"The breathing technique needed to play the didgeridoo helps strengthen lung capacity and is proven to have reduced the effects of sleep apnea and asthma.
The didgeridoo produces a low frequency sound that we can hear, as well as vibrations that we can feel. These low frequencies are claimed by some to have a healing effect on living tissue and promote movement and unblocking of energy in the body.
Therefore, this study demonstrates that regular didgeridoo playing is an effective adjunctive treatment in people with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, improving some measures of the disease. It does seem that some residual mild sleep apnea still persists, however.
This technique entails breathing in through the nose, while at the same time, blowing out through the mouth into the instrument, using air that has been stored in the cheeks. Breathing this way is thought to strengthen the muscles in the upper airway, making them less likely to collapse during sleep.
The taboo is particularly strong among many Aboriginal groups in the South East of Australia, where it is forbidden and considered "cultural theft" for non-Aboriginal women, and especially performers of New Age music regardless of gender, to play or even touch a didgeridoo.
Due to its size (some can measure up to over 10 feet / 3 meters in length) and club-like appearance, a didgeridoo may not fit into most airlines' musical instrument policy. In such cases, you will need to have your didgeridoo checked into the cargo hold.
Circular breathing allows a player to be able to continually blow air down the didgeridoo without ever stopping for breath. While circular breathing is great to know it is NOT a requirement to be able to play and enjoy this instrument.
The old myth was simple: if an aboriginal woman touched or played a didgeridoo she'd become pregnant. Rose advises that a woman would become infertile. That's a new one. And not just aboriginal women, but all women everywhere that dare to defy the taboo.
These sounds stimulate the vagus nerve, which leads to chemical changes in the brain. It is very soothing and meditative.” The didgeridoo produces high frequency gamma activity in the range of 50 to 150 Hz, which is believed to help with relaxation.
Alternate Nostril Breathing: With your mouth closed, inhale deeply through your nose. With a finger, block one nostril. Breathe out through the open nostril, and then breathe in. Block the other nostril, then breathe out and in through the open nostril.
Circular breathing is key to didgeridoo playing because it allows for the continuous drone to remain unbroken, forming a strong foundation for the complete sound. Learning to circular breathe is like going to the gym in that you are working to develop muscle tone, flexibility and control.
A breathing device, such as a CPAP machine, is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. A CPAP machine provides constant air pressure in your throat to keep the airway open when you breathe in. Breathing devices work best when you also make healthy lifestyle changes.
Trying the digeridoo is something non-Aboriginal people should consider with sensitivity, as both male and female travelers are curious about how the instrument works. However, it is wise to allow the local Aboriginal elders where you are visiting to guide your actions.
The air enters through the nose and goes to the lungs. The player then expels the air at the same time as the air supply contained in his mouth.
As they did so, they would create and name all the things in the world. After this, the gods taught human beings the songs and dances they had used and gave them the didgeridoo. As such, the didgeridoo is a sacred instrument that is used for both spiritual and mundane purposes.
Yidaki is the Yolngu matha (Yolngu language) name for it, Lardil speaking people on Mornington Island refer to it as the djibolu, while Djinang speaking people at Millingimbi call it Rirtakki. The Yidaki is an instrument owned exclusively by the Yolngu people of North Eastern Arnhem Land.
The sound or 'voice' of the didgeridoo is the voice of the ancestral spirit of that tree, so you would never make more than one didgeridoo from a tree. The didgeridoo is always stored upright to keep the ancestral spirit safe.
In the Dreamtime Yidaki the warrior was coming home from a hunt when he saw a dead branch lying on the ground. He picked it up and saw daylight coming in from the other end and noticed that there were a lot of little insects [termites] in there. He blew through it to get rid of them and it made a sound.
The Didgeridoo is believed to be the world oldest wind instrument, dating back thousands of years. Although some believe the we have been using the didgeridoo for over 40,000 years, the oldest records of playing the didgeridoo date back 1500 years in the form of old Northern Territory cave and rock paintings.
It was, for them, a sacred instrument for corroborees and other private 'men's business'. (In fact, we have been told that some believe that a woman may not even touch a didgeridoo.) Nowadays this is not a strong issue, and didgeridoos are often played by women just as well as men.
Basically didgeridoos generally range in key from low A, very deep sound, to high A ,little screamers. The best keys we have found to learn with are anywhere between and including the key of C and E.
It can take a long time to learn.
While it varies from instrument to instrument, Robert Dick (who literally wrote the book on circular breathing for flute players) describes the process as a two year commitment.
They looked at a small group of people that practiced their didgeridoo for 20-30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. This practice resulted in decreased snoring, better sleep for bed partners and significant decreases in apnea events per hour. There was no medical intervention to achieve these results.