited my best self forward, illuminating a whole new horizon of possibilities for my life and service.
— Lexi Soulios, holistic therapist and creator of The Eleusis Method
About Krista Holland
Krista Holland, a multifaceted teacher and frame drummer, is the founder of the Sacred Drumming Academy, where she shares her in-depth training and studies of the frame drum and leads sacred drumming circles and ceremonies. She has devoted more than 25 years of research and practice to the frame drum and its incredible cross-cultural history, and she has 15 years of experience teaching the frame drum to others.
Krista learned the art of frame drumming along with ritual, myth, and ancient feminine drum history while apprenticing for 14 years under the tutelage of the late Layne Redmond, author of When the Drummers Were Women. Primarily focusing her frame drumming on its healing aspects rather than on drum performance, Krista has drummed privately for cancer patients in hospice, pregnant mothers at their blessing ways, grieving parents, modern temple dancers, trance journeys, children at bedtime, elderhood rites of passage, and a variety of other life ceremonies and rituals.
Krista is known for her unique style of playing, her powerfully transformative teaching, and her knowledge of the mythology and widespread history connected to the ancient lineage of global frame drummers. She teaches sacred drumming through online and in-person private classes, group workshops, immersions, and international retreats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s a virtual course?
A: It’s a great way to engage live and pre-recorded teachings and each other from the comfort of your home! All you need is a computer, mobile device, or telephone. If there’s more than one person in your household taking the course, you’ll each need your own connection. We use Zoom video conferencing to make it just like an in-person event, where you can ask questions and deepen your exploration of the course themes.
There’s no additional charge for connecting to Zoom with your computer or mobile device. Please note that dialing Zoom from your telephone is a toll call; your telephone service provider will charge you according to your existing long-distance calling plan. International access numbers are available.
“I’ve never seen a course so well put together ever...”
I had never participated before in an online course. The packaging, presentation, inclusion, and Facebook postings created a wonderful, safe cocoon within which to participate. I’ve never seen a course so well put together ever — not in all the years of taking college classes — and I had my doubts about doing an online course. The wealth of organization and ease of learning materials and support made this fun as well.
— Claudia F., Medford, Massachusetts
Can I still benefit from the course if I miss the live classes?
A: Absolutely! You can stream the recordings and download the transcripts of all course sessions, so you never need to worry about missing live calls. You can also engage with the full community and leaders in our private online community group.
Q: Can you tell me about the private online community group?
A: We’ll have a private online community group for all course participants on Facebook that will support you in making connections with others, sharing insights, engaging in discussions, and completing homework assignments that can supplement your transformational journey. You’ll have the ability to share your experiences, projects, and growth throughout the course.
Q: Are there scholarships available for this training?
A: Yes, we always make a certain percentage of spaces available for partial scholarships, for those who otherwise would not be able to enroll at the regular rate. If you’d like to apply for a scholarship, please review our guidelines, which include a link to our online application form.
Q: What’s your refund policy?
A: Your satisfaction with The Shift Network and this course is our highest priority! We offer a satisfaction guarantee so that you can sample the course risk-free. The deadline to receive a full refund is February 8, 2023. To request a refund, please click on this refund request form and submit your request. Qualifying refunds will be processed within five business days and an email confirming the refund will be sent. However, we’d love to have a chance to address and resolve your concerns first. If there’s something we can assist you with, please email us at support@theshiftnetwork.com and we’ll be happy to help! (No refund requests accepted after the above date or with scholarship awards.)
Q: How can I reach Customer Support?
A: Please visit our Customer Support Center, where you should be able to find the answer to your question or the solution to your problem. And if you can’t, you can submit an online request form and we’ll get right back to you.
