What it’s all about

I found my first didgeridoo when I took my British fiancee to meet my family in 2007. It came from the Latje Latje tribe in the Ngarrindjeri region of South Australia, where I come from, writes Gregg Chapman.

This spiritual instrument - made from eucalyptus trees and sacred to the Aborigines - connects nature and spirit. The more I played, the more I noticed my health improving. The didgeridoo taught me how to breathe deeply and I began to be able to play for long periods of time.

I started didgeridoo meditation classes and met someone who had a connection with The Phoenix special needs school in Peterborough. Within weeks I had my first session with children with profound and multiple learning difficulties, and was surprised to see that the sounds and vibrations of the instrument had a remarkable effect on them.

They relaxed, the deep thrumming sound seemed to ease their aches and pains, and they seemed more able to learn. Sound therapy and healing using the didgeridoo has possibly been around for thousands of years. I am still met by scepticism, but this has not deterred me as generally the therapy has a positive effect on the children. I now work with different disability groups, including special needs and mainstream schools, and mental health groups.

I am discovering new things all the time about how the didgeridoo can help to heal and bring states of deep relaxation.

What else?

For more on didgeridoo therapy and its use in schools, go to: www.didgesoundtherapy.co.uk

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