Shining the Mirror of the Heart

with
Philip Tansen O’Donohoe


Saturday Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September

Kendal
Fellside Alexander Centre



The Sufi Message is a call to those whose hour has come to awaken
and it is a lullaby to those who are still meant to sleep.

Hazrat Inayat Khan.

 
Shining the Mirror of the Heart
This workshop is for anyone who wishes to explore the subtle inner dimensions of the spiritual heart and through this process to feel a sense of joy and inner peace.

For many thousands of years the mystics of the East have understood the importance of the power of sound and its repetition. The combination of sacred syllables form a nucleus of spiritual energy that we could say serve as either a magnet to attract or a lens to focus spiritual vibrations.

Use of the voice in this way produces a wholes series of psychological and spiritual effects. Such concentrations can bring a deep sense of peace and joy as is often experienced with other forms of meditation.
Sufis primarily utilise a practice called Zikr in this process. Sufis proclaim la illaha il allah which literally means remembrance of Divine Unity, that there is no reality except unity. Making this realisation a reality for oneself comes through constant repetition. Gradually as one cleans the rust from the heart one can become a clear reflection of Divine reality.

In addition many Sufis over the centuries have used singing in combination with dancing as a spiritual practice. As we sing and dance together in a circle in rhythm and harmony we can support each other in the process of spiritual unfoldment.

On the mystical path the heart is the centre of one’s being.  One’s health, power, beauty, wisdom and success in life all depend upon the condition of the heart. Sufism is ultimately concerned with the purification of the heart eventually erasing every undesirable impression so that one’s light can shine for all to see.

All of these practices can give strength and purpose to our lives and help us demonstrate an optimism of the heart.

This weekend will be mainly focussed on the practice of Zikr.
Philip is a master of spiritual dance and has trained in various forms of meditation over the last 30 years.  He is a leading international exponent of the Dance of Universal Peace and has devoted the last twenty years to spreading the dances around the world. He is a senior mentor for the Dances and trains others to lead. He has studied Sufism since 1989 and is a teacher of this form of Middle Eastern mysticism.  Philip also trained in yoga and the use of sound in healing and spiritual development. A significant focus of his work is using dance as a spiritual tool to increase people’s capacity for living life heartfully and successfully.

Venue

The weekend will take place at the  Fellside Alexander Centre,  Kendal, Cumbria.


Times

Saturday 11th arrivals at 10am to start promptly at 10.30am. Finish at 9.00pm.
 
Sunday 12th from 10am to 4pm.


Price

The price is £85. This includes lunch and supper on Saturday and lunch on Sunday.   

          
Further Details
Contact Mary Rabia Dowson

Tel. 015242 21147
Email: marydowson@talktalk.net
Bookings: Cheques payable to P. O’Donohoe to Mary Dowson,
1 Hindburn Cottage, Wray, Lancaster, LA2 8QB.


For catering purposes it is important to book by 6th September.  


Diary Dates: Sufi Weekends in Kendal 2011

22nd/23rd January : 16th /17th April : 10th 11th September