You 101: Getting to the Heart of Your Matter is a deeply therapeutic and transformative retreat-style program designed to support a process of spiritual awakening and integration. Participants will have the opportunity to experience profound health and well-being and thus realize their true potential through an experiential training that supports the integration of the physical and spiritual dimensions of their lives.
The program is set around practices that gradually dissolve and release accumulated physical, mental, and emotional stresses — creating a space for insight and breakthroughs on longstanding challenges, and ultimately leading to conscious awareness of one’s essential nature and life purpose. The progression of meetings is a journey from the gross physical concerns of life to the subtle realities of heart, soul, and Spirit — and all to a level of detail that empowers participants to address the practical realities of life in the world.
This year-long program consists of a total of four meetings held every 3 months. Follow-up between sessions is via a group listserv and webinars. Our sessions are held in tranquil, beautiful retreat centers away from the cities. For a preview of some of our destinations, see our Facebook albums.
If you would like more details, please contact us.
Testimonials
Ilyas is a wonderful guide and teacher. If one wants to truly be in alignment with Allah and the universe, this program is indispensable. -Pipi
…a transformative experience… complete program of healing… strengthened my body and calmed my mind… with a long term impact. –Nafisa D.
When I began the program, I was in a difficult life-space and at my wits’ end. However, by the time I finished the program, my life had changed for the better. I was more centered— and all of the physical, emotional, and spiritual discomforts and complaints I came into the program with were significantly reduced or resolved. That shift helped me to begin to listen more deeply and repair various relationships (most poignantly, with myself), so that I would be able to discern my purpose and understand the reason why I resonated with the program. The curriculum gave me an opportunity to heal myself and as a result, I believe the program contains, for anyone who is sincere, the heart of what it means to be a healer—yesterday, today, and tomorrow. –SC
The program has changed my life. Every retreat was deeply restorative and profoundly opening as we directly engaged with the art of healing and spiritual inquiry. This has been one of the most valuable aspects of my education as a health care provider—the guided self-reflective experience not provided in mainstream education. Not only have I discovered my own sources of dis-ease, but I know what the process of healing feels and looks like, while holding a compassionate space for this discovery. I have learned from Hakim Ilyas’ example how to be an effective practitioner rooted in spirit, love, and relevance. –Aisha N.
Frequently Asked Questions
This program is suited for all levels of knowledge – laypersons, students and professionals. Although You 101 is a prerequisite for Awaken the Healer Within — the Traditional Islamic Healing & Medicine (TIHM) training program — it is a standalone program that lays the foundation for living a conscious, skillful life in contentment and gratitude.
A typical day begins @7 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m., including the salat (five daily prayers), murāqaba (meditation) sessions, BodyMind exercise sessions, lectures to present and explore specific spiritual themes, shared meals, time in nature, personal time, and an inspirational evening program. The training is primarily experiential. The skills presented are first demonstrated, then performed together, and finally followed by group and individual feedback, as needed.
Assignments will be given for completion between sessions, primarily in the form of practices (at least 5 hrs/wk), including some reflection and writing. The knowledge and skills presented in a given session will build upon prior material, guiding the student through levels of refinement and deepening. For those with a daily spiritual practice, the material presented will naturally build upon them. The objective is to integrate the skills into your daily lives to establish a momentum of sustainable growth.
This training is designed to support you in: developing acute awareness of your BodyMindSoul; releasing negative emotions and attitudes; and cultivating virtue. Through a comprehensive process of observation, ownership, realization, healing and self-knowledge, you can significantly deepen and sweeten your relationship with God, the Sublime and Exalted.
No. This program is open to Muslims and non-Muslims, but is nonetheless based in the Islamic tradition. Non-Muslims are welcome and can realize as much healing, self-knowledge and growth as Muslim students. However, those who are not open to God or religion are not qualified to undergo this training. Those who are sincerely standing in the question, however, might have a breakthrough.
It is actually better to arrive with a clean slate (a decided mind can be a significant obstacle). The real education is through direct experience, and no amount of reading will convey this. Reading after doing the practices, however, is an entirely different experience that can support learning.
