Universal Worship
Facilitated by Cherag Michael Douglas & Reverend Karen Lindquist
Second Sunday of the Month, 10 am.
Interfaith Community Church Sanctuary
1763 NW 62nd Street in Ballard 98107.
The Universal Worship celebrates the essential unity of all religions.
We light lamps on the altar to represent the diversity of faiths and offer
prayers to honor all traditions. We invoke the messengers of God, known and
unknown, who have appeared in all times and all places to serve and enlighten
humanity. By the practice of uniting in meditation, we allow this one message
to enter our lives and change our being. Using this ritual as a foundation, we
will explore our relationship to Divine Unity, share the songs and scriptures
of various faith traditions & learn to recognize the energy of divine guidance
in our lives.
Contact: Michael Douglas, by email or call
206.769.1980.
Healing Circle
Mondays, 1:3- pm
at the home of Ushi-Darena Burgess, 206.297.1719.
Please call before attending for the first time.
For more information on the Sufi Healing Order, see
http://www.sufiorder.org/activities_healing.html
Kinship and Community Service Activities
Prison Book Project
The Sufi Order International Kinship Council is
collecting spiritual books and donating them to Books to
Prisoners in Seattle (volunteering there is fun and rewarding!
www.BooksToPrisoners.net) and a similar project in Boston. We
insert a flyer in the books we donate, offering a free book on
Sufism. These books are then sent to prisoners who request a book
on religion/spirituality.
The second part of the project is when we receive a request from
a prisoner interested in Sufism, we send them a book by Murshid
from Omega Publications. We are continuing the work done for many
years by Rabia Longworth and June Ross at the Abode, and trying
to expand that effort.
Donations of spiritual books (any type) or money to purchase the
books from Omega Publications are happily accepted.
Contact: Manal Dorothy Craig if you have
books to donate, 206.783.0462, or via email
Donations: Checks made out to SOI-Seattle Center, P.O. Box 30082,
Seattle WA 98113 will be forwarded to the Kinship Council.
top
Special Events & Retreats
 |
Breathing Alive
The Sufi Science of Breath
January 7 and 21,
and April 28–29, 2012
with Hafizullah |
The Breath is the current which is established between all planes of existence. Its current runs from the life unseen to the life on the surface, thus uniting spirit and matter both... Therefore, the Sufi takes the breath as the means of getting what is wanted from the life unseen to the life on the surface; also, making it a means of sending what is wished from the life external to the life within. And, as electricity when controlled can be utilized for a great many useful purposes, so still greater purposes and important purposes can be accomplished by the control of the breath. In breath abides all the mystery there is. The Sufi’s object being self-realization by the ideal of God, the Sufi works for its attainment by the means of the breath, and an ideal so attained becomes one’s property, one’s kingdom, forever.
—Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Who Should Attend: Anyone who breathes will benefit from this seminar series. Healers and psychotherapists will
will come away with powerful tools for their work.
This series, based on the curriculum of the Suluk Academy and the Sufi Order, is appropriate for students of the Sufi Order International or another esoteric school or spiritual tradition who have a basic awareness of breath and subtle energy.
We intend, as the first essential object of this training, to convey that “being conscious of the breath” is much more than awareness of the breath of the body. We will work to impart a living experience of Breath as the cause and the receptacle of every movement in life and of life itself.
This training will emphasize and promote direct experience of the movements of Breath in life and beyond life.
Topics will include:
- Fundamentals of Breath Awareness: Perceiving the subtle “rhythms” and “directions” of Breath, what Element is predominating in the Breath at the moment, and what this means for our experience of self and of life
- Becoming aware of the qualities and impressions that transpire (“breathe across”) on the Breath, between the "inner" realm and life-on-the-surface, and between people --- and which usually act upon us without our awareness
- Using the Breath to develop magnetism and Presence
- Using the Elements and other rhythms of the Breath in releasing the bodymind of unnecessary impressions
This training comprises the “Breath Module” which is now an official part of the required ongoing training of active guides in the Sufi Order. This training is appropriate for initiates of all Orders, and others by permission. Leaders and Leaders-in-Training in the Esoteric School of the Sufi Order and the Activities are especially-encouraged to attend.
While everything in the Breath Module is based on the teachings of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan and the Suluk Academy curriculum, significant portions of this material is likely to be new even to longtime practitioners, and we strongly encourage Leaders in the Activities to take advantage of this opportunity.
Topics of special interest to Leaders and healers will include:
- Fundamentals of Breath Diagnosis as it applies in the context of healing and of a guidance relationship
- How to use the Breath to set, hold, and direct the attunement and trajectory of a class or Zikr circle
Participants will receive a beautiful certificate of completion for their greater coolness. Leaders will receive credit towards their “continuing education” in the school of the Sufi Order International.
Tuition:
$60 per session
$35 per session for full-time students,seniors,
and those under 25.
$200 for the complete training of four sessions,
paid in advance
Checks made out to “SOI-Seattle” may be sent to:
Sufi Order International, Seattle
PO Box 30082
Seattle WA 98113-2082
Please write “Breathing” on your check and on the envelope. |
January 7th and April Location:
Home of Tsukina & Michael,
14310 20th Ave NE, Seattle
10:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a possible evening Zikr
January 21st Session at Hafizullah’s, 14328 32nd Ave NE, Apt. C4, Seattle
Contact Hafizullah via email or at 206.683.5721 for further information.
To Change Our Mind
Is To Change Our World |
Part IV: Acquiring Justice
This winter, Wajid Gallien continues a series of workshops on the theme “To Change Our Mind”
with a focus on “Acquiring Justice.” The schedule is:
- Sun, February 19th — 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The Illumination of Character
- Sun, March 18th — 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The Illumination of Motivation
- Sun, April 8th — 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The Illumination of Service
In the fall, the sessions focused on “Acquiring Wisdom” of the heart, with three topics: The Illumination of Truthfulness, The Illumination of Sincerity, and The Illumination of Certainty.
The “Justice” topic is the last workshop of the Acquiring series.
Suggested donation $25–$75 for each Sunday session.
Tax deductible donations will benefit the Seattle Universel. Make checks payable to SOI-Seattle, and write “Universel” in note field.
For information and to register, contact Wajid, at 206-363-5803 or via email.
Wajid Gallien is senior teacher in the Sufi Order International and has been facilitating seminars and retreats for 40 years.
He is presently working as a hospice Chaplain. Wajid’s insights into spiritual challenges, cultural
awakening and contemplative studies are the product of his attunement to Sufi teachings, which he shares in
his books, The Heart of Knowing: A Sufi Perspective and Wings of the Message. He is a member of the SOI-Seattle Board of Trustees.
Dances of Universal Peace
Dancing from the Heart
Led by Nur-al-Haqq Richard Martin
Friday, February 10, 2012
7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Ballard Oddfellows Hall
1706 NW Market St.
Seattle, WA 98107
Ours is not to seek love, but is to transform the barriers that keep us from
loving.
— Rumi
The Dances of Universal Peace, also called “Sufi Dancing,” were the
inspiration of Murshid Samuel Lewis of San Francisco. In the Dances this evening we will center our
intentions on opening our hearts and becoming more present to the guiding intelligence deep within
ourselves, to help us transform barriers that keep us from loving. The steps are simple, much like
folk dance, and participants sing or chant sacred phrases from many of the world religions. If you
have never danced before or have been dancing for years this evening will be a delight.
Suggested donation: $15 included in fee for those attending the February
11–12 Moving from the Heart workshop with Nur al Haqq.
For more information: Contact Tsukina via email (click here) or at
206-683-2126
Moving from the Heart
An Experiential Workshop with Nur al-Haqq Richard Martin
Saturday & Sunday workshop January 22–23, 2011
10 am–5 pm
Ballard Oddfellows Hall
1706 NW Market St.
Seattle, WA 98107
Sliding scale: $150–$250
Checks payable to SOI-Seattle can be mailed to:
SOI-Seattle
PO Box
30082
Seattle WA 98113-2082.
Please write “Heart” on both the envelope and the
check.
Four decades in the field of gymnastics and dance taught Richard about grace, strength and balance. Thirty years of shiatsu and Qi gong practice has helped him understand suppleness, flow, and the inner energy of movement. In thirty-five years of Sufi practice, he has deepened his connection to the heart, the prophets and prophetesses of all ages and all traditions, and the divine within. From this experience, Nur-al-Haqq brings together a workshop where movement, breath and sound are used to change consciousness, and we explore allowing those changes of consciousness to affect our movement, finding a new way of being that brings heart qualities into our daily life.
“Nur-al-Haqq brings delicacy, warmth, inspiration and embodied wisdom to his work. I deeply
appreciate his heartfelt presence.”
— Tsukina Blessing
The Relationships of Life
An Evening with Shahabuddin Less
Wednesday April 11, 2012, 7 – 9 p.m.
This evening talk is a “stand-alone” introduction to the seminar on the same topic that begins the following morning (see seminar announcement below). Please join us — all are welcome!
Shoreline UUC — Main Sanctuary
14724 1st Ave NE
Shoreline, WA 98155
Requested donation $20
Seniors and students $10
Free to participants in the April 12 – 15 seminar
Registration will be open at this class for the seminar,
or register in advance using the link below.
Offstreet parking available.
For information, contact Jelilah Judith Allen at 206 329 5576 or via email (click here)
The Relationships of Life
A seminar with Shahabuddin Less
April 12–15, 2012, Seattle, WA
If we were to list all the relationships we have — to people, to places, to our work, to events, to history, to God, to religion, to our health and our body, to our thinking mind, to art, to beauty, to nature, to our planet, and to many other categories -- we would discover by observation that our whole life is shaped by relationships. Yet most of our stress comes from the confused relationships we have not just with ourselves and others but to all aspects of life.
The true inner seeker sees all relationships from the viewpoint of awakening. This point of view diminishes our identification with the individuated ego, and enhances the relation of our true self with the principle of the connectedness of all life. Ultimately, all relationships lead to a relationship with the unlimited Self that is the presence of God in humanity.
Most often, from the viewpoint of awakening, the ways of understanding relationships are not through discourse or even dialogue but through meditation, breath, movement, introspection, self-analysis, and other even more subtle techniques. In this seminar, we will do practices that will help us to see the many different kinds of relationships we have in our lives from birth to death, and to understand some of the gifts that their complexity offers us.
This seminar is pertinent to all kinds of relationships. The intention is for each participant to have a greater understanding of and compassion for their own self, which leads to the capacity to engage and enjoy all relationships as a mature human being. The teachings will come from both ancient and contemporary wisdom.
All are welcome.
Among the topics we will examine are:
- Reflection as a means of relationship
- Becoming the mind of another
- Communication
- Evolution and karma
- Celebration, symbology, and ritual
- An evolutionary viewpoint of love
- Planning for the present
- Weathering the inevitable storms of life
- Relationships with unseen beings
Shahabuddin David Less is a senior teacher in the Sufi Order International. He has traveled and taught the Sufi path for nearly forty years, offering profound teachings on the transformative processes of life. He received mystical training from some of the great spiritual teachers of the 20th century, and was a close student of two Western Sufis, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Murshid Samuel Lewis. He is the founder of Rising Tide International in Sarasota FL, a center devoted to uniting the hearts of all religions, and is the author of Universal Meditations: Recipes for a Peaceful Mind (2009).
Shahabuddin brings a depth of spiritual insight and profound attunement to his teachings. Students benefit from his compassionate nature, broad knowledge and gentle humor. Time with him is always lively and enlivening, uplifting and practical, and often deeply transforming.
April 12–15, 2012
10:00 a.m –5:00 p.m (8:00–11:30 a.m. Sunday)
Zikr Friday evening after class, for seminar participants only
Universel
24105 19th Avenue SE
Bothell, WA 98021-9522
Tuition
is on a sliding scale as follows:
Early registration with full tuition paid by March 16: $360 to $460
After March 16: $425 to $525
Per day: $105
(no discount for half-days)
Checks made out to SOI-Seattle may be sent to:
Sufi Order International, Seattle
PO Box 30082
Seattle WA 98113-2082
Please write “Shahabuddin” on your check and on the envelope.
For more information, contact Jelilah Judith Allen
via email (click here) or at
206 329-5576
2012 Gatherings with Gayan,
Seattle WA
June 15 – June 17
November 30 – December 2
Love’s Fire
The heart of the Sufi is burning, and crying out “I will give anything to be with You!” What the world pursues — wealth, image, the illusion of control — is kindling for the lover’s flame.
In the path of love we learn to discern within our hearts what is real and of true value. Then we practice living our lives accordingly. This will be our focus and practice in our two gatherings this year.
This way of living is sacred and beautiful. And it is demanding, asking everything of us. To make our way happily, we gather with other lovers, both seen and unseen, for the great blessing of companionship.
There is a fire blazing inside me. If I cry about it, or if I don’t, the fire is at work, day and night.
—Rumi
Registration: sliding scale between $150–$175 per person, includes all breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening program.
Location: Fātima Besharat’s home in Kirkland, WA
Saturday evening dinner and zikr open to those not participating in the workshop — $15.
To register, or receive more information, contact Fātima via email (click here) or call 206-999-0715.
Click here for a flyer in pdf (391 kb)
Gayan is a companion and guide to those called to the courageous path of love. He has been a teacher within the Sufi Order International for over 20 years, helping to pioneer the integration of mysticism with modern psychology’s understanding of the ego. Gayan is a lead teacher in Suluk Academy, the Order’s core esoteric training. Professionally, he has consulted to corporate executives for 25 years about the art and science of human relations. He is also a singer-songwriter.
The School of Universal Worship
and the
School of Healing Ministry
Life Transition Training for Spiritual Caregivers
with Devi Tide
in Seattle, WA
June 11–17, 2012
For those interested in bringing a Healing presence to people going through life
transitions, this course combines the work of the Universal Worship and that of the Healing Order, bringing
a deep experience of the Masters, Saints and Prophets and also an awakened Healing Presence into the
transitional environment. The training supports those who are currently chaplains, cherags, healing
conductors, and those who work in the field of healing. This program will be taught by Devi Tide. Mentors
will be available.
The course consists of two face-to-face meetings, conference calls; and home-school modules, each with CDs,
text and practices. In addition, participants must make a personal retreat between sessions with Devi Tide
or Shahabuddin Less.
A Certificate will be given upon completion of this program. For members of the Sufi Order International,
upon completion of the program you will be certified as a Cherag and a Healing Conductor, with a specialty
as a Healing Cherag
Tuition
Both sessions: $990 (retreat & housing not included)
Please ask for details.
Registration
Contact Tara Muir via email or at
941-926-3398
or Rising Tide International
5102 Swift Road
Sarasota FL 34231
For details, please click here for a brochure in
PDF.
Unity Zikr
Local Sufi Orders gather several times annually to eat together, share news, pray, practice, and contribute to a charity.
No experience is necessary; all are welcome regardless of spiritual affiliation or lack of one.
HALVETI-JERRAHI ORDER email 206.713-6917
MEVLEVI ORDER of AMERICA email 206.784.1532
RIFA‘I-MARUFI ORDER email 206.235-1902
SHADHILIYYA ORDER email 206.306.9715
SUFI ORDER INTERNAT’L email 206.368.3881
SUFI RUHANIAT INTERNAT’L email 206.850.2111
Saturday, January 28th, 2012
— Sharing of practices from the various Orders —
6:30 — Potluck
7:30 — Zikr
Odd Fellows Hall • 1706 NW Market • Seattle, WA
$10–$20 charitable contribution requested.
The One who has brought you this far will lead you farther on....
— Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi
Save the dates for upcoming Unity Zikrs
April 28, 2012
July 28, 2012
September 29, 2012
December 29, 2012
For further information, contact Sura at 206.368.3881 or via email
For a flyer in PDF (347Kb), click here.
 |
Celebrating the Urs of
Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
|
The purpose of life is fulfilled in rising to the greatest heights
and in diving to the deepest depths of life.
Sunday, February 5
11 a.m. — Ritual
12:30 p.m. — Potluck
At The Universel
24105 19th Ave SE
Bothell, WA 98021-9522
$10 Hope Project Donation Requested
Sufi Order International 206-769-1980
Sufi Ruhaniat International 206-850-2111
For a flyer in PDF (805Kb), click here
Individual Retreats
In a Small Group with Taj Ināyat
Taj Ināyat is offering a unique opportunity for individuals who wish to take a personally-guided
silent retreat. Each retreatant will have a private room for daily practice with meals and room included.
Participants will meet as a group for morning attunement and instructions and again in the evening for Zikr practice.
In addition, Taj will meet with individuals daily throughout the retreat for personal individual guidance.
This retreat format offers participants a powerful supportive group environment while receiving individually-designed
daily practices in response to each soul’s unfolding need. This combination creates an ideal environment in which to unfold, deepen and awaken.
Taj Ināyat is the Vice president of the Sufi Order and Co-founder of Sufi Retreats.
She is adept at working with the inner worlds, and guides many people in how to access their inner
deepest nature and then live this fundamental presence in their outer lives.
Employing the insights of personal experience, psychological study, and spiritual discipline, Taj helps others
cultivate a sensitivity to the subtle movements, obstacles, and awakenings that are part of the soul’s unfoldment.
When: First retreat — Sunday, June 24 – Thursday, June 28, 2012 (after lunch)
Second retreat — Sunday, October 28 – Thursday, November 1, 2012 (after lunch)
Where: Camp Brotherhood — Mount Vernon, WA
Tuition: $750.00 Per Person (includes all meals and a private room, bathroom, and transportation to and from the airport
For more information & registration, please contact Fātima (Fay) Besharat @ 206-999-0175 or via email (click here)
For a brochure, click here.
Personal Retreats
with Devi Tide
Devi will be offering individual retreats during the month of February
- Healthful food
- Peaceful surroundings
- Practices tailored to individual needs
- 3–14 day retreats
Contact Devi at:
425-835-0820 or 518-505-0091,
via email (click here).
Judging Voices/Sacred States
with Mahdiah Esther Jacobs Kahn, LCSW
May 11, 12, 13, 2012
Seattle
Friday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
We all have an inner voice that tells us we are doing things wrong, that we are
irretrievably flawed, and which often leaves us feeling ashamed and guilty. It is tied to a false
image of who we are and how the world is and anchors us in that image. This workshop will explore
the inner structure that holds that voice, what it is, how and when it develops, and most
importantly, ways to deal with it. The critical judgmental voice anchors us to a limited false image
of who we are and blocks our True Being and the sacred states that hold our real values. It ties us
to standards that we mistake for Truth and blocks the opening of spiritual dimensions of Being.
The workshop will be didactic and experiential and will cover the development of
this voice, the “superego,” and its evolution into an ethical system and eventually its
absorption into essential structures that support our values, ideals, and a way of living that is in
alignment with Being and our True Self. When we can successfully confront our superego, and still that
inner voice, we release the false image that we hold of ourselves and begin to access our True
Being, our Essential Self.
For a flyer in PDF, click here.
Mahdiah Esther Jacobs Kahn,
LCSW is a senior teacher and retreat guide in the
Sufi Order International. She is a professional therapist who earned an MSW
from New York University in 1966. She developed the work with the superego because it has became apparent that this body of teaching is a pivotal piece of all spiritual work. She lives and works in California and has taught all over the United States and Europe.
Tuition: Sliding scale $225–$300 before April 15th, $300–$350 thereafter.
There will be a $35 cancellation fee, and no refunds after May 10th.
Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. For further information, contact Mangala Judith Capili at 206.300.5177 or via email.
Checks payable to SOI-Seattle may be mailed to:
SOI-Seattle
PO Box 30082
Seattle WA 98113
PayPal payment button coming soon.
