In the early days of going to Sufi Camp, students of Adnan Sarhan would often videotape the slow movement part of his classes. These students taught Sufi classes in their home communities and sought to learn Adnan’s moves to teach a better class. Adnan would laugh and say they were focused on the form and not the essence.

Adnan explained the difference. Essence is spiritual consciousness, being in the moment. “Mindfulness,” the Buddhists call it. Form is the outer appearance.

All of Adnan’s practices -- slow movement, chanting, dancing, drumming, and even slow breathing are only form. They are not the essence. They enable spiritual awakening by distracting the mind. However, without an experienced spiritual teacher, the exercises might not take you anywhere.

The spiritual energy of the teacher shifts the energy of the students. Like a tuning fork, it activates the inner strings of spirit.

Adnan was a master at this. He could shift a person’s energy with his presence alone.

Eventually, the practices we do in the Sufi work become associated with the spiritual state. Like Pavlov's dogs and their dinner bell, doing Adnan's spiritual practices will bring you into the state quickly whether Adnan is there or not. Which is a good thing because he is no longer of this world. Although I often feel his presence and guidance when I teach.

Doing the spiritual practices by yourself can put you into a spiritual state, however, doing it in the company of other experienced practitioners magnifies the effect, even on Zoom.

Adnan often filled his classes with experienced students particularly when was teaching a new group. The experienced students amplified his energy and created a powerful container for the new group. 

The destination of all spiritual work is immersion in spirit. This is when time stops and the moment opens. Awareness expands and peace permeates the body. We feel connected to everything and everyone because we are one, each of us a fragment or particle of the ONE -- like water droplets in an ocean

Why strive for this spiritual destination? Because it is who we are. It is like coming home.

You feel relaxed and at peace regardless of what is going on in the world. You don't worry because it feels alien and impossible to have a negative thought. 

You feel more creative and inspired because you can tap into other parts of your brain that were previously unavailable. 

Jud Brewer, Director of Research at Brown University Mindfulness Center provides a very practical reason for doing spiritual practice. He studied the use of “mindfulness” as a treatment for anxiety and addiction with surprising results. He found “mindfulness” to be 5 times better than stress reduction and behavior modification--the gold standard treatment for these issues. This alone is reason enough to encourage a robust spiritual practice.

Don’t take my word for any of this. Try it out and see what happens for you.

Choose the form that works best for you. There are as many forms are there are people -- Buddhism, Yoga, Vanya Sana, Ecstatic dance, Tantra, Kabuki, and more. There are also mundane activities like painting, composing music, writing, cooking, and communing with nature, which can bring you to spirit. You can find the spiritual state on a mountaintop, in a rose garden, or at the deathbed of a loved one.

It does not matter what form you use as long as you arrive at your destination. 

Whenever you are focused on the moment and appreciating the moment and all it contains, you are connected to your spirit and the essence of who you are. 

I prefer the Sufi work because it requires movement and the body gets to come along for the ride. Slow movement and breath enable me to stop the internal monologue while stretching out my stiff body and triggering a dopamine release. 

Once the body experiences the spiritual state, memory will help it return.

Do not try to be spiritual all the time. We navigate a 3-dimensional world in human bodies. Our body has needs we must attend to --- safety, nourishment, and shelter. That is why Adnan told his students – 50% Spirit and 50% the world. Be in the world but not of it.

If you could use a 90-minute immersion in spiritual practice, join me tomorrow, Friday, April 12 at 9 am PST or come Sunday, April 14th at 8 am PST. Or stretch yourself and come to both.

The Zoom link is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89999494833?pwd=V2pOS28yYUdXM3hkaW1rVWIvSjBUdz09

Meeting ID: 899 9949 4833

Passcode: SUFI

Here's a time converter link to check the time in your location.

Be peaceful. 

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peticolas

Life Transformation Coach

Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss

Secrets of Life and Death

https://www.facebook.com/secretsoflifeanddeath.com