Whirling through life: Reflections of a female whirling dervish

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

This anchoring is crucial because the dervish straddles the Unseen and the Seen realms. The right arm is directed toward the sky, with the palm cupped upward to receive seeds of blessings from the world of Spirit. These blessings pass through the heart and are dispersed through the left palm arched downward, like a spout scattering the seeds into the earthly realm. The whirling dervish’s face, tilted toward the left hand, is a symbol of the importance of rooting oneself in this world.

Whirling unites the mind, heart and body in a way that no other form of worship achieves for me. Sometimes in the midst of turning for a long time, I feel as though my body and mind are revolving around my heart, like planets orbiting the sun. They all engage in the practice, surrendering to the motion of the universe and the knowledge that the heart is the portal to Haqq, Truth.

To read more:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingtradition/2020/02/whirlingthroughlife/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Islamic+Wisdom&utm_content=49

This article, and the theme, reminds me of a Shaker hymn called simple gifts.

The words,

Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free
'Tis a gift to come down where I ought to be
And when I am in the place just right
I will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend I will not be ashamed
To turn, to turn will be my delight
'Til by turning, turning, I come 'round right.

[calimary]

1. Love those lyrics.

Such an important reminder.

[guillaumeb]

4. The parallels are interesting.

And the lyrics, "when true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend..." resonate for me.

[TygrBright]

2. Fascinating, thank you for posting! n/t

[guillaumeb]

5. You are welcome. eom

[abqtommy]

3. My first awareness of the Whirling Dervish was when I saw a Bugs Bunny-Elmer Fudd cartoon

as a youngster. The cartoon was set in some mid-eastern desert and featured a song about The Girlfriend of the Whirling Dervish.

Now I know about Rumi and Sufi, too. A Sufi group and mystic were featured in the movie Jewel of the Nile.

more at link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervish

[guillaumeb]

6. So many ways to pray.

And much prayer is repetitive, like the dance motions.

[trotsky]

7. Some Muslims think it's heretical for a woman to do this.

I hope she stays safe.

[guillaumeb]

11. Imagine if this hijab wearing woman was a Uighur living in China.

She would be in a concentration camp for daring to identify as an observant Muslim.

[edhopper]

12. Or an atheist in Saudi Arabia

and sentenced to death.

Whataboutism is FUN!!

[guillaumeb]

13. Intolerance is not fun.

No matter who practices it.

[trotsky]

14. #whataboutism n/t

[guillaumeb]

15. Irony 101. eom

[trotsky]

16. Wait, so it's OK for you to do it if you claim others do?

How Christian is that behavior, g?

[guillaumeb]

17. Diversion 101.

[trotsky]

20. Correct, your post #11 above was a great example of diversion.

Now about holding yourself to a different standard...

[edhopper]

8. That's how we felt when we went on

the whrligig at the playground.

?w=300

[guillaumeb]

9. Nice.

Not quite the same thing, however.....

[edhopper]

10. why not

Biophysical response to stimuli.
Blood pushed to extremities, while inner ear affects balance.
People can interpret these physical effects in different ways.

[guillaumeb]

18. Meditation can affect the body as well.

And these activities are purposeful activities, as opposed to simple physical exertion.

[edhopper]

19. I didn't say they weren't worthwhile

just that they are biophysical and not mystical.

[guillaumeb]

21. Understood. eom

[edhopper]

22. I think this, chanting, meditation

are all beneficial.

[guillaumeb]

23. Exercise can be as well.

It releases beneficial hormones.

[edhopper]

24. Very true.

it's benefits go far beyond muscles.

[guillaumeb]

25. I try to exercise my brain here at DU.

When I get a cramp, I watch television.

[edhopper]

27. LOL

[Skittles]

26. I saw a whirling dervish display at school in England

........it was creepy beyond belief. My dad had to call the school to find out why I was so spooked.

[guillaumeb]

28. Why did it bother you? eom

[Skittles]

29. different way of looking at things

[guillaumeb]

30. One of my relatives entered a cloistered order when she was a young woman.

Silence and meditation were the rule, and she accepted those rules gladly as she felt it allowed her to reflect on her relationship to the Creator.

One of my second cousins was a teaching Sister. She wore the veil all her life, as a sign of her religion.

[Skittles]

31. interesting

I do admire devotion to something not destructive to others.