Reflections of A Female Whirling Dervish: The Act of Whirling Not Only Moves the Body But Shakes the Psyche

Whirling is a seven-century old form of full-body worship emblematic of the Mevlevi tradition of Jalaluddin Rumi — and a practice I’ve woven into my spiritual routine over the past couple of years. Each time I begin whirling, there are a few moments my mind’s eye lingers in the image of a flower sprouting from the soil and slowly growing, budding and opening into full bloom.

Also known as turning, it begins by tilting the head toward the heart and crossing the arms at the chest, right over left, with the fingers wrapped slightly over shoulders. After bowing down before my teachers in the Seen and Unseen, I rise upright into a shape resembling the Arabic letter Alif and start rotating counterclockwise. Slowly, I uncross my arms and glide my fingers down the centre of my body toward my belly, as though a seed is being planted in the root of my being. Read More https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/daliah-merzaban/reflections-of-a-female-whirling-dervish---the-act-of-whirling-not-only-moves-the-body-but-shakes-the-psyche/d/121099