Osho Meditation “Sufi Whirling” is based on an ancient Sufi technique. While the whole body is moving, you can witness your center being silent and still. Sufi whirling is considered to be one of the most powerful ancient techniques. It is so profound that even a one-time experience can be life-changing for you! If you want to achieve body and mind liberation, to freely express yourself, heal your heart chakra and improve your breathing, then Osho meditation “Sufi Whirling” is a great technique for you to try!
“Sufi whirling is one of the most ancient techniques, one of the most forceful. It is so deep that even a single experience can make you totally different. Whirl with open eyes, just like small children go on twirling, as if your inner being has become a center and your whole body has become a wheel, moving, a potter’s wheel, moving. You are in the center, but the whole body is moving.” – Osho
I Bet You’ve Done It Before!
Sufi Whirling meditation requires the body to spin with outstretched arms while the mind is centered and still.
Whirling is normal for all children when they are innocent and full of joy. Didn’t you whirl around when you were a child? I bet you did! Do you remember how you were spinning with your eyes open when you were a child? Spinning as if your inner being has become the center and your whole body has become a moving wheel? You were centered, but your whole body was moving.
Without even knowing you were practicing Sufi Whirling meditation! We all did it spontaneously when we were children but as we grew up we seem to lose this spontaneity. That is why it is said that the dance takes us back to the repressed sensations from our childhood. And from my own experience, I can tell you that this technique is one of the most effective ways to heal your inner child!
What Does Sufi Whirling Represent?
The dancer is destined to whirl as the Earth around the Sun and so achieve harmony with the Universe itself. As the planets themselves rotate so the dance is performed spinning from the left side (which is the heart side)!
Traditionally, people wear a long white skirt for performing Sufi Whirling. A white skirt represents purity and its length enhances the circular motion of the dance. The long flowing skirt begins to spread naturally and fan out as the movement increases in momentum.
The spinning itself creates invisible, colorless, pure and transparent energy. The swirling skirt begins to move in endless waves and your aura envelopes the body in the same way as the sun bathes the Earth in its light.
Osho Meditation “Sufi Whirling”
It is recommended not to eat or drink anything for three hours before Sufi Whirling meditation. It is better to be barefoot and in loose clothes.
Meditation is divided into three stages – whirling, relaxation, and celebration.
How To Perform Osho Meditation “Sufi Whirling”?
Stand still. Cross your arms until they touch your shoulders – as if you are hugging yourself. Start moving very slowly. At the same time, spread your arms very slowly and gracefully – like a bird spreading its wings. Before they reach out, caress your face with them as a touch from the Divine.
Stage 1: Whirling (45 minutes)
Keep your eyes open and feel the center point of your body.
Lift your arm to shoulder height, with your right palm up and the left palm down.
Start turning around in a counterclockwise direction – at your own axis. Let your body be soft. Start slowly and after 15 minutes gradually increase the speed. You become a whirlpool of energy. Try to feel a storm of movement but at the same time make sure that the witness at the center is silent and still.
Gradually your eyes de-focus and the surroundings will become a whirl. As you move faster, you become more still inside.
Stage 2: Relaxation (15 minutes)
Let your body fall to the ground. Roll onto your stomach immediately so that your navel is in contact with the earth. If you feel discomfort lying this way, you can lie on your back.
Feel your body blending into the earth, as if a baby pressed to the mother’s breast. Keep your eyes closed and remain passive and silent for at least 15 minutes.
Stage 3: Celebration
Gradually, get up and join the celebration dance. Or you can sit still if you want.
After Whirling
Most people perspire while whirling. Therefore it is recommended to drink a couple of glasses of water after whirling.
Music for Whirling
Obviously, Sufi music is needed for whirling and this genre has a great deal of Arabic and Persian flavor.
Side Effects
It is quite common to feel disorientated, dizzy or nauseous during or after Whirling meditation. It is said to be an essential part of learning the dance and preparing the dancer to enter the state of ecstasy known as “mystical intoxication”. The intensity of such effect may vary from person to person.
However, there are some tips that can help you not to experience these side effects.
Whirling does not make you dizzy if you start slowly. You should move very slowly and remain at one point without moving away from it.
Whirling does not make you nauseous if you have not eaten a heavy meal just before you start.
The Bottom Line
Some people go on whirling for hours – as long as the bodies allow them. They do not stop on their own. When you’re practicing whirling a moment comes that you see yourself utterly still and silent. You become a center of the cyclone. Around the center, your body is moving, but there is a space which remains unmoved – that is your being.