George Gurdjieff, an Armenian mystic born in the early 19th century traveled through the sacred routes in search of the TRUTH. He stumbled upon them in mysterious sacred temples hidden deep within the folds of the Caucasus Mountains of the Middle East. The Sacred Dances were an integral part of esoteric schoolwork and were studied by seekers of the path to invoke the presence of our higher consciousness.

There are about 200 structured, choreographed dances originating in the Sufi Traditions, consisting of Ceremonial Dances, Sufi Whirling, Men’s Dervish Movements and Women’s Prayer Dances. These movements, reconstructed from lost traditions, are a spiritual and mystical experience, which inspire deeper levels of awareness. Special music accompanies the dances, composed by Gurdjieff and Thomas De Hartmann, resonating with objective cosmic laws. The music, like the dances, is designed to affect the dancers’ state of consciousness.

The Sacred Dances are not an end in itself. They are the beginning of a journey to our spiritual depths. We practice above all else ‘presence’. Like Gurdjieff used to call it ‘presence of being’ and Buddha called this same presence ‘Samasati’ which means ‘remember you are a Buddha’, Kabir called it ‘Surati’ – right rememberance.

In developing ‘presence of being’ a certain effort and alertness is required. The dances consist of highly structured exact postures and multiple rhythms to follow. Absolute precision of movement is demanded, from the palms of the hands to the slightest position of the feet. All the attention is directed inwards – on the energy moving through the body sensing the positions from inside, in the change of feelings and emotions as one shifts from posture to posture the energy is drawn further inwards. Emphasis is placed on learning from an inner space of relaxation, allowing alertness to become effortless.

Gurdjieff gave importance to the three centers of our being: the mind (mental), the heart (emotional) and the body (physical). He explained that when our three centers work together and in harmony, a certain alignment takes place within us and we experience the fourth dimension - a force that connects us to our Truth. He called his teachings ‘the fourth way’, when we transcend all our states of attachment and arrive at a state of pure being. He gave importance to dance as a method of practice on the path to the fourth way.

Man has three sources of energy in him. One is the body, the other is the mind, the third is the heart. Where all these rivers meet, merge, become one, the fourth arises. And this arising of the fourth is the beginning of the sacred, the transformation, the beginning of an authentic life, of eternal, divine life.

OSHO Darshan Diary

The practice of the Gurdjeiff Movements support the exploration and experience of:

The dances are practiced in silence and in structured group discussions students are encouraged to share their learning experience and inner process.

These dances can be explored and practiced by anyone willing to. There is no age barrier and prior dance experience is not required.