A weekend of dhikr, silence, conversation, and companionship.
Roots of Remembrance
Berkshire, Massachusetts
September 18-20
Hello, friend.
However you found your way here, it's an honor to meet you.
I'm putting together what I guess you could call a retreat, although that word doesn't quite capture what I have in mind. A small group of us will spend a weekend together practicing Dhikr, the Sufi practice of remembrance. We'll share meals, drink tea, make music, sit in silence, and leave enough room for the moment itself to shape the weekend.
My hope is that there is just enough structure to hold us, but not so much that we can't surprise ourselves.
If that sounds like something your heart has been looking for, I'd love for you to keep reading.
About the Practice
The word dhikr means remembrance. Within the Sufi tradition, dhikr is the practice of remembering God, truth, or presence, and it takes many forms. It can live in the repetition of sacred phrases, the rise and fall of breath, the rhythm of a drum, movement, silence, or simply becoming awake to what is.
At Roots of Remembrance, we will explore several of these traditional forms together. But the intention isn't for everyone to reach the exact same state or have the same experience.
Rather, we are creating a container where you can encounter remembrance in your own way, supported by the practices, the landscape, and the people around you.
Because sometimes remembrance arrives through the discipline of the practice. And sometimes it meets us when we least expect it.
Dhikr points to a beautiful shift: moving from trying to remember, to letting yourself be carried by remembrance. You don’t need to force a profound experience or hold perfect focus. The practice simply creates a container where you can lay down the effort of striving, rest in the moment, and allow yourself to be met exactly as you are.
This is the heart of what we’re stepping into. Dhikr isn’t something we manufacture through effort, it's a doorway into a living presence. We gather for this weekend not to perform or achieve, but to create the space where remembrance becomes as natural and unforced as breathing.
Our Time Together
We will gather at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, Massachusetts, surrounded by the quiet woods and rolling hills of the Berkshires.
Over the weekend, we will move gently between periods of guided practice and spaciousness, allowing the rhythm of the land and the group to shape our experience.
Our mornings will open with breath, silence, and gentle focus. During the day, we'll spend time outdoors in the woods, share nourishing meals, and leave generous windows for conversation, rest, and solitude.
As evening falls, there will be room for music, drumming, storytelling, and fire. The schedule exists to give us a hold, not to fill every minute. The most meaningful parts of a gathering are often the moments no one could have planned.
"Listen to the whispers of the moment, and act accordingly."
What to Expect
Guided Circle Practice
Two and a half days of practice held through breath, chant, drum, and silence.
Spacious Rhythms
Mornings and evenings shaped by rhythm and remembrance, with generous space left unscheduled on purpose.
An Intimate Circle
A small gathering of fifteen, held without hierarchy, where you're met as you are rather than asked to perform.
Nourishment Around the Table
Meals prepared by Chef Saira, whose cooking is rooted in the traditions, stories, and flavors of South Asian cuisine. Throughout the weekend, food becomes another way of gathering, nourishing, and sharing in community.
Space for Muhasaba
Quiet reflection to help what surfaces during practice actually integrate rather than pass through unnoticed.
A Living Experience
Come away with a felt experience of remembrance you can return to, not just an idea of one.
I've found that Dhikr doesn't ask us to become someone else before we begin. It simply asks us to bring our real, honest, unedited selves into the practice, because that is the only version of us the practice can actually meet.
Meet Your Facilitator
A little about the person holding the circle
My name is Osama, and I am a seeker on the Sufi Path.
I co-founded Bab Al Ilm, a community devoted to exploring spirituality and deepening self-awareness through various traditions, with my own focus rooted in the Sufi Path. Over the years, this work has taken many forms: gatherings around books and ideas, conversations about love and the human condition, practices of self-observation, and ceremonies centered around music, movement, and remembrance.
What connects them all is a desire to create spaces where something real can happen between people. Through teaching, conversation, music, and the practices of the Sufi tradition, I have become increasingly interested in a simple question: what happens when we become present enough to actually see ourselves?
Logistics
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Price per person:
Includes the full retreat experience, all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday brunch, tea and snacks throughout the weekend, and access to the grounds and shared spaces at the Mountain House within Race Brook Lodge.
Admission + Accommodation starts at $397
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Roots of Remembrance will take place at Race Brook Lodge in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
Surrounded by forests, trails, and mountain views, the land itself invites a slower pace and a deeper listening.
There will be space for conversation, silence, wandering, and returning to the circle.
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Food is part of how we gather, and throughout the weekend, our meals will be lovingly prepared by Chef Saira, a chef whose cooking is deeply rooted in the traditions, stories, and flavors of South Asian cuisine.
Saira's approach to food is personal. Her cooking is a way of nourishing community, sharing culture, and bringing people together around the table. For Roots of Remembrance, she will be preparing a series of South Asian inspired vegetarian meals, made with care and meant to be shared.
The weekend includes Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast and lunch, Saturday dinner, and Sunday brunch, along with tea and light refreshments throughout.
Dietary restrictions will be accommodated whenever possible. Please let us know about any dietary needs when you register.
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Collective Dhikr will weave through the weekend, alongside guided meditation and contemplative practice. We will move between music, rhythm, and spontaneous remembrance, and spend time exploring different forms of Dhikr in a way that feels alive and accessible. There will also be space for reflection and conversation in circle, as well as quieter moments for rest, walking, journaling, and silence. The Ninety-Nine Names will be offered as a personal practice, and we will share meals and tea together throughout the retreat.
Enough structure to hold us, and enough spaciousness to surprise us.
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Friday
3:00–6:00 PM · Arrival & Settling In
7:00 PM · Welcome Dinner
8:30 PM · Opening CircleSaturday
Morning Practice · Nature & Walking Practice · Shared Meals · Open Space & Jam Session · Evening Dhikr · Fire CircleSunday
Morning Practice · Brunch · Closing Circle
3:00 PM · Farewell Tea & DeparturePlease plan to arrive between 3:00 and 6:00 PM on Friday. The retreat concludes at 3:00 PM on Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Roots of Remembrance is open to people from all religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds, including those who do not identify with a particular tradition. While the retreat is rooted in the Sufi Path and includes practices of dhikr and remembrance, you do not need to identify as Sufi or Muslim, or have any prior experience with these practices, to participate.
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Yes. We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and spiritual or religious backgrounds. We are committed to creating a space where people can participate without having to hide or minimize important parts of who they are.
You do not need to agree with everyone in the room to belong in the room. We ask that everyone who joins us extend the same dignity, care, and respect to others that they would hope to receive themselves.
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Absolutely. Many people may be arriving without knowing anyone else, and coming alone can be a beautiful way to enter the experience. The weekend is designed to create natural opportunities to meet people through shared meals, practices, music, and time together, without forcing connection or requiring you to be socially "on" all weekend.
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No. There is no experience or knowledge you need to have before arriving. The practices will be introduced and guided, and you will always have the freedom to participate at your own pace.
You do not need to know the words, understand everything, or have a particular spiritual practice of your own. Curiosity is enough.
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No. We encourage you to engage with the weekend, but you will not be pressured to participate in every practice or activity. There will be space throughout the retreat to rest, spend time alone, take a walk, or simply be quiet.
We want participation to come from a genuine willingness to be there, rather than a sense of obligation.
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Roots of Remembrance is rooted in the Sufi Path and the practice of remembrance of God. We will engage directly with spiritual practices, including dhikr, while also making space for people to encounter the experience in their own way.
There is no expectation that you adopt a particular belief system or arrive at a particular conclusion. The retreat is an invitation into practice, presence, and exploration.
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Yes. You will need to arrange and pay for your Lodge accommodation directly with Race Brook Lodge. Please let us know during registration if you plan to stay there.
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After completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation with the details you need for the retreat. You will also receive an invitation to join the Roots of Remembrance WhatsApp group, where participants can connect before the weekend and coordinate transportation.
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The retreat takes place across the Mountain House and its surrounding grounds. The Mountain House is a three-level home with stairs between floors, and there are steps leading to the main entrance. The area immediately surrounding the house includes gravel paths and surfaces.
Some of the retreat activities will take place outdoors, including walking practices through the property. The terrain around the grounds and the path to the waterfall include grass and uneven ground, and may require walking on natural surfaces.
The Mountain House also includes a loft sleeping area that is accessed by ladder. There is one shared bedroom located on the main floor.
The retreat will include a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, with opportunities to rest and participate at your own pace. You are always welcome to step out of an activity, take a break, or spend time resting as needed.
If you have specific accessibility needs or questions about whether the setting will work for you, please reach out before registering. We are happy to talk through the details with you.
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You are not only welcome here, you are genuinely wanted here. Roots of Remembrance is intentionally a space where LGBTQ+ people, people of color, people from different cultural and religious backgrounds, and people with different identities and life experiences are encouraged to bring their whole selves into the room.
We believe our differences are part of what makes a gathering like this meaningful. You should not have to hide, minimize, or leave an important part of yourself at the door. We want you to feel that who you are is something to be honored, valued, and celebrated as part of the community we create together.