Cambridge, MA Schedule Website
Halima grew up on the east coast of the US, born to a family with strong Norwegian roots. This family cultural legacy seeded a respect for socially responsible action and a deep love for art, music, science, and nature.
In 1969, she moved to San Francisco to go to art school, and by grace, soon found herself at a Sufi Dance meeting with Murshid SAM in Marin County, CA. This encounter changed her life - the transmissional spark of that time still illuminates her way. The Dances and Walks, along with their embedded wisdom teachings, have been the foundational practice of her spiritual journey.
After Murshid SAM passed, she moved to the northern California hills. The 1972 Mendocino Sufi camp was held in Philo, at the foot of the mountain where she was living. There, serving tea, she met her beloved friend and future husband, Abraham. After camp, they continued on to Chamonix, France, where Pir Vilayat confirmed Halima’s inner bayat experience with Murshid SAM. Meeting in the light of their spiritual quest has served as a sound foundation for Halima and Abraham’s life together. They have four wonderful grown sons (now happily creating their own lives and families) and have lived in Cambridge, MA. for the last 40 years amid a large and extended community.
Early years in Cambridge saw Halima joining and continuing the Sufi Dance circle that Murshid SAM seeded on his earlier visits to Massachusetts. This same dance circle flourishes on today!
Halima was an original member of the Guru Blanket Band, a musical group that played "Mantric rock and Dervish roll" at many large concerts and festivals. Her continuing love of music and singing has led to her collaboration on musical recordings of Chant, Sufi songs, and Dances of Universal Peace.
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a life long student of healing, applied psychology, and ecology. She is an advocate for children, women, and families and for many years was part of a home-midwifery health team.
Some of her mentors include: Frida Waterhouse - seer and spiritual counselor, godmother to her four children; Karmu- a faith healer whom Murshid SAM referred to as his "Black Christ"; Murshid Hassan – who opened her heart to Zikr practice, and Dr. Salvador Roquet, a Mexican psychiatrist with whom she trained in Psychosynthesis for many years. This training provided opportunity to explore the depths of the human psyche and to work with native shamanic healers in the rural Sierras of Mexico.
She is eternally grateful to all her teachers, to those who so generously serve the living message of Love, Harmony and Beauty, and for the continuous living stream of Baraka flowing through this precious Ruhaniat Inayati lineage. Her living spiritual guide is Murshid Wali Ali Meyer.
Abraham and Halima are graced to be stewards of a beautiful piece of old fertile land, offering retreat and renewal in harmony with the natural world. The garden reseeds itself as flowers drop to ground, squash becomes earth. All lies hidden, needing rest to prepare for new form and growth. This is one of life’s secrets, always pregnant with itself, always in transformation. We are seeds, flowers, and fruits, turning, and returning. This life is so precious. Ya Hayyo! Ya Qayoom!
Together, Halima and Abraham guide SAMA –a Center for Personal Growth, and the Boston area branch of the Sufi Ruhaniat International. www.northeastsufis.org