We gather from 7-9 PM this coming Saturday at Portland Yoga Studio, 616 Congress St. in Portland.

To celebrate our 10th year offering the Dances of Universal Peace at Portland Yoga Studio, I’ve selected, as usual, several more dances than we have time for. That allows us to follow the spirit of the moment. These are those that draw me for January:

Heenay Mah Tov—a Jewish dance expressing our joy in community

I’m Opening Up in Sweet Surrender, a lovely dance expressing our openness to the new year

“Use us for the purpose that thy wisdom chooseth,” the words of Hazrat Inayat Khan made into a sacred dance

This is a new one for us, one I’ve always liked but haven’t taught yet OR, we could dance—Woman As Divine Messenger

The Aramaic beatitude blessing the compassionate who will obtain mercy

I’d like to repeat the dance Muraq’abba did New Year’s Eve that everyone had so much fun with—“Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqim” (Arabic for “Show us the straight path!”

A choice of two powerful Arabic “zikrs”—Shabda’s or the Andalusian Zikr from southern Spain

Either Shalom lai lai lai or Da Pacem Domine, both of which invite a similar prayerful attitude asking for peace

The Buddhist “May all beings be well and happy” which I learned from Halima.

That’s it dear friends. Hope to see many of you. (Deborah Datkus from CT (I believe) may be joining us again as she did for New Year’s Eve!)

Elaine McGillicuddy
ElaineBeatrice [at] maine [dot] rr [dot] com