In the Christian scriptures, so the story goes, the disciples asked Isho’a (Jesus), "Lord, teach us to pray." Isho’a did not answer them. Instead, he offered them an Invitation - with his words and with his life. In listening to these prayers, you are invited to experience a taste of what this invitation might have been... And still is today.
Sung in Aramaic, these exquisite prayers hold within them an ancient and powerful wisdom tradition of the Middle East; sound mysticism. One could say that each sound, each word, are seeds, that when fed with the love of devotion, cause a wild sprouting in our hearts that releases a special bliss.
The words and meditative back drone hold a constant within which is woven a variety of instruments (guitar, Turkish saz, viola, bass, dumbek, bells, rattle) and voices, creating a wonderfully textured sound that keeps the words actively moving, sprouting, singing deep inside the heart, mind and body.
*Perfect for meditation, body-work, yoga, journeying, group and individual chanting practice. Includes a 12-page companion insert with “expanded renderings,” story, and soul-stirring artwork by Pamela Zagarenski.*
“Something ancient becomes something alive and part of me, here and now. A deep sense of joy dances throughout. After listening to this music, I find myself walking differently. The drones and drums, the ancient rhythms of the words move through me, anchoring me in a different sense of time and place.” - Mary Stuart
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It feels as though Jahanara has been dancing with the divine her whole life.
Her path began as a young girl, when she sang in the church choir and frequently had lucid dreams about meeting a goddess in a tree-house by a lake. In college, she majored in Anthropology and Religion, then went on to become a certified herbalist and founder of the Oregon School of Herbal Studies, where she taught herbal medicine, ceremonial arts and dreaming.
For the past fifteen years, she has been studying extensively with Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, world-renowned scholar in religious studies, psychology, and middle eastern spirituality and language, and with Martín Prechtel, the visionary teacher, author, singer and shaman. Jahanara is a certified leader of the Dances of Universal Peace and is a Sufi initiate and initiator in the Sufi Ruhaniat International. She has just released her first CD -- “Aramaic Sound Pilgrimage: Holy Wanderings in the Ecstatic” – which critics have described as “hauntingly beautiful,” “glorious,” and “sensuous and earthy.” Her exquisite melodies and colorful harmonies reach deep into your bones and dance you back to an ancient world that is immediately familiar and filled with deep longing.
Jahanara’s name appropriately means “Queen of the Universe” -- this teacher, healer, singer, dancer is indeed ruling her world in a most creative and deliciously sensuous way. She shares her joyful and gentle wisdom on how to “ground in the ecstatic” through mystical movement, body-centered meditation, and sound healing workshops, retreats, and classes offered throughout the U.S. and Costa Rica. While clearly channeling spirit through her voice and being, Jahanara also has her feet planted firmly on the earth: she is a wife, mother, ceremonial clothing designer, and author of numerous children’s stories, a book of poetry, and an esoteric ‘adult children’s story,’ entitled “The Door in the Flame.”
For more information and to register for worlshops and classes, please contact jahanara@rubytavern.com.
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