Zikr is a prayer practice of “remembrance.” The word “zikr” is Arabic literally meaning “remembrance,” the remembrance that we are all One, the remembrance of God as Unity, the remembrance that all beings and all things are the embodiment of that One.
An evening of zikr includes chanting phrases of remembrance, mostly in Arabic, supported by live music including (at least) guitar and drum. Movements are in a circle, holding hands in order to unite our intentions, actions and prayers in an energy of harmonious unity.
Similar to a Dance of Universal Peace, there is a leader who teaches words, melodies and movements. Different from the Dances, the movements tend to be very simple and repetitive in order to facilitate a “forgetfulness” of duality.
Through repetition of mantra and action, we can release our attachments to our mundane understandings and experiences and let ourselves fall into the remembrance of Oneness. Cycles of chanting and movement tend to last longer than in a typical Dance of Universal Peace evening and more attention is put toward generating a growing, cohesive, flowing energy between cycles of prayer, rooted, typically, in one faith tradition: Sufism.
Sufism is a mystical tradition. It is described as “the religion of the heart.” The prayers are usually spoken/sung in Arabic. Western Sufism was introduced by Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, who was a teacher of Murshid Samuel Lewis, who originated the Dances of Universal Peace.
There is a monthly Zikr on the 3rd Saturday of each month.
7 PM Mountain Time
E-mail me for more information: rain@trigoddess.org