Whirling in Beirut…

“We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.” — Rumi

No, that’s not a flying carpet–though I tried taking flight from it last night, as I whirled on stage in Beirut. Even though it’s nearly impossible to whirl on a carpet–not to mention in the dark–I was honored to join talented singers and musicians for a lovely Ramadan concert in Beirut.

“Whirling is like the sun, moon, stars, galaxies and world all turning around themselves–everything in this universe is whirling–everything revolves,” a Turkish sheikh once said to me–on my 40-day whirling retreat in Istanbul.

He spoke of the motion of electrons, protons, and neutrons.

The revolution of particles, of blood through the veins, and the return of a soul to its source after death.

But the difference in the whirling of the dervishes, he explained, is that whirling is a conscious attempt to be in harmony with all things in nature.

Under his watchful gaze, I learned that whirling is much more than just dancing…and to be whirling here in Beirut–with a fantastic crew–is truly inspiring, and a dream come true…