Sufi Self-Inquiry Class
Sufi Inquiry and the Voice: Surrendering to the Unknown (payment details below)
“I was a hidden treasure longing to be known.” This is a Sufi saying from the perspective of God longing to know Itself, and thus creating the whole Universe (going from a singularity to plurality) in order to love and be loved. We all want to be known by others, but oftentimes we are estranged from our very selves. What would it feel like to really know and become intimate with our deepest Self?
But what does it truly mean to “know?” In the West, we are taught that knowing is about facts and figures, logic and rationality. And that it has to do with certainty. But what if surrendering to not knowing were the doorway into a deeper knowing, beyond “right,” and “wrong” - a knowing that renews itself in every flowing moment of the Universe’s unfoldment. A knowing that is more of an aliveness, presence or flow than a “thing” to be held.
The voice (sounding and singing) is a beautiful way to explore this ever-renewing current.
I’ll be leading us in some simple practices including the classical Sufi practice of wazifa chanting (divine names), to attune the subtle body, mind and heart towards our deeper being. We will also work in small groups and pairs with simple inquiry prompts. This is a chance to practice listening while staying within oneself and not trying to fix or change another’s experience. To listen without trying to “find a solution” but rather let the mysterious unfoldment of the truth of the moment lead us to unexpected inner territory.
Please RSVP & send your payment to reserve your spot and confirm your attendance.
Sliding scale $20-$30. Venmo @Julia-Rahm.
This particular workshop will eventually take us into the realm of feeling our deeper impulses and allowing wordless expression through the voice and body, without a goal other than letting the aliveness of the moment to move through us. It will culminate in a guided group vocal improvisation, to practice the art of self-attunement while receiving what is co-arising around us. Magic happens when we attune and surrender to the unknown, together!
About the facilitator:
Julia Rose Rahm is a singer, performance artist, poet, writer, and multi-instrumentalist based in San Diego. Her music draws from a multitude of streams, including folk, experimental, classical, new age, world and devotional influences, as well as the old sean nós of her Celtic ancestors. Her theatrical concept album, Wound Tapestry, debuted in 2024 and her poetry book, Wild Heart: Poetic Musings of a Queer Mystic was published in 2021.
Julia also leads workshops and classes centering on the voice and embodied expression, weaving in themes of mysticism and elements of Sufi practice and philosophy. Having studied Sufism for ten years, she intertwines wisdom from this heart-centered tradition with her approach to teaching music, singing, soul-expression and artistic communion.
She received her B.A. in Theater, Music and French from Sarah Lawrence College i and her Master of Music in Voice Performance (classical and opera) from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. She also studied for a year at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.