Descending into Light: A Pilgrimage to the Center of the Earth
Meditations Guided by Pir Zia, with Music by Yuz Ata
Sundays, October 11 – November 22, 2026
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET (New York)
A series of seven meditations, explored through narrative, music, and silence, tracing a contemplative descent into the depths of the Earth.
In this series of meditations, instead of ascending through the heavens, we will descend into the depths of the Earth — only to discover that, as the legendary sage Hermes Trismegistus says, “the high is from the low and the low is from the high.” The descent is gradual and cumulative: each week’s meditation carries forward what came before, so that the series as a whole becomes a single sustained movement inward.
Along the way, the Earth Spirit — known to philosophy as the Active Intelligence (al-‘aql al-fa’al) — will reveal to us its nature, nurturance, and future. By the journey’s end, you will have met the Earth as a living intelligence, an angelic being that is intimately and reciprocally linked to our flourishing individually and collectively.
The Inner School of North America and Oceania will host accompanying sessions to help you work with the practices Pir Zia offers along the way. Details to come.
Dates
- Sunday, October 11
- Sunday, October 18
- Sunday, October 25
- Sunday, November 1
- Sunday, November 8
- Sunday, November 15
- Sunday, November 22
Click any date to see the session time where you are. Because the descent builds week by week, you are warmly encouraged to join for the full series.
Details
All sessions are Sundays, 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern Time. In Europe this is generally 8:00 – 9:30 pm CET, and in Oceania sessions fall on Monday mornings — click any date above for exact local times.
Translation will be offered in German, French, and Turkish.
There are three tuition options to meet all needs:
- Supporter: $210 ($30/class). If you’re able to give a little more, this helps sustain the program and the wider work of the Inayatiyya.
- Standard: $140 ($20/class). Our suggested level.
- Limited Income: $70 ($10/class). If the standard level is a stretch.
Scholarships are available — please email astana@inayatiyya.org before registering.
If you miss a session, the recording will be made available a day or two afterward.
For questions about registration and scholarships, please email astana@inayatiyya.org.
Speakers
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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. -
Yuz AtaYuz Ata currently studies Religion at the Honors College at George Mason University and works at the university. He plays traditional Turkic music and is proficient in several instruments, with a focus on the oud and dombra. Some of his recordings can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4g4rpc3nGApnzBo6Aeofig
