The Mysterion School Year 4:The Art of Spiritual Practice

A 9-month study of The Art of Spiritual Practice:The Way of the Dervish in Everyday Life with Kabir Helminski.

Beginning Sunday, March 22nd, 2026. Nine live 90 minute sessions held on the third Sunday of each month at 9AM California and 5PM UK time, and 18 discussion sessions led by respected members of the Threshold community. All sessions will be permanently archived.

What we call “the way of the dervish” is a comprehensive life commitment, a vocation that encompasses all other vocations, allowing us to fulfill the purpose of life.

If you have been engaged in the first three years of this process, you have already been introduced to the knowledge supporting Sufi spiritual practice. This year we intend to experience more ways of applying this knowledge. If this will be your first year with us, welcome. Our work does not require specialized knowledge, nor even a background in Sufism. It is based in experience, not beliefs. Our aim is to awaken a capacity to see all of life as spiritual practice, to live in the reality of higher consciousness, with full awareness of divine support and love.

Much of this year’s program will draw on the practical knowledge in our book: In the House of Remembering: The Living Tradition of Sufi Teaching

Spiritual practice within the Threshold Society integrates:
1. Traditional Sufi practices, 2. Contemporary techniques of self-awareness and self-inquiry, and
3. The exploration of the great literature and primary sources of our tradition.

Each year of the Mysterion School has been a process of discovery. The steps toward human maturity are many, and this, as we often have said, is a living tradition. We look forward to seeing how this will unfold, and we trust that, with the companionship of a group of sincere seekers, we will be met by abundant grace.


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The Mysterion School is an opportunity to experience the living tradition of Sufism, to refine our knowledge, and to discover a structure to support our spiritual practice.

  • The Mysterion School is the realization of a longstanding dream to join with spiritual seekers and systematically explore the nature of our souls and the lifelong journey we’re on -- to join the practical with the metaphysical, to train our attention to remember what is truly essential, to awaken the essential self which is spontaneously in communion with the Divine.

  • The path to this Reality is through the discipline of Tassawuf, or Mysticism, defined in our glossary as “a faculty peculiar to the human being, that is neither obvious to the intellect nor to the senses, but depends on the refinement and receptivity of faculties within the supra-conscious mind.”

  • In Year 1 we dived into The Mysterion and discovered a panoramic view of human possibilities. Year 2 with Living Presence took us back to first principles, with a concentrated, crystalline language that reflected the subtleties of the soul’s experience.In Year 3 we explored The Knowing Heart and engaged in a deeper exploration of some of the 99 names of God. Join us for Year 4 in The Art of Spiritual Aspects.

In the House of Remembering

The Living Tradition of Sufi Teaching

Kabir Helminski presents transcriptions of talks and dialogs from within a private circle of spiritual practitioners. This collection explores subjects such as developing intention, will, awareness, awakening our capacities for love, reducing the domination of ego, honoring the masters, saints, and prophets that have gone before. As the saying goes,“The body is fed through the mouth; the soul is feed through the ear.”

Available as paperback and kindle.

See more here.



Selected Themes from The Art of Spiritual Practice

Some of the subjects we are planning to explore include:

The Way of the Dervish in Everyday Life
The Living Tradition of Sufi Teaching
Traditional Sufi practices
Contemporary techniques of self-awareness and self-inquiry
The exploration of the great literature and primary sources of our tradition

Course Summary

  • Video Recordings of Class Sessions

    On demand to watch anytime and anywhere at your convenience..

  • Audio Recordings of Class Sessions

    On demand to listen to anytime and anywhere at your convenience.

  • Chat Forum
    Share progress and reflections with other participants.

Pricing Options

This interactive online course is offered at different pricing levels, please select one that is suitable for you. We also have a small number of scholarships available. To apply please email us at [email protected]

While we use the PayPal platform to take payments, you do not need to have a PayPal account to register for this course. Once you click through to checkout, select the 'Pay with PayPal' button, and you will then be given an option to pay using a credit/debit card instead of using a PayPal account.

The Mysterion School: Knowing Heart Testimonials

  • The sobets from Dede Kabir opened my heart's understanding through a live connection to his expression of the truth. Studying the chapters in preparation for the live sessions deepened my understanding of the concepts and some of the history and culture underpinning the lessons. Hearing the live questions from friends and the impromptu answers from Kabir cast additional light where shadows had remained. And the homework assignments between sessions deepened my own inner work.

  • Sheikh Kabir's teachings and considerations and advice has been a guide for my spiritual work during the last three years. Especially grateful for the recommended practices in between the main meetings and chances to reflect on these things. I am grateful as this all came at such a welcome time of life. The opportunity to share with others seeking to find a similar way has been so helpful. Especially those who have been walking this path for longer and sharing in the small groups. The spirit of trust and openness engendered by the teaching sessions was wonderful. Also grateful for the sharing and hearing different wisdom and insights from Dervishes who led the discussion groups helpful to see. For all of this my heart is grateful.

  • To delve deeper into the book with Kabir and hear others experience with the work. Being a part of community, as there are no Sufi groups near me. This is what I consider my main spiritual community. Please keep the Mysterion School going!

Class & Group Discussion Schedule

The main class is with Kabir Helminski. The group discussion is usually held a week later. 

MAIN CLASS with Kabir GROUP DISCUSSION  GROUP DISCUSSION 
March 22 @ 9am PT / 4pm GMT Mar 29 @ 3am PT / 11am BST Mar 29 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST
April 19 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST Apr 26 @ 3am PT / 11am BST Apr 26 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST
May 17 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST May 24 @ 3am PT / 11am BST May 24 @ 9am PT/ 5pm BST
June 21 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST Jun 28 @ 3am PT / 11am BST Jun 28 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST
July 19th @ 9am PT / 5pm BST Jul 26 @ 3am PT / 11am BST Jul 26 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST
Aug TBC Aug TBC Aug TBC
Sep 20th @ 9am PT / 5pm BST Sep 27 @ 3am PT / 11am BST Sep 27 @ 9am PT / 5pm BST
Oct 25th (4th Sunday) @ 9am PT / 4pm GMT Oct 31st*note Sat @ 4am PT / 11am GMT Oct 31st*note Sat @ 9am PT / 4pm GMT
Nov 15th @ 9am PST / 5pm GMT  Nov 22 @ 3am PST / 11am GMT Nov 22 @ 9am PST / 5pm GMT

 

All times are in Pacific Time

Summer time changes:

Sun 8 Mar - PST to PDT

Sun 29 Mar - GMT to BST

Sun 25 Oct - BST to GMT

Sun 1 Nov - PDT to PST


 


Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

Rumi invites us to the joy of being in relationship with the ultimate Beloved, the Source of our being – a relationship that can be profoundly transformative if we welcome it. In the Islamic world he has been held in the highest esteem not only as a poet but as a saint whose personal example inspired the founding of the Mevlevi Order, and as a mystic whose elaboration of this cosmic sense of Love has had a significant cultural impact. Rumi's influence has been felt by Chaucer, Goethe, and Emerson, to name a few, and via translation he is now one of the most widely read poets in the English language. He lived in the thirteenth century and spent most of his life in Konya, a city in modern-day Turkey. His resting place is visited every year by thousands of people from all around the world, from all backgrounds and traditions.

Kabir Helminski

Kabir is the co-director of The Threshold Society, a non-profit educational foundation rooted within the traditions of Sufism and inspired by the life and work of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. He is an author, a translator of the works of Rumi and others, and a shaikh of the Mevlevi Order which traces back to Rumi. His books on spirituality, Living Presence and The Knowing Heart, have been published in at least twelve languages. His most recent books are In the House of Remembering and The Mysterion. Kabir is especially interested in finding a contemporary, creative approach to Sufism without compromising the authenticity of tradition. He has toured as shaikh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. He speaks widely on Sufism, often in an inter-spiritual context, and teaches globally through retreats and online conferences.

In the House of Remembering Reviews

These illuminating discourses, covering a wealth of themes relating to the inner life, open an accessible and refreshing window to the mature practical spirituality within the living tradition of Sufism. Rooted in the spontaneous guidance and connection of hearts that occurs in the healing and nurturing practice of Sohbet, they carry the direct, immediate and intimate voice of that quality of spoken language that is not distanced by abstraction, encumbered by complexity, or entangled in the knots of the rational mind. This is the work of an authentic teacher who helps us in sincerity and love to reflect deeply on our inner states within the concrete reality of our daily lives and by so doing to come ever closer to our longed-for awareness of Divine Unity.

~Jeremy Henzell-Thomas, essayist and former Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long do I have to complete the course?

    This is a on demand course so you can work at your own pace. You will have unlimited access to the material on this platform.

  • When will the live Zoom calls be held?

    The 90-minute class sessions will be held on the 3rd Sunday of every month (unless otherwise stated) at 9am Pacific Time. Check the class schedule above.

    The 90-minute group discussion sessions will be held at two different times. See the group discussion schedule above.

  • Do I need prior knowledge of Rumi or Sufism to do this course?

    You do not need any particular knowledge to participate in, and benefit from, this course. Just an interest in Rumi and the spiritual path, along with an open heart!

  • Do I need to have a PayPal account to pay for this course?

    No. While we use the PayPal platform to take payments, you do not need to have a PayPal account. Once you click through to checkout, apply coupon codes (if relevant) and select the 'Pay with PayPal' button: you will then be given an option to pay using a credit/debit card instead of using a PayPal account.

    If you do not have access to PayPal in your country, or you cannot see the alternative payment method at the bottom of the PayPal page then please contact us at [email protected] to arrange an alternative payment method.

  • Another question?

    Contact us at [email protected]

The Mysterion School Testimonials

  • I greatly enjoyed and benefitted from Shaikh Kabir's thoughtful presentation of the concepts contained in The Mysterion; his presence and patience during the course sessions; the follow-up emails that provoked more honest inner observation and deepening of practice. The sessions, while quite full of information, never seemed rushed, and I appreciated our teacher's generosity with his time, staying seemingly until the last question or comment was addressed.

  • My gratitude to Kabir Dede and the team. The course has changed, and continues to change, the way I am in the world. Understanding continues to deepen and, I suspect, will continue to do so as long as one gives one's attention to Being and employs the mind as a tool for enquiry. The book contains such wisdom that is revealed as and when one is ready to hear it, as one's inner being continues in the process of transformation and refinement through daily worship and implementation of the principles in one's daily life.

  • What I enjoyed most has been meeting many other Lovers of God from across the world. Sometimes the walk with God is difficult as we clean out all that separates us from fully living in our true Divine Nature. Hearing the difficulties shared by many students helped me to understand some of my own inner processes.