Didgeridoo Lessons for Sleep Apnea & Healing
Learn the art of playing the didgeridoo. Daran teaches the "Tao of the didgeridoo" as a unique combination of breath therapy, expression and meditation. The deep, vibrational tones offer a unique relaxing and healing experience. If Mother earth had a voice it would be the didgeridoo!
Playing the Didgeridoo can alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea. People who snore have a 67% higher chance of having a stroke and a 34% higher chance of having a heart attack. Playing the didgeridoo is a joyful way to strengthen and tone the tissues of the throat and also provides good exercise for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Daran is a teacher for the Worldwide Sleep Apnea-Didgeridoo Network.
DIDGERIDOO LESSONS:
Investment is $75 for a 60 minute individual private class. To purchase your lesson online click: HERE
3 one hour private lessons for $200. Bring a friend and split the cost! To purchase your lesson online click: HERE
Lessons can be in person or with Zoom.
Circular Breathing Online Video Lessons now available. For more information click: HERE
LOCATION: Daran's Healing Sanctuary at Healing Earth Resources, 506 Old Greensboro Rd Chapel Hill, NC 27516
BASIC DIDGERIDOO PLAYING INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO SERIES:
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For all the Basic Didgeridoo Playing lessons click on the following link: BASIC DIDGERIDOO PLAYING LESSONS
THE AMERICAN SLEEP APNEA ASSOCIATION: “The first published article on the possible effect of playing a wind instrument on OSA was an investigation of playing the didgeridoo, a drone instrument traditional among Australian aborigines. Results of the study, conducted in Switzerland by Milo A. Puhan and others, were published online by the British Medical Journal in December 2005. Puhan and his colleagues worked with 25 patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea indexes between 15 and 30). Fourteen were supplied four-foot-long plastic didgeridoos, given four lessons on the instrument spaced over an eight-week period, and instructed to practice at least 20 minutes a day five days a week. The 11-person control group was placed on a four-month waiting list for their own didgeridoos and lessons.
The physiological benefit of didgeridoo playing is believed to stem from an action called circular breathing, in which the player inhales through the nose while maintaining an uninterrupted outflow into the instrument through the mouth, using the cheeks as bellows. This produces a continuous note sustained far longer than would be possible with a single breath. At the conclusion of the four months, the investigators found that the didgeridoo players’ apnea-hypopnea index had dropped from an average of 21 to 11.6. (The AHI of the untreated control group decreased as well, but only to 15.4.) The didgeridoo players also showed a marked improvement in their level of daytime sleepiness. And the participants proved to be enthusiastically compliant with their instructions, honking on their instruments an average of almost six days a week although five was all that was asked for.
British Medical Journal Study: Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial
Testimonials
"Daran's playful, compassionate and masterful approach to sound healing is profoundly fun and invites endless discovery. In this class, Daran guides us through rhythms, techniques, body scans, and visualizations into deep, expansive states of awareness. The class delights and surprises. It ranges from foot stompin fun and no stops trumpeting, to vast inner states of silence. Naturally, it fosters community as folks gather to make a joyful noise together. There is no way to understand the profundity of playing the didgeridoo until you actually play it. Its full spectrum power to heal and transform gives access to our ever expanding potential. Who knew? I'm so thankful for the spontaneous moment in which I was invited to a workshop and said yes. Thank you Daran!"
-Chitra Giauque
"Daran’s classes are a wonderful oasis from a busy life. Learning the healing tones of the didgeridoo and linking them up to mindfulness meditation can be very centering and calming. Didge playing also helps me strengthen my respiratory system and tone my mouth, throat and abdominal muscles. It is an all-around way of keeping fit while having fun. I recommend Daran as a wonderful teacher and a peaceful presence."
-Kathleen Murray, MSW, LCSW
_"Gordon absolutely LOVED the lesson – and I did too. Thank you so much for your patience, enthusiasm, and expertise. You are such a gifted teacher. We look forward to playing and practicing together and more lessons from you. Hugs of appreciation!!"
- Robin M. Poer, M.A._
_"Daran is not only a master at playing the didjeridoo, but also an excellent instructor! His passion for helping others learn, and his positive and encouraging approach make learning the didj fun. He has an awesome ability to explain and demonstrate skills and techniques in multiple ways until you are able to grasp the concept. I highly recommend working with Daran if you want to learn to play the didjeridoo."
- Kyle Kosey_
_"Daran is such a compassionate healer! I took his didgeridoo class (which was fabulous and I absolutely love the intentions he taught me to use while playing it) and have had personal sessions with him at one tribe. He is a great teacher with such an open mind and so many gifts. He is such a blessing I hope everyone has a chance to work with him or experience his healing sound therapy, it really is heavenly."
- Jordyn Roe_
THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING THE DIDGERIDOO:
Alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea
Assist in resolving eating disorders
Reduce stress and anxiety
Help with breathing issues such as asthma and emphysema
Help heal addictions
Increase mental focus
Promote your health and fitness
Strengthen and tone the tissues of the throat
Exercise for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
Evoke enhanced states of consciousness
Open joyful expression and playfulness
Cultivate mindfulness
The Effects of Playing the Didgeridoo on the Player
Playing the didgeridoo offers numerous benefits, primarily attributed to circular breathing and an overall increase in breath capacity. To play the didgeridoo effectively, one must engage in deep breathing, which significantly improves both the instrument's sound and the player’s respiratory health. Many people tend to breathe shallowly in their daily lives; thus, the additional air circulating through the lungs can be highly beneficial. It is well-established that proper breathing is essential for maintaining good health.
Emotional Regulation Through Breath
Breath plays a crucial role in managing our emotions. When we experience fear, we often inhale deeply but hold that breath, which can lead to emotional suppression. The same occurs during moments of pain or anger when we choose to conceal our feelings by controlling our breath. This repression can result in emotions becoming trapped in our bodies, potentially leading to dis-ease. In modern society, social norms often encourage the suppression of emotions, exacerbating the issue.
Playing the didgeridoo encourages the player to exhale forcefully, counteracting the unhealthy patterns of breath retention. Some studies suggest that low oxygen levels in tissues may be linked to conditions such as cancer, while asthma sufferers frequently focus on inhalation without allowing for relaxed exhalation. Anecdotal evidence indicates that playing the didgeridoo has significantly improved these conditions for some individuals.
Trance States and Relaxation
When played for longer than half an hour, many didgeridoo players enter a trance-like state, where their brainwaves transition into an alpha state. This phenomenon is characterized by deep relaxation combined with heightened awareness, providing a sense of both restfulness and energization. This state is comparable to the experiences reported by advanced meditators, making the relaxation, centering, and invigorating effects of playing the didgeridoo incredibly beneficial.
Healing Sound Frequencies
The didgeridoo produces a wide range of healing sound frequencies, from low near-infrared frequencies close to 0 Hertz to higher frequencies with multiple harmonics reaching up to about 1000 Hertz. Players can hear and feel the vibrations generated by the instrument.
Ultrasound, a therapeutic modality used by physical therapists since the 1940s, shares similarities with the vibrational effects of the didgeridoo. Ultrasound waves penetrate the skin, creating vibrations in local tissues that can promote deep heating without the patient feeling any heat sensation. This technique has been shown to increase tissue relaxation, enhance local blood flow, and facilitate scar tissue breakdown. Improved local blood circulation can aid in reducing swelling and chronic inflammation and, according to some studies, even promote bone fracture healing.
Aboriginal elders have long recognized the didgeridoo's healing properties, often playing the instrument near sick individuals to assist in their recovery. This traditional knowledge underscores the instrument's potential benefits for physical and emotional well-being.
Conclusion
Playing the didgeridoo is not only a unique musical experience but also a powerful practice that can enhance respiratory health, promote emotional regulation, induce relaxation, and facilitate healing. By embracing the sound and vibrations of this ancient instrument, players can unlock its profound effects on both their physical and mental health.
Buying a didgeridoo? Please contact me daranwallman@gmail.com to learn which didgeridoo will best meet your needs.
For all the Basic Didgeridoo Playing lessons click on the following link: BASIC DIDGERIDOO PLAYING LESSONS