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Who are the Golden Gate Sufi Youth?

The Golden Gate Sufi Youth are a group of young adults who practice sufism and attend the annual retreat, held at Mendocino Woodlands State Park, that precedes the week-long Mendocino Sufi Camp.

The Sufi Youth Retreats are for youth aged 18 to 29.

 

What is a typical day at the Youth Retreat like?

The day starts with morning raga or silent prayer for those able to wake up at 7 am.

Breakfast is served around 8 am. Each morning we have eggs or tofu, yogurt or soy milk, granola, a variety of fruit, and coffee or tea to drink, which makes for a delicious breakfast. We then begin the first of our three daily camp gathering (consisting of zikr, Dances of Universal Peace, and Sufi practices with our wonderful guest teachers, Murshida Asha Greer and Sheikh Latif Burdick).

At around 12 noon we have another delicious meal. For lunch we normally have an assortment of breads and sandwich fixings, fruit, salad, juice and tea. We have a break after lunch to visit the river or play some basketball.

At around 3 pm we start our second gathering. During our afternoon gathering we may do a women’s and men’s circle or do breathing practices in addition to Zikr and dances. Then it’s time for a third meal — probably the best. We may have lasagna one night, burritos another, and Indian food another, all served with many side dishes. Then we have dessert: brownies, chocolate chip cookies, or maybe bread pudding.

After dessert we gather for the third and final time of the day. We dance the Dances of Universal Peace and we chant zikr as at the other gatherings, but sometimes we also play a little electric guitar while we dance. The night ends with some of us drumming away on drums in a circle, some communicating and sharing while grabbing a bite in the kitchen, while others share around a fire at the fire circle.


What is zikr?

Zikr is the remembrance of God. To engage in zikr is to have awareness of God. Zikr as a devotional act includes the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature, and sections of the Qur'an. More generally, any activity in which one maintains awareness of God is considered zikr.


What are the Dances of Universal Peace?

The Dances of Universal Peace are a form of spiritual meditative dance conducted in the company of a number of other dancers in a circle. The dances draw on all the world’s spiritual traditions and are led by a teacher who plays guitar or drum accompaniment. Each dance usually has a chant which is sung as the dance is performed.

The emphasis is on participation regardless of ability, the dances are almost never performed before an audience. Dancers of all levels of ability dance together and each dance it usually taught afresh at each performance.

Wahiduddin Shelquist has a great description of the dances on his web site.




Are you interested in attending the Sufi Youth Retreat? If sharing time with friends in the majestic redwoods while exploring sufi practices, Dances of Universal Peace, zikr, and much more sounds good — this retreat might be for you.

Download this year's Sufi Youth Retreat flyer.

Sign up for the this year's retreat.