A Retreat for the Soul

It often so happens that you get to walk on a path that is destined for you. Even though it might be a bit rough, but you still have to walk it because it's your own. Introspection is the hardest thing one has to do. To choose, accept and walk a certain path is actually quite a journey. Someone very special arranged for me to experience a Sufi retreat. A while back I went back to Sufism and had healthy discussions over it. For a person and their journey, Sufism does light the path sometimes. 

A day's retreat, which in reality helped me calm and focus on my path really helped me in acknowledging the steps one needs to take. It helped in guiding me onto a mystic path wherein you derive wisdom from ancient philosophy concerning the heart and soul. For people broken by traditions, religion, society, people it helps shine light on the path of love. There are so many resources on Sufism wisdom, poetry, music and teachings. We were lucky to attend a session by some renowned names in the field, followed by some really beautiful poetry reading and music that brought tears to my eyes. 

As Sufism is limited to music and poetry for many, there we were presented with so many case studies about how people experienced enlightening. Cosmology of Sufi left me a little heavy in the head, too much information which made me hungry for more, so more on that later. But the knowledge of the doctrines that Sufi offers, very closely resemble the various religions and will only share that the best information was the tantric association of it. The levels of reality that manifest as stratified and in comparison to the five levels of consciousness, never did I imagine I would get to hear it conceptualized so.

I always loved whirling as a child, it was just something that I always used to do.  In fact, I manage to beat one of the performers in Dubai Desert Safari and I never knew that Sufi Sema (Sufi Whirling) was a form of meditation, to let yourself focus on music and God. Inspired by Rumi, I’ve got to say the trainers were surprised to see me perform Sema but nonetheless I got some tips to improve myself, I never knew I was a Semazen. The many levels of Sema which particularly help in elevation of the mind are fantastic. When you whirl, you focus your attention towards your inner center and as you go around and around, you get centered towards you and God. Not really sure about Zikr but it was definitely an experience which will resonate within me for the longest of times to come.

The best part for me personally was the musical concert and the poetry reading session. To gather, share and express via music and dance becomes a language in itself. Rumi may be the soul of a poet but I did end up debating Hafiz (popularly known as the heart of a poet), he is my favourite after all. There isn’t any superiority claim to it but perhaps that Rumi had mastered the inner self but Hafiz lets you experience the outer world. Again, to each his own!

A day isn’t really enough but the just the exposure to get acquainted with various aspects of Sufism left me enlightened and in a state of utter joy. It was truly one of the best experiences that I’ve had, something which is invaluable and I know I will treasure for the rest of my life.