Reflections and Insights from Hazrat Inayat Khan
I often reflect on what it is about this practice that attracts us so. I found some insight into this going through my copy of Hazrat Inayat Khan's The Mysticism of Sound and Music.
If you have read any of this book, you know that Inayat Khan writes in very eloquent and elaborate prose, and sometimes includes personal anecdotes to bring home a point. In my quotes here, I have distilled down what speaks to me as their essence. If you want to read the full text, go to the end of the Chapter called The Manifestation of Sound on the Physical Sphere and on to the next chapter, The Effect of Sound on the Physical Body.
“Breath is not only the air, but an electric current; therefore it is an inner vibration.
…breath is the life current, prana. This life current exists also in things, such as the strings of an instrument, or the skin of the drums. When their life current becomes audible, it touches the life current of the living creatures, and gives added life.”
…the voice is life itself. When the life current comes through the voice and touches another person, it touches the five senses through the sense of hearing. A person hears sound not only through their ears, but through every pore of their body. It permeates their whole being, and either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation. It either awakens the nervous system or sooths it. It arouses a person to higher passions, or calms them, bringing one into peace.
When sound is absorbed by the physical body it becomes charged with new magnetism. Singers have a great magnetism. They produce electricity in themselves. In that way, they are charged with a new magnetism every time they practice. This is the secret of the singer’s magnetism."
Each singer in the circle, revolving around a Dance leader and musicians in the center, all are very much like the magnets and coils of an electric motor or generator. Moving together, we raise the energy and produce the current that each one of us feels. And like magnets, we are attracted to this experience in a very real way.
Circles and Camps Large and Small
One of my most recent camps was relatively small, with about 25 people. But by the second day, I knew everyone’s name and was able to learn a little bit of almost everyone's story. There’s an intimacy that you gain, which you won’t find at the very large camps.
Some Dance weekends I've attended have been in cities, often using a large room within a church. Participants may live nearby and go home each night. Others stay in motels, B&Bs, or with friends. Everyone is on their own to figure out meals, usually arriving after breakfast at around 10 AM. Small groups may go off together to nearby restaurants, so there is some opportunity for hanging out and getting to know each other. These types are usually the easiest on the organizers, allowing them to keep the cost of attending relatively low and free from the complex logistics of meals.
The annual winter gatherings in Mexico are sort of like that. The majority of people will book a room in the same hotel, with the Dance Circle close by. There’s an added flair of celebration by all those who have escaped winter, coming together to share morning sunrises or sunsets, snorkel trips out to the reef, and the shared communion of waves crashing as we dance.
My favorite camps are in a rural setting, where we are immersed in nature. It also helps to hold the group together, building our unity. There’s the added benefit of sharing meals three times a day, with lots of opportunities to mix and mingle with different sets of people, and enough days to dive deeper into making connections and building relationships.
Turkey Beyond Initiative Caravan 2019International Travel
One of my most profound experiences was with the Beyond Initiative Dance Caravan in Turkey in 2019. There were 125, mostly young dancers and aspiring dance leaders from 25 countries. Deborah was unable to go with me at that time, so we are returning this year, with plans to do additional traveling before joining the second leg of the Caravan in Vietnam at the end of December. The Fees we pay as Westerners help fund the camps and sponsor the attendance of this next generation of Dance Leaders. Click here to learn more about how you can participate.
Onward and Upward!
July 16-23 - After our three dance circles in Oregon, we will be going to the Mendocino Sufi Camp in California.
August 14-18 Parliament of World Religions
Location: Chicago, at McCormick Place Lakeside Center.
Parliament Updates - Dancing a New World into Existence!
There will be a Dance Session from 3:00 - 4:30 pm CST on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday on the East Terrace. There are also additional sessions and popup dances throughout the week!
At the Parliament, please stop by our DUP exhibit booth #651 in Section B, close to the entrance/exit to/from the Plenary Hall. Contact DUPNA POWR coordinator Hayat Bain for questions and more information. We hope to see you there!
August 27 and September 3 Dances on The Farm
September 12-25 The Turkey Dance Caravan and Leader Training
November 22 - December 10 The Vietnam Dance Caravan
