Event

WORKSHOP - Prayer Dancing of the Whirling Dervishes

Experience a zikr and one-day workshop on the Mevlevi way and whirling prayer dance with Postneshin Jelaleddin Loras. Jelaleddin Loras is the founder and President of the Mevlevi Order of America. In 1978 his father Suleyman Hayati Dede, the head of the Mevlevi Order in Konya, Turkey, instructed him to go to America and share the Mevlevi path. He found many westerners eager to embrace the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Mevlevi tradition. Today, over 30 years later, there are active MOA centers in New York, the West Coast, Hawaii and Europe. Jelaleddin leads devotional practices which include instruction in the turn (known as whirling), Sema (whirling prayer ceremony), sohbet (spiritual conversation), adab (respectful manners) and zikr (prayers of remembrance). In addition, he directs a school in Konya teaching Mevlevi arts, especially music and turning. Through his dedication and sincere friendship, he continues to inspire hundreds of students to develop a heartfelt connection with the path of Mevlana, known to many as Rumi.
No prior experience is required for participation. Wear comfortable clothes and bring heavy socks and an open heart.
All are welcome!