Join Rumi Center and LILA for a week-long Sufi meditation retreat in the desert of New Mexico.

WHAT IS MURAQABA

Murāqaba is a Sufi meditation practice which consists of observing and contemplating the Divine essence through the heart in order to awaken to one’s true nature.

Throughout the centuries, seekers have used this practice to attain the station of ‘Ihsan’ (perfection and excellence), often described as the state of constant proximity and nearness to the Divine Reality, where one is always aware that the Truth is a Witness to one’s every state and activity.

OUR INTENTIONS

In Sufism, dhawq, (Arabic: ذوق, lit. 'tasting') is direct, first-hand experience, referring to the gnosis of the Divine Reality achieved experientially as a result of empiric spiritual insight.

Our aim for this retreat is to create a highly experiential container for those wanting to deepen their spiritual practice. Through practices such as silent meditation, sacred chanting, embodied prayer, journaling & poetry, hiking and contemplation in nature, this retreat is intended to cultivate presence during our time together as well as an invitation to integrate this awareness in our day-to-day lives.

Although this retreat utilizes Sufi methods and practices, it is open to sincere seekers from all walks of life.

ABOUT THE RETREAT CENTER

Dar Al Islam is a retreat center situated on 1,600 acres in the awe inspiring desert landscape of Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Designed by world renowned Egyptian architect Hasan Fathy and completed in 1981, it features a mosque with adjoining madrassah, distinguished by its Nubian vernacular models that return New Mexico’s traditions of adobe construction to their North African origins. The campus also includes a library, lecture hall, dorm spaces, and multiple courtyards. 

Also on the property is the geological landscape of the Plaza Blanca (also known as the White Place). The Plaza Blanca is a beautiful slot canyon, unlike any other in the Southwest, well know for its mystical desert beauty. 

OUR GUIDES

BARAKA BLUE

Baraka Blue is a poet, musician, author, and teacher from Seattle, Washington. After reading the works of Rumi and Ibn Arabi he traveled to study with contemporary Sufi teachers in Morocco, Turkey, Yemen, Egypt and beyond. 

He is the founder of Rumi Center for Spirituality and the Arts - a community organization dedicated to teaching and transmitting the wisdom of the Sufi spiritual path to seekers from all walks of life through online courses, retreats, and artistic productions. 

In addition to releasing multiple studio albums, authoring books of poetry, and performing internationally, Baraka Blue is a prolific educator with a master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

ADÉYÍNKÁ MENDES

Adéyínká Mendes, aka Adé, is a spiritual counselor, meditation teacher, rites of passage facilitator, and author based in Houston, Texas.

He has been a student of the mystical traditions of Islam as well as indigenous and West African spiritual traditions for over 30 years. His focus as a teacher is on conveying the wisdom of our ancestors in ways that speak to the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.

He is the founding director of Marhama (Arabic for 'expressing mutual compassion'), a community focused on building sustainable institutions through empowering service, prophetic spirituality, traditional knowledge, and the arts.

He has studied Classical Arabic, Islamic Sciences, sacred meditation, and the science of peace-building with sages and scholars from the United States, Syria, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania, Nigeria, Egypt, Haiti, Senegal, and The Gambia.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Rumi Center For Spirituality & The Arts

Rumi Center was founded in 2018 by Baraka Blue and inspired by the life and legacy of the great mystic poet Mawlana Jalaludeen Rumi.

Rumi Center believes in art and creativity as profound tools—not only of self-expression—but of self-discovery. A means by which human consciousness is transformed and illuminated, and the deepest truths made accessible.

They are dedicated to teach and transmit the wisdom of the Sufi spiritual path through online courses, retreats, and artistic production.

LILA Series

The LILA series started as a collection of documentary episodes showcasing cultures around the world that bridge spirituality with the arts. 

These films showcase how traditional cultures have used the arts (particularly music & dance) for spiritual communion, prayer and healing, and also show the evolution of these traditions and the challenges they are facing today.

In addition to the docu-series, they also host in-person events and retreats around the world that explore sacred music and dance traditions.