“The sign of the Breathing Life of All in you is: movement and rest.” Gospel of Thomas.
During this retreat, we will use teachings and practices suggested by the words of Jesus in his native Aramaic language to deepen in our own sense of rebirth and healing.
This rebirth can occur when we re-connect with the timeless, always-on part of our nature that Jesus called in Aramaic ruha.
In his famous conversation with Nicodemus in the Gospel of John, Yeshua recommends feeling a connected breath, non-grasping flow and life energy as keys to this rebirth. These will be our main themes as we alternate gentle moving meditation (in the form of Dances of Universal Peace) with sitting in silence to absorb the wordless teaching further into our hearts.
Opening to the divine in this way, we can then allow ourselves to become channels for blessing and healing, both for ourselves and others.
Throughout the weekend, we will explore the spirituality of Yeshua, the Middle Eastern prophet, through a mixture of teaching, silent meditation, walking meditation, chant and sacred movement.
Neil Douglas-Klotz will draw teachings and new Dances of Universal Peace from his most recent work on the Jesus traditions in early Aramaic Christianity as well as Islam.
The retreat is open to all, some prior contemplative prayer or meditation experience is helpful.
Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz directs the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning in Scotland and co-founded the Edinburgh International festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace, now in its 14th year.
He is the past chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion and has published several books on Middle Eastern spirituality and peace, including Prayers of the Cosmos (1990), Desert Wisdom (1995), The Hidden Gospel (1999), The Genesis Meditations (2003), The Sufi Book of Life (2005), Blessings of the Cosmos (2006) and The Tent of Abraham (2006, with Sr. Joan Chittister and Rabbi Arthur Waskow).
In 2015, under the penname A.K.A. Chishti, he also authored a mystery novel set in the first century CE Middle East entitled A Murder at Armageddon. Information about his work internationally can be found at the website of the Abwoon Network, www.abwoon.org.
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