Haiku, Maui, Hawaii
Leilah was born in Southern California in December of 1950. As a child, she preferred to spend time a fair amount of time alone, especially time in nature. At 19 she made some changes in her life, becoming a vegetarian, beginning a yoga practice. She began exploring sacred teachings and spiritual teachers with inclusive religious perspectives. These were highlighted by Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Satchitananda.
In 1975, she was introduced, through the book entitled, Toward the One, to the teachings of Pir O Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, whose message contained the Unity of Religious Ideals, and was an inclusive path of the heart. In the same book, she saw a photograph of Inayat Khan and had a strong experience of Darshan.
Three years later, she met Sufi Sheikh Yakzan Valdez, an initiate of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan. She was deeply inspired by Yakzan’s living example of grace, kindness and majesty. At this point, she felt her path and purpose being revealed. Then in 1985, a very strong vision of and inner direction from Murshid Samuel Lewis guided her to receive Bayat with one of his direct disciples, Pir Moineddin Jablonski. She then experienced the blessing stream of the lineage more fully opening to her.
Leilah began leading the Dances of Universal Peace and the practice of Zikr (Remembrance of God) in the early 80’s. She has composed many beautiful circle dances and Zikrs, danced the world over, and is appreciated for her depth of devotion. She lives on the Island of Maui with her husband, Bodhi. They are the parents of five grown children and one grandchild. Leilah and Bodhi live a rural home life with gardens and an orchard and serve the local community as counselors, cherags/ministers, and also help educate and serve in the field of death and dying. They also travel widely, sharing the fruits of their practice in retreats worldwide.