“Drum circles were created to build inclusivity, equity, and diversity.”In this episode, Nick speaks with Andrew Ecker to explore the cultural significance of drumming, particularly within indigenous communities, and highlights the historical context of drum circles as a means of fostering inclusivity and diversity and healing from trauma and addiction. What to listen for:Drumming and sound healing, overall, can positively impact our mental well-beingThe historical context of drumming reflects a blend of various cultural influencesDrumming fosters community and shared experiencesAddiction is based in shame and can often be spurred on by our early experiencesEmbracing our calling heals ourselves and others“All of us are connected to the earth. All of us are indigenous. All of us have the air, the water, the fire, and the earth flowing through us.”Identity goes deeper than culture or job titles; it’s rooted in our relationship to the earth and life itselfSeparation from nature often fuels disconnection, anxiety, and burnoutThe elements are a reminder that we’re not isolated individuals; we’re part of a living systemReclaiming earth-based identity can be deeply grounding and healing“Do something for people — and you’ll discover the truest truth of who you are.”Service often reveals purpose more clearly than self-reflection aloneHelping others pulls us out of isolation and into meaningful connectionYou don’t need to be “healed” or perfect to make a differenceShowing up for others strengthens self-trust and self-worthAbout Andrew EckerAndrew is a speaker, author, and creator of the Drumming Sounds Protocol, an evidence-based wellness intervention that blends ancient rhythm traditions with modern neuroscience to improve mental health, recovery, and community connection.With over 25 years of experience facilitating more than 5,000 drumming and sound-based programs, Andrew has worked with hospitals, treatment centers, universities, and tribal nations across the country. His book, The Sacred 7, explores identity, ancestry, and the transformative power of ceremony—a topic that resonates deeply with audiences seeking meaning, resilience, and personal empowerment.As a former youth outreach leader and recovery coach with over two decades in sobriety, Andrew brings a powerful, real-world perspective to conversations about trauma, healing, and spirituality. His ability to blend science, story, and spirit makes him a compelling guest for podcasts focused on wellness, recovery, leadership, and conscious living.https://www.drummingsounds.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-ecker-sacred7/https://www.facebook.com/andrew.ecker1/For our audience, please enjoy a free copy of Andrew’s book, “The Sacred 7” — it’s available for download at http://thesacredseven.com/Resources:Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/Thank you for listening!Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHAGuest Inquiries right here: [email protected]Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show”Click Here To View The Episode TranscriptNick McGowan (Andrew Ecker (Nick McGowan (Tell us what you do for a living and what's one thing most people don't know about you that's maybe a little odd or bizarre.Andrew Ecker (Shama'e, Kathy Lindsay Woye, Shaza'e Del Eccorale. So my name is Andrew Eccor, my mother Kathy Lindsay, my father Del Eccor, my mother's mother Elva Gallegos, Apache woman from New Mexico. She grew up in a little town called Capitan right outside the Mescalero reservation. Although my ancestral lines go back to the Madera Valley of Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico. The Apaches from this area are called La Pond Band Apache. My father's mother Evelyn Beatty, an Irish woman from Pennsylvania.She actually was very proud that our ancestor William Beatty fought in the Revolutionary War to establish this country. So I do consider myself a son of the revolution on that side of my family. My mother's father Leroy Lindsay, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran, and my father's father Wayne Ecker, a World War II veteran. I have a daughter Bailey, son Peyton, a beloved fiancee named Monica. I was born in the ancestral land of the Multnomah Clackamas of Malamit in Portland, Oregon.although I currently reside in the ancestral land of the Akmal, Atom, the Peaposh and the Hohokam in Phoenix, Arizona. And very grateful to be here with you. So the thing that I do primarily is I work in healthcare and I'm a drum circle facilitator and sound medicine practitioner and also a peer support specialist, recovery coach. Most of the work that I do is invariety of different healthcare settings. So everything from psychiatric lockdowns to memory care, skilled nursing, prisons, jails, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, I facilitated about 5,000 wellness-based events with a protocol I've developed called Drumming Sounds. So Drumming Sounds is a step-by-step process of creating outcomes that are wellness-based. So reducing stress, increasing immunity, lowering blood pressure,Andrew Ecker (that a lot of people don't know. You know, I grew up in a home where both my parents were addicted to drugs and my mom died of a cocaine overdose and my father died of cirrhosis of liver caused by hepatitis C. So growing up in that environment, I was around a lot of really intense experiences. And I think something that a lot of people don't know about me is that because of that,My relationship with PTSD as a child was something really intense and my first suicide attempt I was seven years old. I remember attempting to hang myself at seven and thankfully, you know, I didn't succeed. But from the time of that first attempt till really probably my late 20s,I was dealing with suicidal ideation and a severe relationship to other mental health concerns, including situational schizophrenia, depression, anxiety. These are all things I live in relationship with today.Nick McGowan (our generational trauma does not. There's so many things that, like you dealt with so much with your parents. I'm sure we could just tackle through all of that, but what your parents dealt with, that then they transferred along to you and what their parents dealt with, et cetera, et cetera, and how all of that was tossed to us. Most people I don't think really think about that because they just think, well, my parents are assholes, so I'm trying to do better or whatever. It's like, well, let's actually take steps back generations before that.and before that, before that. And I think we can sometimes also forget about where you actually came from. Like you rattled off a lot of family members. And as I was thinking about it, I was like, I'm making me, I maybe go like two layers deep. People beyond that, I don't really know. And I don't really know if they're still around or what the hell's going on or whatever, because of the way that I was raised. And it's interesting to think about how we should.actually get back to more community-based things, but there's a lot of unlearning to do with all of that. And I've read through the stuff you've sent. I've seen the different things you've done. I've known about you for a little bit, but I wouldn't have even been able to know about the things that you've just rattled off. And really, mean, shit, where do you want to start with this?and thinking about from a mental health and a mindset and overall transformation, self mastery. I'm not trying to just throw out buzzwords, but like there are categorical things we can talk about here,...