Suluk Academy Overview - USA

The Suluk Academy is a spiritual training program offered by the Sufi Order International (SOI). The Academy provides an opportunity for members of the SOI and other Sufi orders to participate in a focused study of the essential perspectives and spiritual practices of the SOI's esoteric school. The guiding vision for the Suluk Academy has its origins in the spiritual orientation of Hazrat Inayat Khan, the founder of the Sufi Order International. Inayat Khan's approach to spiritual development was one of balance and integration, emphasizing the soul's natural unfoldment in life; his teachings provide an ideal foundation for the curriculum of the Suluk Academy.

Dates & Faculty

The two-year course of study will be composed of a total of eight 5-day sessions, four per year, all held at the Abode of the Message in New Lebanon, NY. The dates and faculty members are as follows:

Year One:
With Pir Zia Inayat-Khan & Amida Cary
Saturday, October 3rd - Wednesday the 7th, 2009 (arrival on Fri the 2nd)
Wednesday, December 16th - Sunday the 20th, 2009 (arrival on Tue the 15th)

With Pir Zia Inayat-Khan & Gayan Macher
Saturday, February 27th - Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 (arrival Fri the 26th)
Saturday, May 15th - Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 (arrival Fri the 14th)

Year Two:
With Pir Zia Inayat-Khan & Murshid Wali Ali Meyer
Saturday, September 18th - Wednesday the 22nd, 2010 (arrival Fri the 17th)
Saturday, December 4th - Wednesday the 8th, 2010 (arrival Fri the 3rd)

With Pir Zia Inayat-Khan & Aziza Scott
Saturday, March 19th - Wednesday the 23rd, 2011 (arrival Fri the 18th)
Saturday, June 4th - Wednesday the 8th, 2011 (arrival Fri the 3rd)

The Curriculum

The Suluk Academy's course of study is a systematic exploration and cultivation of the inner life. Students engage in a program that incorporates spiritual methodologies and perspectives that have evolved out of the traditional technique and theory of Sufi teachings. In addition, the program is infused with insights gleaned from modern physical sciences and contemporary theories of mind.

Throughout the two years, the Academy employs a methodical and heartfelt approach to the time honored disciplines of breath, sound, light, movement, concentration, contemplation, and meditation, with an initial emphasis on the essential stages of purification and awakening of heart, mind, and body. To complement these disciplines, significant consideration is given to the training of the ego, the art of personality, and the cultivation of the heart quality, to provide for an integrative spiritual experience. All studies draw upon the prose and poetry of the Masters, Saints, and Prophets throughout the ages and across traditions.

The Suluk Academy is intended as a supplemental training to one's spiritual practice; it is not a replacement for the unique relationship one has with one's personal spiritual guide or mentor. Due to the scope of the training it is recommended that prospective students discuss attendance with their spiritual guide or mentor. Those not actively working with a guide or mentor are still encouraged to apply, but will be expected to have a spiritual guide throughout the course of the training.

Program Structure

The program involves four 5-day sessions a year for two years. Each day consists of formal teachings by Pir Zia and another senior teacher. Throughout the two years, participants will experience four senior teachers in addition to Pir Zia: Amida Cary, Gayan Macher, Murshid Wali Ali Meyer, and Aziza Scott.

Each afternoon, students meet with their assigned Mentor Group and Pod. Mentor Groups are facilitated by respected teachers in the Sufi Order, with the purpose of exploring the practices in a more intimate and interactive format. Pods are small groups of 6-7 students who meet to process and share their experiences, or simply to share sacred space. Each person is encouraged to be fully present to themselves and others, putting into practice the ideals of moral culture and respect taught by Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Days provide an opportunity for private time to study, rest or engage with the practices. Fitness classes are offered in yoga and/or martial arts, to encourage awareness of the body and the need for physical expression. Evening programs such as zikr, sema, film nights, and classes with the Abode community are offered regularly throughout each session.

Individual Study and Practice

The Suluk Academy program strives to balance individual exploration with community development and group practice. In addition to daily group work, reading assignments, journal exercises, and practices to do in between sessions will be given, to facilitate a deeper engagement with the teachings. Each person is encouraged to discover how these teachings apply to their own life and to the ideal that one holds in their heart.

Participants also have the unique opportunity for private interviews with Pir Zia, the senior teachers and the mentors.