Come to the Circle of Presence, Creativity, & Love
Aug 2-5 2024, The Vedanta, Lincoln Rd, Branston, LN4 1PD, Lincolnshire, UK
with Shaikh Kabir Helminski, Selçuk Gürez, Mahmoud Mostafa & Khadim Chishti
The retreat will support a vibrational shift in our souls through sacred music and movement, through practices of silence, stillness, and remembrance, and through a heart connection with other sincere seekers.
We will explore and experience the knowledge and practice of: living with humility, creativity, and inner freedom; awakening spiritual perception, purifying the self; and understanding the cosmic nature of Love.
The work of Threshold Society is a contemporary expression of the Mevlevi tradition that began with Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Since approximately 1980 Threshold has been guided primarily by Kabir and Camille Helminski, who have brought into the world a body of knowledge and spiritual practice that is being applied in the US, UK, and Europe; in Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Their books have been translated into Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Indonesian, Bosnian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.
TEACHERS
Shaikh Kabir Helminski is the co-director of The Threshold Society, a non-profit educational foundation rooted within the traditions of Sufism and inspired by the life and work of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. He is an author, a translator of the works of Rumi and others, and a shaikh of the Mevlevi Order which traces back to Rumi. His books on spirituality have been published in at least twelve languages. Kabir is especially interested in finding a contemporary, creative approach to Sufism without compromising the authenticity of tradition. He has toured as shaikh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkiye bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. See more about Kabir’s work here.
Selçuk Gürez is a master Mevlevi musician and whirling dervish. He embodies and carries the qualities and knowledge of the Mevlevi tradition, with 30 years of teaching Mevlevi activities in Turkiye. Selcuk is a talented musician on various instruments including the Turkish reed flute, and teaches sema (the whirling dervish ceremony). He has participated in more than 400 concerts, festivals and training seminars in the world (28 countries) as kudumzen, neyzen, ayinhan, whirling dervish and chief semazen. See more about Selçuk’s work here.
Mahmoud Mostafa is a deputy teacher/khalifa of the Threshold Society and follows the Mevlevi path of Jalaluddin Rumi under the guidance of Shaikh Kabir and Camille Helminski. Since 1995, Mahmoud has been devoted to the study and practice of Tassawuf. In the course of his development, he received teachings from Sufi shaikhs in the USA, Turkey, Syria, South Africa, and Egypt. In addition to extensive study of the Quran and Hadith, he has also studied the works of Imam Ali, Rumi, Ibn Arabi, and other Sufi masters. He has facilitated Sufi circles, Quran study groups, and participated in inter-faith dialogues. He has been involved in the translation of several books, including The Book of Hadith, The Mevlevi Wird, The Light of Dawn, and Women of Sufism. He currently resides in London with his family, and facilitates the Threshold London circle and a global Mathnawi study group.
Khadim Chishti is a deputy teacher/khalifa of the Threshold Society and follows the Mevlevi path of Jalaluddin Rumi under the guidance of Shaikh Kabir and Camille Helminski. Khadim has been on the Sufi path since 1974. She has also been initiated as senior teacher in the Chishti Sufi Order of the West under Pir Vilayat Khan, and as khalifa in the Helveti Jerrahi under Nur Lex Hixon. She trained with a Lakota Medicine Man while he lived in Portland, Oregon for a time and was adopted as his sister. She also spent time with Trappist monks in Lafayette Oregon, becoming the first woman to spend the night at the retreat house and opening the way for women’s full participation in the community. She has been leading a Sufi circle for over 38 years in her local community in Portland, Oregon with a global weekly zikr and Mesnevi circle, and also teaches in Islamabad Pakistan as well as other online communities.
LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY
The Vedanta is a beautiful Grade II listed Elizabethan estate, nestled amongst 75 acres of woodlands, meadows and lakes. The Vedanta is committed to the concept of ‘Ahimsa — compassion for all’, which serves to create an atmosphere of love and respect for all beings, and offers vegan and vegetarian food. The Vedanta is wheelchair accessible. See more about the venue here.
Train: The closest station is Lincoln Station (10 min drive) which is a 2.5-hours journey from London and Birmingham.
Air: The nearest airport to Lincoln is Humberside (HUY) Airport which is 26 miles away. Other nearby airports include East Midlands EMA (43.3 miles), Manchester MAN (72.8 miles), Birmingham BHX (73.6 miles) and London Luton LTN (93.9 miles).
REGISTRATION
The main retreat is offered from Friday with arrivals from 4pm, until Sunday lunchtime. An optional extra day is offered until Monday lunchtime (please note you have to join the main retreat to attend the additional day). All rooms are ensuite. Most of the rooms are on a shared basis. We reserve single rooms for those with special need.
Friday to Monday: 3 nights all inclusive
£600 Ensuite twin shared room (a few triples also available)
Friday to Sunday: 2 nights all inclusive
£400 Ensuite twin shared room (a few triples also available)
TO REGISTER:
1. Fill in the registration form.
2. Once you have submitted the registration form you will be sent a payment link.
3. Receive a confirmation email — please note that your place is not booked until you have submitted both registration form and payment, and received confirmation from us.
Please allow 4-5 working days for a response. If you have any questions that are not covered in the registration form please contact us at eyeoftheheart@sufism.org
We look forward to welcoming you to a contemporary experience of
sacred space, beauty, friendship, whirling, music, poetry, and prayer
in beautiful countryside with precious community!
Intellect is a guide; Love is a friend.
Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi: Quatrain 1098, The Rumi Daybook, Helminski
Mind is a river you travel; Love is the water of life.
Although there’s no trace of the lover’s journey in the heavens,
no one reaches there without the signs of journeying.