***No prior knowledge of Arabic or Farsi is required to take this workshop.
Experience the ancient art of Arabic Calligraphy and its healing qualities.
Each calligraphic session begins with somatic breathwork* and meditation. You will then be led through exercises that will teach you the technical foundations of Arabic calligraphy while also allowing you to explore the artistic qualities of the craft. This workshop offers a feminine approach to a predominantly masculine medium, so we will be learning the basics of a traditional art form in a non-traditional manner. We'll end with a reading of poetry from the MENA region and instructions for long-term practice for anyone wishing to continue!
*Somatic meditation engages the body in a word-less form of healing and spiritual transcendence. It involves breath work, music, and gentle guiding questions that initiates an interior journey through the body. Somatic breathing gifts you the presence of the self, a chance to intimately observe the state of the body without judgement and without the desire to alter or amend it. Overtime, somatic work lends itself to massive shifts and changes, but that is not the intention with which it is approached and practiced. The primary intention is always to offer presence to the self, to listen, to observe, and to rest in the body as it is, not as it should be.
Read more about the workshops:
My meditative calligraphy workshops began a few years ago in Samos, Greece, where I worked closely with refugees of all ages and nationalities in small and large sessions as a way of addressing (and beginning to heal) the trauma within in an un-intrusive and gentle manner. What distinguishes this calligraphy workshop is that it is led with a meditative & healing approach. It focuses on the artistic qualities of the practice of calligraphy over the technicalities of it, and it offers a feminine approach to a predominantly masculine medium. It is one of the most beautiful ways to introduce people to the culture and art of a region which is often quite unfairly and inaccurately represented in the media. This class, while focusing on calligraphy, will also introduce students to music, art, and literature from the region. This is an all encompassing workshop which focuses on the interior state of the participating student, while teaching a new craft, and learning more about the MENA region.
What makes calligraphy a healing art?
Through this medium, we learn to understand and speak the language of our hands. Calligraphy demands a very particular form of engagement, and much of our emotions are released through our hands. In each workshop, I work closely with each artist, drawing attention to their hands and their manner of moving and holding the calligraphic pen. We also work with natural material (reed) imported from the Middle East and grown by the river, which lends itself to the slow healing process that unfolds in calligraphy. Both I and the students I have worked with have used calligraphy to work through very difficult periods of our lives, and I believe some may find this class particularly helpful if they are passing through a challenging time.