Events Calendar

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Maiden, Mother, Crone

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Maiden, Mother, Crone

Join us in a journey through the Celtic year with the Divine Feminine, exploring the Goddess through Celtic and Middle Eastern myth and mystery. Jilani and Salik will draw on themes of birth and death, connection to the land, growth and decay, through the turning of the Celtic Wheel of the Year. We will share dances and chants from Kamae and Saadi’s Native Middle Eastern Cycle, woven through with dances inspired by the Celtic traditions of the British Isles. Music, Chant, Myth, Ritual and Movement will open our connection with the Mother of all Life, the Source of all Nourishment, She who Understands, Who Stands Underneath us: the Lady of the Ament.

Jilani and Salik are musicians, leaders and mentors of DUP. Using chant, movement and other practices, they facilitate circles of people to be more fully alive, to feel safe together, to share deep connection and to touch sense of the sacredness of all life. In this event they will share dances and chants as a way for people to strengthen their connection with Mother Earth and with each other.

There are spaces for 24 full-time residential participants in shared rooms or camping. To register please pay a deposit of $100 into account 38-9017-0159916-05

If you are not a DUPANZ member please add $30 to the costs below.

Shared Accommodation and simple vegetarian meals $390 BYO bedding and breakfasts

Camping and simple vegetarian meals $350 BYO breakfasts

Part-time and non-residential participants are welcome but we will be unable to provide meals – sorry. Please enquire for costs: Jena jenatara@outlook.co.nz

New Zealand Dance Leaders Training Weekend

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Dear Friends

You are warmly invited to the upcoming Leader’s Gathering at Tauhara May 9-11 2025

This time we will be joined by two leaders from the UK who will be offering practices and Dances to develop magnetism and transmission. Jilani and Salik are both musicians and there will be at least one session for musicians.

Jilani says ‘I feel that any worthwhile dance leader training is really about training the self, to be more able to shine freely, with the light of the Original Blessing unencumbered by the veils and impressions of our human experience. We will focus on practices that develop magnetism and transmission – opening to being a clear channel for the light. When I work with Tassawuri and the Ancestors of the Dances it’s to that end – to develop our awareness of the illuminated souls who are in our lineage, so we can learn to think, feel and act as they would. So this work is really for anyone who is interested in developing their capacity to be really present, and to recognise all circumstances as our teachers, all faces as the Face of God. Naturally this development of the small self makes us better dance leaders, but also better teachers, parents, children, leaders in any field, and more fulfilled and happy humans.’

The weekend is subsidised and hosted by DUPANZ with the intention of supporting and encouraging Dance leaders and growing vibrancy in our community through our leaders.

All those who have ever walked the path of leadership or would like to in the future are welcome, along with those who are committed as musicians for the Dances of Universal Peace.

We are very blessed to have this opportunity, and to be able to meet and enjoy our connections and the beauty of Tauhara.

Please register with Wendy: hodderwendy@gmail.com 027 3766 599 and deposit the full amount or $100 into account 38-9017-0159916-02 with your name, DL May 25 as ref

If you are not a DUPANZ member please add $30 to the prices below

Prices/accommodation options:

Shared Bunkroom 320

solo bunkroom 340

Self contained shared 370

self contained solo 415

Caravan 320 (only 2 places)

Camping 290 powered site 300

non residential with meals 265

non residential no meals 140

additional costs –

byo bedding or +$25

special diets – gluten free +$40 or vegan +$35

Dancing in the Sacred Manuscript of Nature – Annual DUPAustralia Retreat 2025

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Annual DUPA Retreat 2025

Dancing in the Sacred Manuscript of Nature

with Jilani Cordelia Prescott

April 21-29 2025

Yarrawarra Retreat Centre, Corindi, NSW

3 days Dance Deepening and Leadership Training, and 5 days Retreat.

Yarrawarra is an indigenously owned retreat centre in a stunning location near the beach. Nearest airport is Coffs Harbour. We will also enjoy cultural activities.

All welcome! No experience required.

For registrations and enquiries contact the Registrar: Sabira Jane +61 499 652 804

sabirajane@gmail.com

Early bird by 21 March

DUP member: 5 days $650 8 days $930

After 21 March add $50

Non-members add $50 to above prices.

Scholarships available.

Payments to Dances of Universal Peace Australia

BSB 112-879 acc. 440 020 531

The Tuning of the Heart: a non-residential retreat with Murshid Allaudin Ottinger

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‘Spirituality is not necessarily intellectuality, nor orthodoxy, nor asceticism… If there can be a definition of spirituality, it is the tuning of the heart.’ (Hazrat Inayat Khan)

At this time when humanity is faced by growing challenges and divisions, this retreat invites you to the sacred work of tuning the heart – aligning with harmony and inner peace. Together, we seek to awaken a deeper connection that can raise us above the distinctions and differences that divide, fostering unity and healing within ourselves and the world.

This retreat will run from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, and our journey towards heart awakening together will include a delightful and powerful mixture of Sufi teachings, Dances of Universal Peace, breathing practices, chants, walking meditations, and of course, Zikr.

Murshid Allaudin Ottinger originates from Kansas City, Missouri. He is an internationally renowned leader of the Dances of Universal Peace and has facilitated camps and retreats around the world since 1979. With great thanks to his teachers, Allaudin continues to travel the world and share the Universal Sufi message of spiritual liberty. As a senior Dance mentor and teacher in the Sufi Ruhaniat Order …his exceptional musicianship, creativity and spontaneity are the seeds of ecstatic experiences…. And as a consummate musician, Allaudin has recorded several albums of Sufi music, jazz, and poetry over many years, and brings to all he does a great quality of heart.

Cost: £240 – includes 3 lunches and 2 suppers, with delicious vegan food cooked on the premises.

Gluten free options available. A small number of discounted places are available on request.

For further information, or to make a booking, contact Robert Salik Orange:

robertorange19@gmail.com or 07870 213884

Dances of Universal Peace near Plum Village

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  • 8th: Dancing session from 7 to 9pm
  • 9th: Day of Mindfulness in Plum Village, buddhist monastery (Dharma Talk, walking meditation, sharing circle)
  • 10th: Dancing session from 10 to 12pm and 3 to 5pm

*You can come for all or just one session, price will be on donation.

If you want to come for the whole weekend and you need food and accomodation, there are different options, please contact us.

Information and registration

Lou: +33 7 82 64 20 59

Ramadan in Morocco with Jilani

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Come to this beautiful ecolodge in the South of Morocco for an authentic experience of life in a progressive Muslim country, including an introduction to Ramadan, which begins during our time together.

We’ll start with some lively days of excursions and shopping in the souk. Once Ramadan begins, we’ll go into retreat with quieter time during the day, optional fasting for those who choose to, and evening prayers and iftar with local people. Each day there will be Dances of Universal Peace, Zikr and Sufi practices with Jilani.

See here for more information and to book https://cecu.co.uk/Br250226/

Overland Dance Caravan UK to Morocco: Jilani will be traveling overland to Morocco, through France and Spain, stopping on the way to dance with local communities. If you are interested in joining her for all or part of this Caravan, contact Jilani for more information.

Meeting the Present Moment, Welcoming the Obstacles as the Path.

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Joy and Jilani have been friends and sisters on the path from the moment they met, nearly 20 years ago. They have been teaching, singing and playing together ever since, sharing music, dance, meditation, prayer, friendship and love. This deep and loving friendship underpins the work they share together. They are very happy to bring this essence of their playful souls to this retreat and feel privileged to be able to share it with you. Come, come whoever you are!

Khankah of the Heart Sufi Retreat

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We are so delighted that we will gather again at the Oblate Retreat Centre, Thursday 16th ~ Sunday 19th January 2025 to further explore and develop our Khankah of the Heart. We will send out more detailed information very soon. We hope that you can join us. Do get in touch with Jilani or Shamsia to book or to ask any questions…

sandrasunfire@gmail.com

jilanicordelia@gmail.com

The Khankah of the Heart is a vision of a Sufi community, a Khankah, based not in a building of bricks and mortar, but in the relationships between the deep and loving hearts of its members. All fervent seekers are welcome to join, whether new to this or having been walking the path for many years. The core of this community will be the practices and teachings of Murshid Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti (Samuel Lewis) and the Sufi and Dance lineages that he birthed. Dances of Universal Peace will be central to our group practice. In our experience and understanding, the Dances of Universal Peace are rooted in the whole of S.A.M.’s teachings and practices including the Walks and that they will flourish more fully, firmly attached to their roots from which they can not be separated.
Last year Jilani Cordelia Prescott & Shamsia Sandra Sunfire initiated our gathering together with a shared purpose. The Khankah of the Heart is envisioned to meet in different places at different times with different people guiding us through retreats. We are living in the UK but retreats here will welcome those from other countries and future retreats could also be held in other countries. This particular retreat will be 16th-19th January 2025, from supper on Thursday to after lunch on Sunday, at the Oblate Retreat Centre, Crewe, UK. Further details are on the attached flyer. The retreat will happen just after the Urs of Samuel Lewis, the anniversary of his death, of when he returned to the Source from which he came. There is a hope to expand this to a week long annual retreat, with other online and in person gatherings keeping us in touch in between. The retreats are envisioned to serve and nourish the Sufi community and friends, wherever we may call home, returning to our home in the heart, our Khankah of the Heart, where we can gather to eat, dance and pray together.
We are guided by our teachers.
One who has learned friendship has learned religion; the one who has learned friendship has attained spiritual knowledge. The one who has learned friendship need learn very little else; morals in Persian is friendship (Hazrat Inayat Khan)
…real meetings are mergings; they change the parties involved leaving them more fully themselves. (Murshid SAM)
We follow in their footsteps, walking with them.
As Mentors and Dance Leaders we strongly feel that in order for the transmission of the Dances of Universal Peace to be healthy and complete, we need to provide opportunities for Dance Leaders and potential Dance Leaders, to deeply experience SAM’s Dances & Walks, teachings and practices. This can provide strong roots for DUP to grow and bloom anew, setting new seeds for future growth in our young people.
We are applying for grants to start an ongoing bursary fund to enable us to support those encountering financial difficulties to be able to join us. This will be available to all including those who will in future serve and support our communities, the young people. We recognise that these are challenging times and that financial challenges are becoming more widespread and that a bursary fund will help our community to be more supportive and inclusive. If you are experiencing abundance and feel inspired to support our bursary fund, please contact us.
We are committed to exploring sustainable ways to continue to gather as a Sufi Community, financially and based on caring for the Earth’s limited resources. This venture has been unfolding in our hearts and our lives each and every time we meet, we nurture and pray for its past, present and future.