• A Retreat & Conference Center

  • 318 West Main Street
    Chester, CT 06412

  • Phone (860) 322-5770
    Fax (860) 322-5744

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  • Slain by Beauty:

  • Freeing the Heart Through Sufi Dance, Music, and Inquiry

  • With Gayan Macher and Maitreya Jon Stevens

  • October 18 – 20, 2013

  • Program Description:

    Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

    Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
    —Rumi

    Two things powerfully focus our attention: one is suffering, the other is beauty. By waking our response to beauty, we come to recognize what we truly love, and we deepen our heart’s conviction in the True Beloved. In Sufism, dance and music are considered ecstatic wine that ignites the heart. During this experiential weekend, we will intersperse contemporary Sufi Dances of Universal Peace with music, teaching, meditation and inquiry. Dances of Universal Peace are an embodied, participatory spiritual practice. The dances blend sacred chant, live music and evocative movement into a living experience of unity. The taste of true harmony and beauty opens us to the dynamic process of transformation. The Dances will be integrated with inquiry as we contemplate the deepest questions of the heart: are we prepared to open—to love and to receive love?

  • About the Facilitators:

    Gayan Macher has been a teacher and guide in the tradition of universal Sufism for over 30 years. He was instrumental in the founding of Suluk Academy, the core esoteric training of the Sufi Order International, and has been a lead teacher since its inception. He also studied the Diamond Approach® for several years. He helped to launch Seven Pillars House of Wisdom and served as its first chair of the board. Professionally, he consults to corporate executives about the art and practice of human relations, and he has worked with many organizations, including Hewlett Packard, BellSouth, Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Army, among others. Gayan is also a singer and songwriter.

    Maitreya Jon Stevens brings a uniquely heart-opening and deepening presence to the dance-based practices of the Dances of Universal Peace community through his instrumentation, voice and love. Maitreya leads monthly dances in the Taconic Mountains region of New York State and has also led dance circles from Boston and California to the mountains of Colombia.

    Schedule: Check-in Friday, 3:00 pm. Program starts after 6:00 dinner; Ends after lunch Sunday.

    Retreat Costs:

    Prices are per person and include tuition, meals and accommodations.

    Single room:
    $590
    Please inquire about availability of single rooms.

    Double room:
    $460

    Commuter Rate:
    $340 (includes all meals and access to facility, but no overnight accommodations)

    Payment in full must accompany registration in order to reserve a space in the program.

    Scholarships:

    Some scholarship assistance will be available for this retreat. Click here for more information.

    For more information, and to register:

    Click here to register.

    E-mail us or call 860-322-5770.