Sufi Whirling Space Workshop
Sufi Whirling Space Workshop Promo
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Decentered Studio - 1175 Folsom St. 2A San Francisco CA
Price: Sliding Scale
Event Link: External Link
Description
On Friday, November 14, 2025, Decentered Arts Studio (1175 Folsom St) transformed into a quiet, spinning sanctuary for the Sufi Whirling Space Workshop — an evening of sacred movement, chant, and embodied devotion from 7–9 PM.
Dervish Aziz (Aziz Abbatiello), raised in an American Mevlevi family and initiated as a Semazen in 1996, guided the practice alongside Anna Whirling, whose lifelong whirling journey began in Ukraine and deepened through years in Turkey and onstage collaborations. Together they held a careful, trauma-aware container, teaching movement exercises, breath, and simple chants that prepared the body to whirl.
Participants learned the fundamentals of whirling: grounding, axis work, gentle spotting, and the heart-opening posture that turns movement into prayer. The facilitators wove instruction with soft vocalization and supportive adjustments so everyone — regardless of experience — could access the practice safely.
Attendees brought socks, wore comfortable clothes they could move in, and arrived ready to explore stillness through motion. The workshop closed with a shared moment of rest and integration, leaving everyone quietly centered and tenderly alight.