This workshop is suitable for those who have previously taken introductory workshops or attended other intensives and wish to dive deeper into this spiral journey. Participants who have not participated in previous workshops can still participate if curious enough!
Spots are limited to maximum 10 participants.
It is essential for participants to take part in both days of the workshop.
Saturday: 11:00 – 15:00
Sunday: 12:00 – 16 :00
Price: 120 €
10% discount for students, retired and low income. The members of Whirling Arts Ry will benefit from 15% memberships discount.
If you wish to become a member at Whirling Arts Ry and join our community, please check our website : www.whirlingarts.fi
Info and registration:
safa.solati@gmail.com
Please write your full name, and address to receive the bill.
Kumpulan kylätilä, Intiankatu 31, 00560 Helsinki
About the workshop
Whirling is an active meditation. While we whirl, there is a sense of loss of the mind and the ego – the ‘I’ that represents us diminishes in the movement. The heavy skirts of the Sufis represent the ego, as the skirt lifts by the movement of the dancer. Originally, the skirt is also made of the same cloth that Sufis are buried in, symbolizing their intention to ‘Die before you die’ – meaning, to be released from the ego and unified with the Universe in this life.
All categories of life are states of consciousness evolving through form
toward some higher state of existence. Indeed, evolution is rooted in the
spirit’s yearning to actualize the potential inherent within its nature. The
life of every human being is truly a dance between one’s innate potential and
the actualization of that potential within the crucible of outer living. It is
the dance of life itself. Dancing is an attempt by an individual (or a culture)
to recognize and express some aspect of consciousness. The type of dance a
person finds attractive can reveal much about his/her inner
life, and what consciousness is seeking to express in the outer world. From the
esoteric perspective, that which is built into the fabric of consciousness will
always seek outer expression in some form. The art of dance is an example of
this. However, more broadly considered, any aspect of life represents the same
thing –a facet of consciousness seeking an expressive outlet.
The whirling world, as vast as it is, has remained unknown to many in the recent human generation, although being one of most ancient forms of human dance expressions and how it deeply affected our consciousness as human beings and transformed every aspect of our existence; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
The aim of this workshop is to embark on a journey and explore with the participants new potentials and horizons in the vastness of the whirling dance world, also taking this dance form out of its traditional, religious or historical background. We can respect the old yet create the new!
What to expect:
All sessions include breath work, seated meditation, warm ups and stretching. The main aim is not to learn how to whirl but to explore individually what happens during our whirling journey.
Saturday session: Remembering & Implementation
The session will be an introduction to whirling dance; theory and exercises. We all have it in us, we have just forgotten. We need to go back and remember those first experiences when we whirled alone as a child or with our friends. As we grow up as adults we tend to believe we only need to move, walk, sit and sleep in certain ways, our body gradually becomes so static that any movement out of our habits feels scary, we become very resistant to change. On Friday sessions the old habits will be challenged respecting every individual’s readiness to do so. The session will focus on constructing the base for the participants to practice more of what they have remembered. It will provide more exercises to liberate the body, mind and heart from old daily habits to gradually replace with the new. The session will allow space for all limitations, blocks, fears and hopes to arise. We will thoroughly explore the concepts of nausea that often is felt by the beginners in the whirling world and why it is and how to overcome it.
Sunday session: Celebration
In this session we will celebrate the new we have welcomed in different aspects of ourselves; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. We will explore through more exercises how deeply whirling dance is connected to every aspect of life itself and how it helps us face the unknown in its abstract reality to see our potentials from a different angle in order to expand our consciousness let go of what no longer serves us and hold on to what will help us dance ahead in life.
A few things to keep in mind:
— We will start with warm up exercises and stretching, make sure you wear comfortable clothes.
– Make sure that you have a little bit of space around you and other participants
– If you don’t have a Sufi skirt, any skirt with a lot of fabric will do. If these are not available, any
loose
clothes will do.
– Socks are helpful.
– Eat light, do not eat at least 2 hours prior to the event. You can surely snack and drink during
the workshop.
– Whirl at your own speed – you’ll feel more confident after trying it for a while!
– Some people experience nausea or dizziness, but that should go away after a few times.
About Safa Solati
She graduated in Psychology specializing in Music Psychotherapy, who has studied Persian dances for many years and for the past 7 years she has dedicated herself to Sufi/whirling dance. She moved back to Finland in 2020 after having lived in Italy for five years studying dance with different dance instructors. She started having short and intensive introductory whirling workshops in Helsinki in 2022.
Safa tends to find her own interpretation of whirling dance and focus on the therapeutic and spiritual aspects of the dance rather than the religious path.
More on : @whirling_lifedance
Safa Solati
M.A in Music Therapy
LIFE DANCE PROJECT
Chair at Whirling Arts Ry
www.whirlingarts.fi