7ROOZ.com 7rooz Persian/Iranian Events

09:00 AM » The Way of Ecstasy: Sufi Drumming and Dance

Week of July 6-11, 2008
http://www.esalen.org/workshops/searchfiles/digitalforest/workshopdetail.lasso?RecordNum=7372&-session=Reservation_Session:4CAE1C4A09f042A88CsQI2FB068C

The Way of Ecstasy: Sufi Drumming and Dance

Banafsheh Sayyad & Pejman Hadadi

"Come join the sacred circle of Drum and Dance," write the leaders. "Explore your passion, creativity, and peace through movement and music. With deep exploration and letting go, we delve into rhythm and movement that take us out of our heads and into oneness. We draw upon ancient Sufi practices, contemporary rituals that ground us, and the sensual, ethereal waves of Persian dance to arrive at a fullness of being.

"Sufi teachings and Rumi's poetry inspire our sessions as we awaken our bodies with yoga and tai chi. We journey with the fiery Persian drum, the Daf, and its corresponding movement and chanting. Central to Sufi circles, the Daf induces altered states and purges negativity. We warm our way to Sema, or pure listening, in various manifestations, from high-energy movement to deep calm: shaking, waves, and zikr—chanting, reverential bowing, and whirling."

With years of experience in Sufi teachings and whirling, Banafsheh creates a loving, rejuvenating atmosphere while master percussionist Pejman ignites the room. You will have a chance to:

# Learn the moving meditation of whirling in a simple method, open your heart, and dissolve your perception of separateness

# Experience the purifying effect of the Daf and learn to play powerful rhythms based in the Sufi tradition

# Take home an energizing practice that supports being totally alive with fluidity and openness

The workshop is open to all levels. Participants can focus on drumming, movement, or both. Dafs will be provided. Other drums are welcome.