Events List

MESP 2011 Main Events
Friday 4 March – Thursday 17 March 2011

On-Line Booking: MESP 2011 Retreat/Workshop Events



On-Line Booking: MESP 2011 Booking Offer and Passes



MESP 2011 Payment by Cheque



Friday 4 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Old Stories/New Stories:
Transformational Storytelling for Peace and Well-Being.

Facilitator: Michael Williams, Ph.D..
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: During my time working in Israel and Palestine last year, I heard many stories of fear, anger and revenge leading to violence, imprisonment, injury and death. Such stories get repeated and often go unchallenged, becoming embedded in the tellers' personal and cultural history and belief systems. They become the 'scripts' by which we choose to act. They harden into the stories we tell ourselves and others about who we are and why things have happened to us. The challenge, I believe, is to revisit these stories, their meanings and their emotions, to explore alternative tellings, to empower their tellers with 're-authoring' their scripts, to renew and revise their meanings and, where necessary, discover other more peaceful and healthy possibilities. The 'truth' of one's experience lies not in any one story, but rather between the various versions which could be told.

This workshop invites participants to work with a story from their life experience which they would like to re-examine with a view to exploring alternative versions. Through storytelling, listening, dialogue, artwork, and role-play, participants will engage in the process of re-authoring one's own stories. Old stories are made new, tellers are empowered and transformed.

Transformational storytelling draws on my experience as a storyteller, peace educator and counsellor. It is informed and inspired by the work of Paula Underwood, Richard Stone, Nancy Mellon and Alida Gersie, among others. Although I work with a therapeutic intention, participants must take responsibility for their own well-being. This workshop should not be viewed as a substitute for professional therapy or counselling. If in doubt, please feel free to consult with me before registering.

Michael Williams, Ph.D., is a storyteller and education consultant based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has worked with adults, young people and children for more than 30 years as a qualified social worker, teacher and therapeutic storyteller and workshop facilitator. He has recently completed a tour of the Holy Land working with Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis as part of the international ‘Healing Words’ storytelling group from Emerson College.

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Evening Workshop: The Personal God:
Devotional Mysticism from Sumer.

Facilitator: Dr Geo Athena Trevarthen.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 5pm-5.30pm. Workshop: 5.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Sumerian tradition describes each person’s Shamanistic relationship to their personal God, their theophany, a manifestation of the Sacred with which they share a deep, passionate, devotional connection. This relationship existed along with the individual’s worship of other theophanies, such as Enlil and Inanna. Similar kinds of devotional relationships can be found between Christian mystics and Christ or the Blessed Mother, Hindu devotees of the Bhakti tradition and Lord Krishna, and between the magician and Holy Guardian Angel of medieval and modern ritual magic. In this workshop, Geo will share stories, chants and meditative practices that can help us understand and develop a profound relationship with our personal theophany.

Dr Geo Athena Trevarthen is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. She was raised in a hereditary Shamanic tradition and works with individuals and groups by phone, internet and in person as a spiritual mentor. A poem about her devotional relationship to the Sumerian theophany, Enlil, features in Datura, a book of magical and devotional poetry recently published by Scarlet Imprint (www.scarletimprint.com). She is the author of The Seeker’s Guide to Harry Potter, exploring the novels’ deeper layers of spiritual meaning. She recently wrote and presented the documentary of the same title by Reality Films (available on amazon.com) and features prominently in This Sacred Earth: the 2012 Phenomenon (http://www.thissacredearth.tv).

Cost: £8/£6 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Event: Two-Day Retreat: Cultivating the Inner Life - Harmony with the Outer Life:
Growing the seeds of Motivation, Clarity, Strength, Compassion and Ease.

Facilitator: Pir Shabda Kahn.
Venue: Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB.
Dates: Saturday 5 March - Sunday 6 March 2011.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Retreat Days: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: Join master musician and renowned Sufi teacher Pir Shabda Kahn for a powerful journey into the Way of the Heart: This beautiful retreat will offer the opportunity to discover or deepen your experiences of the profound teachings and practices of mysticism, helping to bring beauty and peace into the world we live in. Join us as we offer an experiential exploration of our attunement to our life through the Dances of Universal Peace, Sufi practices, teachings, stories, the Walking Mediations of Murshid Samuel Lewis, and Zikr. All welcome!!

Pir Shabda Kahn received his initial training in the lineage of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan beginning in 1969, where he was a disciple of Murshid Samuel Lewis. His teachings are informed by this chain of transmission reaching back though to the 12th century. Shabda is currently the Pir (spiritual director) of the Sufi Ruhaniat International and the director of the Chisti Sabri School of Music. He worked closely with the great American Mystic Joe Miller. He is also a disciple of the illustrious Tibetan Buddhist Master, the 12th Tai Situpa Rinpoche. Shabda spent 24 years developing as a vocalist under the living guidance of the late Pandit Pran Nath, the Master North Indian Classical Vocalist. Shabda brings warmth, humour, and clarity to his efforts to help seekers on their own personal Path to Awakening.

Cost: £125 (both days), £65 (per day). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Evening Workshop: Chanting in Daily Life as a Pathway to Peace.

Facilitator: Madhuram, Scottish Association of Yoga in Daily Life.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 6pm-6.30pm. Workshop: 6.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Participants in this practical and experiential workshop will learn about and experience the positive effects of chanting (bhajans and kirtan) on the body, mind and emotions, and they should then be able to apply this knowledge in their daily lives to reduce stress and anxiety, and to awaken and purify positive human qualities such as humility, understanding, universal love, contentment and peace, regardless of their spiritual background or culture.

This workshop will include chanting together, and there will be handouts on the words of the chants, and no previous experience of chanting is necessary to fully participate in the workshop. For more information see: http://www.yogaindailylife.org.uk/

Madhuram has been practising and teaching the traditional system, Yoga in Daily Life (www.yogaindailylife.org), for the past 6 years as a disciple of the system's author, His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranandaji (known as Swamiji). Madhuram has been sharing the chants and spiritual songs (bhajans and kirtans) taught to him by his Master with people from diverse cultures and spiritual traditions in Edinburgh, as well as in London, continental Europe and India. His use of mantras, chants, bhajan and kirtan is also an integral part of his own spiritual practice. To hear Yoga in Daily Life Bhajans and Kirtans, please visit www.timeforpeace.org.uk

Cost: £6. For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Sunday 6 March 2011

Event: Two-Day Retreat: Cultivating the Inner Life - Harmony with the Outer Life:
Growing the seeds of Motivation, Clarity, Strength, Compassion and Ease.

Facilitator: Pir Shabda Kahn.
Venue: Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB.
Dates: Saturday 5 March - Sunday 6 March 2011.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Retreat Days: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: See above.

Cost: £125 (both days), £65 (per day). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Praying with the Earth: Chanting for Peace.

Venue: Rosslyn Chapel, Chapel Loan, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PU.
Time: 5pm.
Event Description: This is a time to pray for peace. And it is especially a time to pray for peace within the household of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar. Praying with the Earth: Chanting for Peace is an evening of meditative chant (based on words from the Quran, the Hebrew Bible, and Words of Jesus) led by Sounds of the Eternal (soloist Suzanne Adam) with prayers for peace by J. Philip Newell. Just come along on the day.

Cost: Free of Charge (CDs by Sounds of the Eternal will be available for sale).
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Healing Sounds for the Wandering Dervishes of Turkey:

Turkish Mystic Sufi Music, Poetry, Stories and Images with Latif Bolat.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 7pm-7.30pm. Event: 7.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Travelling from the Mediterranean city of Mersin in Turkey, Latif Bolat plays Turkish Folk ballads and ecstatic devotional Sufi songs. These are the ritualistic music and poetry of the Anatolian mystics since the 12th Century. From the horrifying years of the Crusaders and Genghis Khan's destruction in the Middle East, through to the present days, people found great comfort in this Sufi culture. Throughout, Latif Bolat will also recite devotional poetry from 13th Century Sufi poets Yunus Emre, Rumi and other ancient poets, and will show images of the Turkish people and sacred places from the land of Anatolia. 

One of the most well-known Turkish musicians in the US, his mesmerizing performances draw on ancient texts and employ traditional instrumentation such as the Saz (long necked lute). Now partially residing in New Mexico and Turkey, Latif Bolat has presented his music all across America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, the Philippines, Ireland, England and Scotland. In addition to the workshops, music events and lectures around the world, he has recorded 4 very successful CDs, made many TV and Radio appearances, and composed music for the PBS Documentary “Muhammed: Legacy of a Prophet,” and George Lucas’s TV series “Young Indiana Jones.” He is also the co-author of the compilation book of ancient Turkish Sufi poets entitled “Quarrelling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey.” Latif Bolat has recently performed at the Carnegie Hall in NYC and received the Best Collaboration CD Award from the European Union for his work with the Bulgarian Jazz group Lot Lorien. Latif Bolat Website: http://www.latifbolat.com/

Cost: £10, on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Monday 7 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: History of Islam and Sufi Mysticism since Prophet Muhammed.

Facilitator: Latif Bolat.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time:  Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: In this workshop we'll review the development of Sufi mysticism within the religion of Islam starting from the time of Prophet Muhammed and after. These developments will be taken from historical, spiritual and artistic dimensions. In addition to the history and philosophy of Sufism, we'll concentrate on the artistic expressions of the Sufi mystics for the past 1,000 years, especially from the Turkish perspective. We'll have a journey from the steppes of Central Asia into Anatolia. We'll trace the mystical nature of the pre-Islamic nomadic Turkish people, their Nature worshiping, Shamanistic beliefs, and their effects on the later Sufi Mysticism that was developed among these nomadic people. We'll review the poetry of Yunus Emre, Rumi, Nesimi and many other Bektashi poets. We'll work on the songs of these Wandering Dervishes from the 12th century on. You can expect to go home with a good understanding of the Turkish Mysticism of the past 1,000 years after this workshop. For further details on Latif Bolat see: http://www.latifbolat.com/

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Instant Peace Lab: Living Your Full Potential Now!

Facilitator: Lee Gershuny, Ph.D., Artistic Director of The Elements World Theatre.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: The purpose of this workshop is to work creatively with conflict as a pathway to peace. You will have an opportunity to discover and practice the most effective ways of giving yourself time and space to choose between escalating a potential conflict or dissolving it before it starts. This experiential workshop provides a variety of interactive exercises enabling you to practice stopping in the midst of conflict long enough to tap inner sources of creativity, wisdom and playfulness and be peace in an instant. You will also be able to practice seeing things as they are, both inwardly and outwardly, and choosing based on what’s most important to you in the moment. Our aim is to discover new insights and actions for living our full potential from moment to moment. 

The full day session will introduce key principles and tools that enable you to be peace regardless of the personal or collective circumstances that may be disturbing you in the present. For additional practice, please see the weekly series of 3 evening workshops, “Instant Peace Lab: Living Your Full Potential Now,” in the MESP 2011 Future Events.

Lee Gershuny, Ph.D., award-winning playwright in both the USA and UK, is also an internationally published poet and founder/Artistic Director of The Elements World Theatre Company. She has developed new forms of theatre and facilitated creative development workshops with a diversity of participants in England, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Scotland and the USA including professional artists, youth, older people, primary school children, people with physical and learning difficulties, homeless people, survivors of physical and substance abuse, users of mental health services and refugees.

She is a founding member of the Research Society of Process-Oriented Psychology/UK and has designed and facilitated workshops in creative conflict facilitation in local, national and international festivals and conferences, including the Alternative G8 Summit (Edinburgh, 2005), the SUBUD World Congress (Innsbruck, 2005), the World Youth Congress (Stirling, 2005), Roars, not Whispers (Scottish Youth Parliament Leadership Training, 2008), International Civicus Youth Assembly (Glasgow, 2008), and the MESP from 2004 to the present. 

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Opening the Book of Nature:
An Exploration of Celtic and Middle Eastern Mysticism.

Facilitator: Alasdair Taylor.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 10am-10.30am. Workshop: 10.30am-4pm.
Event Description: “Every soul born with a mystical tendency is constantly drawn toward Nature, …, from the moment man's eyes open and he begins to read the book of Nature, he begins to live; and he continues to live forever.” Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Nature can be seen as a mirror for the human soul, and is as holy to mystics as any sacred text. Through it we can enter into a sense of unity and eternity. We will navigate the landscapes of Celtic mythology and 'folk spirituality,' ably assisted by poetry, tales and teachings from Arabic, Persian, Indian and Turkish traditions, exploring ways in which Nature can lead us from confusion to clarity, from strife to peace, from separateness to unity.

Alasdair Taylor is a Scottish-based storyteller and poet who teaches environmental education and he spent several years living in a tree. His mission is to bring people closer to themselves and each other by getting closer to Nature.

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on Iran: Dictatorship or Democracy?

Speaker: Professor Ali Ansari, BA (Lon), PhD (Lon), Professor of Iranian History and Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews; Associate Fellow of the Middle East Programme, Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House).
Chair: Dr Andrew J Newman, Reader in Islamic Studies and Persian, Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Edinburgh.
Forum on Iran: Dictatorship or Democracy?
Forum Panellists: Roxana Pope is an Edinburgh based, British Iranian singer, filmmaker and writer; Prof Dabir Tehrani, Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University since April 1984. His education is in Mathematics (Tehran University) and Petroleum Engineering (Birmingham University, UK). He has had over 50 years of experience in the oil industry (25 years in Iran), during which time his assignments included Petroleum Engineering Manager (Oil Service Company of Iran).
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: Iran: Dictatorship or Democracy? This talk will discuss political developments in Iran since the contested presidential election of 2009 with particular focus on the possible political trajectories within the country and its likely impact on international relations, both within the region and further afield. With Britain and the United States likely to be involved in Afghanistan for the better part of the next decade, Iran is no longer a distant country of little immediate consequence but effectively a political neighbour. Themes that will be addressed in the talk are the possibilities of dictatorship and democracy, the role of religion and social change.

Professor Ali Ansari, author of: Crisis of Authority: Iran’s Presidential election of 2009, RIIA, London, 2010, pp 129; Iran Under Ahmadinejad, Adelphi Paper, IISS, January 2008; Confronting Iran: the failure of US policy and the roots of mistrust, Hurst, London, 2006; Modern Iran since 1921: the Pahlavis and after, 2nd Edition, Longman, London, 2007; Iran, Islam and Democracy - The Politics of Managing Change, 2nd Edition, RIIA, London, 2006.

He is currently working on a book for Cambridge University Press entitled, ‘The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran,’ and has recently been appointed Editor of the Cambridge History of Iran Vol 8 (The Islamic Republic).

Following the talk by Professor Ali Ansari, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Thursday 10 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Creating, Re-creating, Co-creating, Healing:
A reflective day with the Christian tradition of using the words of Jesus and Christian mystics.

Facilitator: Rev Jenny Williams, Chaplain, Christian Fellowship of Healing.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: Singing, simple movement, silence and sharing will be offered as doorways to deepen reflection bringing prayerful engagement with the whole of our being - body, mind, emotion and spirit.

Teachings of Neil Douglas-Klotz and Matthew Fox will be integrated and their value for healing explored. Led by Jenny Williams, Chaplain to the Christian Fellowship of Healing: www.cfhscotland.org.uk

Jenny Williams has worked for the past 12 years as Chaplain to the Christian Fellowship of Healing (Scotland). Jenny studied biology, trained in social work and is ordained within the Church of Scotland. She has been deeply influenced by living in communities, the ecumenical Christian community of Taize and Shantivanum, a Christian Ashram in India.

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on From Brokenness to Wholeness:
The Role of Prisons in Transforming Society.

Speaker: Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan, was HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland from 2002 until 2009.
Chair: Richard Sparks, Prof of Criminology, the University of Edinburgh.
Forum on From Brokenness to Wholeness: The Role of Prisons in Transforming Society.

Forum Panellists: Dr Claire McDiarmid, Senior Lecturer and PGR student leader, The Law School, University of Strathclyde; Angela Morgan, CEO of Includem; Prof Mike Nellis, Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Community justice, School of Law, University of Strathclyde.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.

Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: The people who get least out of society and who put least into society end up in prison. Once there they put nothing into society and take a great deal out of society. That is not good for them and it is not good for society. If prisons are to play a role in transforming society we need to answer “yes” to these questions:
Do we want our prisons to be decent? Do we want our prisons to be less full? Do we want our prisons to equip people for leaving prison? Do we want prisons to be well-funded?

And we need to answer “no” to these questions:
Do we want prisons to be painful? Do we want prisons to be hopeless? Do we want prisons to be ignored and misunderstood?

Most of all, we need to answer “yes” to these two questions:
Can prisoners change? Will we be judged by the state of our prisons?

Andrew McLellan was HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland from 2002 until 2009. He is a minister of the Church of Scotland. In 2000 he was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. As a parish minister he lived and worked first in Greenock and then in Stirling. In Greenock he was elected a member of the District Council and served as a university tutor; in Stirling he was a prison chaplain. Then he served as minister of St Andrew’s and St George’s in the centre of Edinburgh for sixteen years. During that time the interest of that congregation was focussed both on working with the city centre business and retail community and on aid for the world’s poor. For four years he was the Convener of the Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland, which dealt with social and political matters on behalf of the church; and, also for four years, the Convener of the Parish Development Fund which supported new forms of mission and service. He was appointed Convener of the Church of Scotland’s World Mission Council in 2010. He is the author of two books arising out of his experience as preacher and as Moderator; and he was a Director of Scottish Television and Chairman of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Religious Broadcasting for the BBC. He was awarded the CBE in 2009.

Following the talk by Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Friday 11 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Healing and Touch.

Facilitator: Rev Prof Stephen G Wright.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time:  Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: This day workshop will explore several different approaches to healing and well-being using reflection, meditation, dialogue, listening and the use of touch. The session will include some specific contemplative approaches and integrate these with teaching on the use of touch, specifically a concept known as Therapeutic Touch (TT) which seeks to support the health and healing of others and ourselves. During the day there will be ample opportunity to practice and to take time to take care of ourselves for a little while in a peaceful and supportive environment. Many of those involved in caring for others often neglect to get taken care of themselves. The day will be an opportunity to step off the treadmill for a while and experience a gentle time of relaxation and restoration whilst also learning and deepening our capacity to be available to others.
Rev Prof Stephen G Wright RN RCNT RNT DipN DANS RPTT MSc FRCN MBE, University of Cumbria, Carlisle.
Founding Editor: “Spirituality and Health International”
Chairman: The Sacred Space Foundation.
Reverend Professor Stephen G Wright FRCN MBE, Stephen works as a spiritual director for the Sacred Space Foundation (see www.sacredspace.org.uk) helping those in spiritual crisis (including burnout) and guiding spiritual seekers. Before this he had a long and distinguished history in academia and in the British National Health Service, gathering lots of glittering prizes along the way. He has co-authored two books exploring the nature of healing relationships - “Therapeutic Touch” and “Sacred Space – right relationship and spirituality in health care” (both co-written with Jean Sayre-Adams). “Reflections on spirituality and health” published in 2005, by Wiley, received outstanding reviews. “Coming Home” was published in 2009, a personal and scholarly account of spiritual awakening rooted in the experience of his work as a spiritual director, for which he received significant training in the presence of several renowned teachers and at the Interfaith Seminary (www.theinterfaithfoundation.com). He is an active Trustee of several charities and an Associate Member of the Iona Community. He works with organisations developing the practice of healing, spiritual care, conflict resolution and staff support. He is an ordained interfaith minister and spiritual director and brings a rich experience of spiritual practice from many faiths to his work. His recent published works ("Beloved," "Contemplation," "Song and Dance for the Way Home") include songs, chants, dances, poetry and prose influenced by his primary spiritual practice of the Contemplative Way. He lives in the English Lake District, deepening service and spiritual practice, participating in his local church community, taking care of his organic garden and enjoying grandfatherhood.

Cost: £25/£20 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on Spiritualities and Psychotherapies -
Dr Dale Mathers in conversation with Rev Prof Stephen G Wright.

Title: Peace, Buddhism and Analytical Psychology.
Chair: Rev Sandy Young, NHS Lothian's Head of Service for Spiritual Care.
Forum on Spiritualities and Psychotherapies.
Forum Panellists: Prof Liz Bondi, Professor of Social Geography at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a counsellor accredited by COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland); Dr Eolene Boyd-MacMillan, Associate Staff (Lecturer, Supervisor, Examiner), The School of Health in Social Science, Department of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the University of Edinburgh; Dr Gavin Miller, AHRC/EHRC Research Fellow, The Theology and Therapy Project.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: This discussion explores differences between Buddhist and Christian ideas about peace, what it means, where it is located and how it can be attained. Using ideas from the two and a half thousand year old Theravada Buddhist tradition and insights from Jungian analysis, we will be trying to make bridges that can bring more meaning to this timeless problem. Is peace something we have to "do" to make the world a better place? Does it more concern a quality of our inner being? How can we cultivate peace in ourselves and the world in ways that are healthy for both? What do Buddhism, Christianity and Jungian analysis have to say about peace and is there common ground? We will use an interview style format to allow deeper exploration of the issues, which has proved popular and illuminating at previous Festival events. Dale and Stephen will dialogue with each other, mainly prompted by questions and comments from Stephen to allow Dale to share his experience.
 
Dr Dale Mathers MRCPsych, is a supervisor with the Association of Jungian analysts (AJA), a Member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP), and a psychiatrist and humanistic psychotherapist in private practice in South London. He teaches at several analytical psychology schools in the UK and Europe. His book, ‘An Introduction to Meaning and Purpose in Analytical Psychology’ looks at how people make and fail to make symbols, introducing the idea of 'meaning disorders.' He co-organised the second conference on Buddhism and Psychotherapy in Kyoto, 2006, and edited selected papers as ‘Self and No-Self,’ published in 2009. He also edited, with AJA colleagues, 'Vision and Supervision: post Jungian perspectives,' (Routledge, 2009). He is a trained 'Social Dreaming'  host, and a member of the Theravada class of the Buddhist Society, London.

Following the discussion between Dr Dale Mathers and Rev Prof Stephen G Wright, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Health, Well-being and Healing Through Spiritual Dance and Movement.

Facilitators: Margaret Christie (Circle Dance); Audicia Lynne Morley (The Planetary Dance, Earth Run. A community dance of planetary healing); Fateah Alice Saunders (New Ways of Walking); and Linda Wyman (An Introduction to the Alexander Technique).
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-5pm.
Event Description: Join us for a joyful day of sharing spiritual dance and movement for health, well-being, healing and peace. We will all be together throughout the day, building community and celebrating diversity through spiritual dance and movement.

9.30am-10am: Arrival and Registration.

10am-11.20am: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique.

A simple and effective way of regaining natural balance and ease of movement improving physical and mental well-being. It is a learning process which teaches you how to best use your body helping you to increased energy and more efficiency in all you do.

Linda Wyman trained at Fellside Alexander School in Cumbria for three years and did her post graduate term at the Institute for the Research and Development of the Alexander Technique in New York in 1991. She currently teaches in Edinburgh and East Lothian. www.lindawyman.co.uk

11.20am-11.40am: Break.

11.40am-1pm: The Planetary Dance, Earth Run. A community dance of planetary healing.

The planetary dance is an annual all-day ritual of healing and community renewal which has now been celebrated/performed for over 30 years around the world. Originally this dance was conceived by Anna Halprin and community as a call to enact a ‘positive myth in dance’ in order to reclaim the safety of the mountain on which they lived. At the heart of this dance is the ‘Earth Run’ – a simple dance that everyone can participate in through running, walking or standing and creating a moving mandala to the steady heartbeat of drums. Each step upon the ground/earth becomes a prayer for healing. 2010 marks Anna’s 90th birthday and the 30th anniversary of this powerful dance ritual. All are welcome. No experience necessary, just a willingness to participate with intention for the benefit of our planet.

1pm-2pm: Lunch.

2pm-3.20pm: Circle Dance with Margaret Christie.

Moving and being still in harmony with others: circle dance.

Circle dance has roots in traditional social dance from many different cultures, and can foster a consciousness of peace and wholeness.

The dances will be taught at an easy pace, suitable for all, and will be accompanied by Peter Bolland on accordion.

Margaret Christie's circle dance teachers include Anna Barton, Ian Buckley and Peter Vallance. She likes to adapt dances for occasions and to integrate circle dance into ceilidh culture. She is a passionate advocate of live music for dancing.

3.20pm-3.40pm: Break.

3.40pm-5pm: Fateah Alice Saunders: New Ways of Walking.

Once the art of walking is mastered, unless we are incapacitated through accident or illness, we rarely think about the way our legs and feet move us from place to place. Through the centuries we have used our own legs and those of others to transport us, moving swiftly, purposefully, striving to reach our destination in as short a time as possible. Today the use of wheels, rails, boats and wings enables us to proceed faster and even faster. Yet taking time and slowing the pace of our own natural locomotion can bring great benefits.

Walking is used meditatively, or prayerfully, in many spiritual traditions. Pilgrimages are undertaken, labyrinths traversed, and circumambulations of holy places performed annually. But spiritual walking can be done by anyone – at any place, any time.

This session will help each person to become more aware of their own walking and to use it creatively - to gain a sense of rhythm both in walking and breathing, so that the two are brought into harmony in ways that can help us change our internal feelings and moods, and to be more present for others.

Inspiration for this session comes from Murshid Samuel L Lewis’s Spiritual Walks and on the Mindfulness Walks of Thich Nhat Hanh. Fateah’s biography can be seen under the 16th March event.

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on State of Power in the Modern Middle East.

Speaker: Prof Anoush Ehteshami, PhD, AcSS, FRSA, Professor of International Relations, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University.
Chair: Professor Marilyn Booth, Iraq Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, the University of Edinburgh.
Forum on State of Power in the Modern Middle East.
Forum Panellists: Jamie Allinson, Researcher, Politics and International Relations, School of Social and Political Science, the University of Edinburgh; Dr Adham Saouli‏, Lecturer; Programme Director, MSc International Relations of the Middle East, Politics and International Relations, School of Social and Political Science, the University of Edinburgh; Dr Ewan Stein, Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, the University of Edinburgh.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: The Middle East is a highly dynamic region in which power lines are fluid and inter-state and social relationships rather complex. The often contradictory appearance of regional relationships could be better understood, however, if one adopted a multi-dimensional approach. For this to happen we will need to incorporate into our analysis a series of perspectives that shed light on the many aspects of power in this volatile regional system – the most obvious of these being the relationships that define the region’s brute power politics, economic distribution of power, political legitimacy, identity politics, external partnerships, role of non-state actors, and relationship with globalization.

Professor Anoush Ehteshami is Dean of Internationalisation at Durham University and also Professor of International Relations in the School of Government and International Affairs. He was the founding Head of the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University (2004-9) and is Joint-Director of the ESRC-funded Durham-Edinburgh-Manchester Universities’ £5.2 million Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW), 2007-2011. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum, acting as Advisor to the WEF’s Geopolitics, and Energy Programmes. He was Vice-President and Chair of Council of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) 2000-2003.
Following the talk by Prof Anoush Ehteshami, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Sunday 13 March 2011

Event: Mindful Peace Walk.

Venue: The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR.
Time: 10am-11am, meet at the John Hope Gateway, Arboretum Place, at 9.30am.
Event Description: This silent walking meditation is an open event. It will be led by the lay members of the Edinburgh Sangha of the Community of Interbeing, who follow the practice and teachings of Zen Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hanh. The walk begins at the John Hope Gateway of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Before the walk begins there will be a brief introduction to mindful walking as meditation practice. This is not a protest or a campaigning event, so please do not use any banners. Children are welcome when accompanied by adults. Please remember to wrap up warmly. ‘We walk just for walking. We walk with freedom and solidity, no longer in a hurry. Let us enjoy every step we make.’ Thich Nhat Hanh.

Cost: Admission Free. Just come along on the day. For further information:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Afternoon Workshop: Sufi Drum Circle: Journey to the Heart.

Facilitator: Nihat Tsolak, Director of Caravansary Project.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 3pm-3.15pm. Workshop: 3.15pm-5.45pm.
Event Description: Sufi frame drumming is an ancient tradition in the art of Eastern spiritual drumming, similar in many ways to other spiritual drumming traditions, such as Shamanic drumming. Sufi Drum Circle aims to build a ‘heart connection’ through rhythm, and explore the innner space within our heart and within the heart of the group. Through this experience one aims to surrender one’s nafs (ego) and attain spiritual freedom and self-exploration. Sufi drumming can be practiced individually and in a group. With the beat of the drum we aim to connect not only to our own inner rhythm, but also to the universal rhythms around us. Drum beats and heart beats lead us to the boundless universal rhythm and love. Love of yourself, your fellow human being and of the wider world.
 
Sufi rhythms in 4, 6 and 8 beats will be practiced initially, and then later we will practice some advanced level rhythms of 5, 7 and 9 beats. No prior drumming knowledge or experience is required, just come along and enjoy. Drums will be provided, but please bring your own drum if you have one.
 
The session is facilitated by Nihat Tsolak (pronounced nat). Nihat holds an MA (Sociology) and MPhil (Psychology) from Glasgow University and is the Director of Caravansary Project, www.caravansary.org

Nihat discovered Rumi 15 years ago in Glasgow while studying at Glasgow University. Since then he caught the bug of Rumi, and he has been organising and facilitating concerts, poetry evenings and drum circles for more than ten years. Nihat is interested in experiential drumming, exploring ways of using drums to build a ‘heart connection’ to oneself, others and to the wider world. Currently he is working on a book on Sufi Drumming and experience.

Cost: £8/£6 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on Towards a Civilization of Love.

Speaker: The Rt Rev Brian Smith, Bishop of Edinburgh.
Chair: Rev Ewan Aitken, Council Secretary for the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council which has the remit of facilitating the Church’s engagement with social, political and ethical issues. He is ordained in the Church of Scotland. Ewan is also a Labour member and former leader of the City of Edinburgh Council.
Forum on Towards a Civilization of Love.
Forum Panellists: Jo Clifford is one of Scotland’s leading playwrights. Author of approximately 80 works for every dramatic medium, her plays include Every One, Faust, Anna Karenina, and Life is a Dream for the Lyceum and Losing Venice, Light in the Village, and Inés de Castro for the Traverse; Lee Gershuny, Ph.D., Artistic Director of The Elements World Theatre; Claudia Goncalves, Co-Founder of the Community Foundation for Planetary Healing and the Edinburgh Shamanic Centre.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: The Rt Rev Brian Smith is the 25th Bishop of Edinburgh. He was installed in the Diocese on 23 June 2001.  He was elected Bishop of Edinburgh in 2001.

Bishop Brian was born in Edinburgh and attended school and university in that city. He studied theology in Cambridge, focusing on the philosophy of religion. He was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Oxford in 1972, and held a number of posts in that Diocese, including that of Senior Tutor at Ripon College Cuddesdon.

Following the talk by The Rt Rev Brian Smith, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Monday 14 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Awakening Creativity through Sound:
Deep Listening, Presence and Expression.

Facilitator: Susanne Olbrich.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: This workshop is for all, with or without musical training, who would like to immerse themselves in sound: touch your own vitality and the mystery of life through sound and silence!

Creativity is our birthright, it is an integral part of being human. Every human life contains its seeds and is constantly manifesting it, whether we are decorating a cake, singing a song, or creating a website. Our own essential nature is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universe.

You are invited on a creative journey of listening, exploring and inventing music which will be intuitive, non-linear and experiential. Mindfulness helps us to gently bring our attention to the present moment, invoking our inherent capacity for openness, playfulness and non-judgmental awareness.

Hearing sound with the whole body and mind, we understand it intimately. When you and the sound become one, you don’t hear the sound, you are the sound. Silence is at the root of everything. By spiraling into its void, the unexpected is allowed to express itself. Letting the music happen to you, you become a conduit in the service of the creative spirit: we are all players, and we are all being played!

There will be a safe space for experimentation – come and try out something new, using your voice, small percussion instruments from all over the world, and whatever sources of sound you bring along!

The day will include some simple, gentle movement practices, so please wear comfortable clothes. If you have musical instruments, please bring them along (again: everyone with or without musical training is welcome!).

Susanne Olbrich is a German-born pianist, composer and music teacher who has been living in the Findhorn community for nearly 10 years. She has been offering creative music workshops in Germany and Scotland, collaborating with music schools, adult education providers, community groups and the NHS. Susanne has just released her second album of original music with her band “Marama Trio.” Having been classically trained, her work is inspired by jazz, world music and a wide range of influences. As a lay-member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing she has been studying and practicing Mindfulness for many years. In recent years Susanne has been engaged in artistic and educational projects that combine music and mindfulness, fostering awareness and creative expression. Currently she is part of the initiative “Sustainability Education and Carbon Reduction in Moray Schools,” creating Nature themed music with primary school children.
www.myspace.com/susanneolbrich, www.susanneolbrich.webs.com

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Evening Workshop: Listening, Sharing, Playing and Exploration: Life Exercises, Breath Control and Strategies to Cope with Stage Fright on and off Stage - In the Workplace and at Home.

Facilitator: Corinne Harris.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 5pm-5.30pm. Event: 5.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: I have developed what I now call 'Life Exercises' from the vocal and physical preparations I have used and incorporated into my daily practice as performer, singer and musician. At the core of this practice is connection with the self and the group encouraging a shared meditative approach throughout which encourages the clearing of the mind and focussing inward to our core selves and a deep awareness of the breath of life. This can be both energizing and relaxing, encouraging self-awareness, trust and soul connection within the group. Breath awareness and meditative focus when incorporated into daily routine can be used as strategies for coping at times of stress and heartache.  

Corinne Harris has been involved in theatre for thirty years as an actor, director and musician. Her belief in the transformative potential of theatre as an art form and platform for life changing possibility has led her to exploring the theatre of possibility both on and off stage. She received an MA from RADA and King’s College, London specialising in directing – her primary focus being the practice of Eastern European directors. This led to an interest in the ego and notions of self in performance within ensemble theatre practice and she is now doing PhD research around the work and practice of Joseph Chaikin who directed The Open Theater – one of the most innovative, experimental ensemble companies in the sixties and early seventies, The Open Theatre. 

Cost: £8/£6 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: A Day with Desert Wisdom:
Native Middle Eastern Spirituality and Life’s Big Questions.

Facilitator: Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz (Saadi Shakur Chishti).
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: Meditation, storytelling, poetry, chant, spiritual practice—ranging from the ancient Middle Eastern Goddess traditions through to Sufi poets Rumi and Hafiz.

This day with Desert Wisdom will feature the three “big questions” that confront all human beings, and which all ancient indigenous traditions reflect upon:

1. Diversity: Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?
2. Interiority: Who am I? What is the “self”?
3. Communion: How do I relate to other people, Nature and my surroundings? How do I love and how do I die?

The book Desert Wisdom was first published in 1995 and again this year in a new, revised edition. Rather than divide the book by religious or spiritual tradition, it gathers voices from various Middle Eastern eras to comment on the same questions. This creates a chorus in which the unique quality of each voice can be heard. It also sets each voice in its ecological or “home” context: the Middle Eastern environmental region, which generated the worldview in which all the voices are rooted.

Historically, some Middle Eastern voices (and interpretations of them) have been very influential in the development of Western culture. Desert Wisdom attempts to hear and experience all of these storytelling voices together, as they might have been in their “wild” forms. The meditations, chants or “body prayers” we will share are typical of Native Middle Eastern spirituality and intend to help us explore the themes or questions offered. The body prayers use elements common to all human beings: breathing, internal sound, visualization, body awareness and simple group movement. So no prior experience, other than breathing, is required.

Cost: £50/£40 (Concessions). Bursaries are available. For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: Peace in the Heart:
Joining Heart to Heart in Empathy.

Facilitator: Fateah Alice Saunders.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4.30pm.
Event Description: Peace begins in the heart. Finding peace within our own heart enables us to greet others in peace, to remain centred and peaceful when others are not, to act from the peaceful core of our being, to walk with peaceful steps and to breathe peace into our surroundings, our community.

This day will be devoted to chanting sacred words from the three main Middle East Spiritual traditions, together with simple dance movements alternating with meditation. Many people find that this combination of sound, movement and silence brings a deep sense of internal peace, and a feeling of harmony within the group. Once experienced, this can provide an internal resource to help us meet the demands of everyday life.

Fateah Alice Saunders has been an international teacher/mentor of Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) for many years and is also a Sufi guide/teacher for the Sufi Ruhaniat International. She met the Dances of Universal Peace in 1986, became a recognised teacher in 1995 and was involved for 12 years in committee work for both the UK and International Networks for the DUP. She moved to Edinburgh in 1999 and has introduced DUP at many venues in Scotland: Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, Dumfries, Glasgow and the Island of Shapinsay, Orkneys.

Fateah’s inspiration for this day comes from Murshid Samuel L Lewis, American founder of the Dances of Universal Peace, who tirelessly worked for peace between nations during the 1950s and 1960s - from her spiritual guide and teacher, Murshid Saadi Neil Douglas-Klotz, with whom she visited Palestine in 2001 – from her work with the Dances of Universal Peace in other countries, notably the Czech Rep for the last 7 years – and from her ongoing involvement with the MESP, from its birth in 2003 up until now.

The day will be supported by guitar music from Chris Granger.

“Words are not peace. Thoughts are not peace. Plans are not peace. Peace is fundamental to all faiths, all religions, all spirituality.” (Murshid Samuel L Lewis, 1896 - 1971)

Cost: £20/£15 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: Concert: Sublime Persian Sufi Music with Davod Azad:
Mystical and Devotional words of great Sufi Masters of the past accompanied by Iranian classical modal music. The music will be performed with Iranian ancient string instruments: Oud (Barbat), Tanbur and Daf (Percussion). 

Unfortunately, due to circumstances outwith our control, this event has had to be cancelled.

Venue: St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ. 
Time: Registration: 7pm-7.30pm. Event: 7.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Davod Azad is an accomplished Vocalist, Composer, Instrumentalist Musician originally from Iran. His musical source is from the classical Iranian modal system (Dastgah) and the Tradition (regional) Maqam musical form. The spiritual music that Davod plays is based on the actual music that is played live at Sufi gatherings at Iranian Sufi houses worldwide.

His music brings the ecstatic joy that is experienced by Sufi's and all spiritual seekers on stage! His music speaks the universal language of Love and Unity for all mankind. In this way, during his performances, he becomes a channel to convey this message to all people present that Humanity is One, and as a result it creates harmony to all people regardless of their background and ethnicity.

Davod Azad is also involved in musical collaborative works with Western as well as Eastern musicians and his latest work is Sufi music with Blues music. In a Sufi path, it is believed that a true seeker must live in harmony with all people in whichever society he/she is living in. Therefore, Davod is always seeking to work with new talents and other musical forms. This makes Davod's music always refreshingly new and contemporary even though it takes its root from a very ancient civilization!

Davod Azad has performed in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Australia, India as well as Iran, with over 300 performances worldwide at international festivals such as Istanbul International Music Festival, BBC Proms, Music Village (Sacred Voices), the Sir John Taverner Festival, Folk Festival of Hungary, World in Nord Festival (Norway), and the Art in Action Festival (Oxford).

Davod has also been the first Iranian lecturer invited to Oxford University to lecture about Iranian Music and its forms. His "The Divan of Rumi and Bach" Album was the first Iranian fusion with Western classical music which was also performed at many international venues and radio stations such as Radio Kulture House in Vienna, Austria.

Cost: £10, on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Thursday 17 March 2011

Event: Day Workshop: The Practice of Self-Compassion ~ a psycho-spiritual perspective ~

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome ~ Derek Walcott
Facilitator: Michael Wilson.
Venue: Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Workshop: 10am-4pm.
Event Description: For centuries the Wisdom Traditions of both West and East have emphasised the importance of self-compassion as the other side of, the more familiar, compassion toward other. Western psychology is increasingly turning its attention to the benefits of self-compassion as a continuation of mindfulness practice, but also as a practice in its own right. This exciting development in psychology and therapy opens pathways for healing the mind, and enables you to face many of life’s challenges with greater ease.

Through a series of exercises and explorations, balanced with appropriate theory, this day is an opportunity to explore what it means to be compassionate towards self. We will also consider obstacles to self-compassion, methods of over-coming these, as well as practical ways of carrying this forward into your own lives. There will also be an opportunity to consider the spiritual implications which self-compassion raises.

Mike Wilson (www.psychospiritual.co.uk) is an experienced psychotherapist (UKAHPP Acc UKCP Reg) and transpersonal psychology practitioner, with extensive experience in teaching and facilitating groups. He practises in Edinburgh and from his home in the Scottish Borders, and offers workshops in the field of transpersonal psychology and related areas in the UK, and sometimes farther afield. He has a longstanding interest in the evolution and practical application of transpersonal psychologies, which his workshops give testimony to. Limited to 16 places, so please book early to ensure your place.

Cost: £55/£45 (Concessions). For a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.

Event: The 2011 Middle East Festival Forum on World Spiritualities.

Speaker: Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz, Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning, EIAL.
Title: Desert Wisdom: Hearing the Heart of Native Middle Eastern Spiritualities as it addresses the "Big Questions."
Chair: MaryCatherine Burgess, Ph.D., Associate Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh.
Forum on Revisioning "Sacred Language" and its Importance for Personal, Relational, Community and Ecological Health, Wellbeing and Healing.
Forum Panellists: David Lorimer, Programme Director of the Scientific and Medical Network; Ali Newell, works at the Ignatian Spirituality Centre where she teaches and offers spiritual accompaniment. She is a minister, trained counsellor, and was warden of Iona Abbey; Rev Jenny Williams, Chaplain, Christian Fellowship of Healing.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: Registration: 6.30pm-7pm. Discussion/Forum: 7pm-9.15pm.
Event Description: When it was first launched in 1995, the Desert Wisdom Project proposed to hear anew the voices of "Native Middle Eastern" spiritualities, which later became the source of several religious organizations and forumulations. The book of the same name retranslated many texts and stories from the region in their "wild" form, attempting to hear them in a way before they were cultivated and harvested as theology. The book, which received widespread praise and was influential in initiating several Middle Eastern peace projects, has been extensively revised and republished in 2011. It proposes a radical revisioning of the way we see the relation of spirituality, religion, ecology, art and personal growth:
 
*Ecology: all human religious and spiritual experiences arise from an embodied relationship with the environment and Nature. These natural experiences produce vision, ritual, story and sacred text. Religion organizes or ‘colonizes’ these experiences, increasingly, though often unwittingly, as the province of experts (a clerical, legal, academic or administrative class). Similarly, the natural human impulse to produce music and move in rhythm or dance has gradually been colonized as performing arts, with an audience listening to or watching expert professionals - first live, then now increasingly virtually.
 
*Vision and Ritual: vision and ritual go hand in hand. We can understand them on their own terms, not those of the later development of written texts, theologies and legal interpretations, organizations, structural bureaucracies and political hierarchies.
 
*The Big Human Questions: vision and ritual naturally arise from questions basic to the human experience: Where do we come from? Where are we going? Who are we? How do we relate to ‘others’? How do we ‘die’ and what happens then? All of these questions are posed first in the plural, as a community question, and only progressively over the past two millenia in the singular, as questions for an individual person's health, fulfillment, happiness or "salvation." Within the range of answers to these questions fall all ideals ranging from the religious afterlife(s) to the secular "new world orders."
 
For health of both community and individual, we need to hear anew these questions, as well as the natural experiences of vision and ritual that empowered Western religion, and which unite religious and secular ways of knowing and being in the world.
 
Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz directs the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning (www.eial.org) in Edinburgh, Scotland and co-founded the Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace, now in its eighth 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, 2011), 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 2005 he was awarded the Kessler-Keener Foundation Peacemaker of the Year Award for his work in Middle Eastern peacemaking. Information about his work internationally can be found at the website of the Abwoon Resource Centre, www.abwoon.com

Following the talk by Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz, there will be questions and discussion with the panel and with the audience. The panel members will then each give short presentations on the Forum subject, followed by further questions and discussion.

Cost: £5/£3 (Concessions) on the door on the night.
Contact: Neill Walker, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 331 4469.