Dear Beloved,

In these turbulent times, we are fortunate to have so many methods of meditation. The intentions around why we practice meditation can vary. For instance, one day, it can be just to relax the nervous system by breathing and activating our parasympathetic nervous system to relax and rest. Other days, we may return to meditation after an upset. We want to regain our emotional and physical equilibrium, and to find meaning behind the circumstances.

In Sufism, there is the practice of Maraqabah, a spiritual practice for being mindful of the Divine Presence, God, Allah, you name it. It is a chance to contemplate our connection to what matters most. It is a pathway to spiritual growth, ethical conduct and achieving peace and contentment through surrender.

In its origins, Yoga is considered a contemplative practice involving asana (postures) pranayama (breath) to bring awareness to the body, mind and ultimately spirit in connecting with The Atman. Jnana yoga is the yoga of knowledge, is a systematic journey of self-reflection and contemplation on the nature of reality.

Both Sufism and Yoga have the same ultimate goal: to experience oneness or Unity with the Divine which gives meaning to our place in this world.

In Sufi Yoga class, we will be working with the divine quality As-Shahid, The Witness, The All-Seeing, The All-Knowing. This divine name signifies that the God is ever-present and knows all that we think, feel and do. Being seen by God is not a about a guilt-trip. Rather, it is to experience the Divine lovingly and intimately knowing us, both the rose and the thorns in us. It is for us to examine our thoughts, feelings and actions with compassion and how we might strive for excellence.

We will do our yoga asanas with a witness consciousness through inquiry on how we are feeling, what we are thinking, what memories that may come up when we twist our torsos or lift our hearts to the heavens. For our meditation we will invoke As-Shahid as a portal to witnessing ourselves as we focus on each of the seven chakras, reaching the crown to experience that Oneness.

All blessings,

Elissa Amina