Rhythm Is Life

2.5.2025

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If the daily transition between day and night suddenly suffered from a serious arrhythmia, it would shake our trust in the order of the world.

What if, in an ordinary week, after Friday night came another night—and instead of Monday night, we’d get another Monday day?

And what if another winter followed winter?

The rise and fall of our bodily activities are guided by our internal clock—our biological rhythms. These rhythms are connected to the rhythms of the world around us. If cosmic rhythms disappeared, our internal environment would quickly fall into chaos. And that would definitely mess You up more than sold out toilet paper in a supermarket or 2min household blackout.

If a random extra inhale jumped into our breathing cycle, we probably wouldn’t even be able to speak properly—and concerts would be full of unpredictable gibberish far beyond what we’d be willing to tolerate or pay for.

But enough of this dystopia—rhythm is simply all around us and within us. Simply put - We would not survive long without its hug.

The regular alternation of tension and release is one of the fundamental elements of both music and life. The rhythmic beating of the heart, the inhale and exhale of breath, and the steady rhythm of peristalsis keep us alive. Even our brain activity has its rhythms. And the rhythm of walking? I don’t notice it at all—and yet it’s there!

A striking delivery of the 1992 cross-Atlantic hit by German group Snap! gives us a clear message: "Rhythm is a dancer, it's a soul’s companion."

You can feel it everywhere
Raise your hands and voices, free your mind and join us, you can feel it in the air.

Music is a companion of the soul because it can evoke and transform emotions—and not just that.

Music sparks spontaneous movement and the urge to move. Humans have a unique ability to synchronize and coordinate with music - so called entrainment. So we tap our feet, snap our fingers, and often stand up and start dancing.

Sharing rhythmic behavior—through singing, dancing, or speaking—strengthens social bonds and has a powerful impact on our well-being. The ability to synchronize movement in a group increases its cohesion. If we can tune into one another—whether in conversation, while walking together, or while dancing—we can synchronize, which promotes cooperation and connection. This connection and sense of belonging evoke positive emotions, trust, and satisfaction. Rhythm has a timeless power. Our ancestors were drumming on hollow logs and stretched skins and felt great - at least I think they felt great. The use of drums in ceremonies is a must—and everyone knows (at least from movies) that to elevate energy before battle, you need drums, chants, and rhythmic marching. (Of course, the same battle energy can be channeled during a workout at the gym!)

And This is great news not just for corporate teams, who can boost creativity, collaboration, and performance through rhythm….

Anyway…

Is it possible that I haven´t stated the word meditation yet? For real?

Let’s fix that. Meditation and drumming have shared qualities. In object-focused meditation, we train our concentration on the breath, a mantra, or a visualized image. On increasingly subtle levels, we link our attention to the chosen object and expand the experience to include not just the intellect and mind, but also the heart—a union often described in English as bodymind.

During mindful music listening, dance, or drumming, the rhythm itself becomes the object of meditation. As I’ve mentioned, perceiving music and rhythm is extremely natural to us, and this connection with the body happens almost effortlessly. You could say we are meditated through the experience.

OMG—maybe that’s why music festivals, music therapy, dance movement therapy, drumming rituals, and other rhythm-centered events are so popular!

I’ll say it again—are you listening?

Through rhythm, we can connect with the group. Tear down the boundary between the I and them. Become part of a whole and fulfill the ancient human desire to belong.

Another word I want to spotlight is MUSIC THERAPYYYYY.

Music therapy is a therapeutic discipline that uses musical elements—sound, rhythm, harmony, and melody—for both musical and non-musical goals. Music therapy can be aimed at healing, personal development, enhancing communication and learning, or improving relationships.

Perceiving or creating music is a whole-brain activity that engages both hemispheres. (By the way, do you know how many hemispheres you have?)

That’s why music therapy often brings miraculous and touching moments—people after brain injuries or seniors in advanced stages of neurodegenerative diseases come alive when hearing a familiar song. Through music, therapists trigger memories and emotions, tapping into healthy, intact neural networks. This helps improve communication with caregivers and loved ones, uplifts patients’ moods, and even supports motor functions like walking through rhythmic stimulation.

So—whether you’re at a nightclub, around a fire at a ceremony, listening to the radio while making dumplings, doing dance yoga, or having sex—enjoy the rhythm, because without it, you’re not alive.

If you ever feel like you don’t have an innate sense of rhythm or the ability to move to the beat—don’t worry. There’s a 97% chance that you actually do have the ability. For a long time, scientists believed animals couldn’t perceive rhythm, let alone move to it in sync or adapt to its changes. But that changed when a cockatoo named Snowball gained global popularity on YouTube over a decade ago. His now-famous dance videos to hits like Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust or Everybody by the Backstreet Boys caught the attention of researchers.

Snowball was the first non-human shown to dance spontaneously and rhythmically to human music without training. He holds the Guinness World Record for most dance moves by a bird—14 in total—and it’s clear he enjoys every one of them.

You can find the video link below.

If this episode has inspired you or brought a fresh perspective on music and rhythm, I’m thrilled and truly grateful. Many people around us would also benefit from this inspiration—so please share this episode with someone you believe would appreciate a few minutes on this topic. Every star rating, subscription, or follow fills my sails with wind for more meaningful creations. Thank you for all your feedback.

Now—breath in, deep breath out—and let’s flow!

Snowball Dancing Parrot:

https://youtu.be/N7IZmRnAo6s?si=Pvr4ow8Bsv5XWwD1

Sources:

1.https://insighttimer.com/jayandrewsbeingmusic/guided-meditations/rhythm-therapy-practice-for-deep-calm-and-relaxation

2.https://www.dailygood.org/story/2992/silent-drum-tips-for-rhythmic-meditation-christine-stevens/

3.https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/music-as-medicine-alzheimers-dementia

4.https://youtu.be/N4Q9FauovdA?si=Z4BpwW7EzPR10NUM

5.https://www.stringquest.com/rhythm-history/

6.https://www.milujemebubnovani.cz/proc-bubnovat

7.https://www.britannica.com/art/rhythm-music

8.https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-choice/202206/the-importance-rhythm-in-everyday-life