A Weekend with Pir Zia
Gathering in Community at the Astana
Saturday, December 12 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
In person at the Astana, Richmond, Virginia,
and online via Zoom
Overview
As the year turns toward its close, you are warmly invited to spend a weekend with Pir Zia at the Astana.
This is a chance to gather in person — to sit together in practice, share meals, and be in one another’s company — before Pir Zia travels to India for the Centennial Urs of Hazrat Inayat Khan in January.
For those who can’t make the journey to Richmond, the weekend will also be offered online, so that our wider community can take part from wherever they are.
Over two days of teaching, meditation, and practice, we’ll close the year together in the presence of the teachings that hold us. On Saturday evening, those gathered at the Astana will come together again for an evening of practice.
Details of the program will be shared soon. Registration is open now so that those traveling can plan ahead.
Details
The retreat runs across two days: a full day on Saturday, December 12, and a morning on Sunday, December 13, in five sessions with breaks between.
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:45 pm EST (New York) / 4:00 – 9:45 pm CET (Paris), with an in-person evening gathering at 7:15 pm EST — check your local time
- Sunday: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST (New York) / 4:00 – 7:00 pm CET (Paris) — check your local time
Joining in Person
The Astana, 112 E. Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219
- Supporter: $200
- Standard: $150
- Limited Income: $100
A light catered lunch will be provided on Saturday, so we can share the midday break together. Please let us know of any dietary needs when you register.
Joining online
- Supporter: $120
- Standard: $90
- Limited Income: $60
Scholarships are available for both — please email astana@inayatiyya.org before registering.
With advance registration, video and audio recordings will be made available afterward, so you can return to the retreat at any time.
Please contact astana@inayatiyya.org with any questions, and make sure to plan for travel and accommodations as soon as possible if you hope to attend. Details about travel, parking, accommodations, and local restaurants may be found at astanarva.org.
Schedule
Saturday, December 12
| Eastern Time (New York) | Central Europe |
| 10:00 am — Session One | 4:00 pm — Session One |
| 11:15 am — Break | 5:15 pm — Break |
| 11:45 am — Session Two | 5:45 pm — Session Two |
| 1:00 pm — Lunch (provided in person) | 7:00 pm — Break |
| 2:30 pm — Session Three | 8:30 pm — Session Three |
| 3:45 pm — Break for dinner | 9:45 pm — Close of day |
| 7:15 pm — Evening Gathering (in person) |
Sunday, December 13
| Eastern Time (New York) | Central Europe |
| 10:00 am — Session Four | 4:00 pm — Session Four |
| 11:15 am — Break | 5:15 pm — Break |
| 11:45 am — Session Five | 5:45 pm — Session Five |
| 1:00 pm — Closing | 7:00 pm — Closing |
Speaker
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Pir Zia Inayat KhanPir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice.
He is author of Tears from the Mother of the Sun with visual artist Amruta Patil, Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.