I’m touched to draw from my ancestral roots to share an integrated approach to the Sacred Feminine Arts in my format ‘Essence of the Feminine’ with Bali Spirit Festival. My sacred feminine offerings converge where two rivers flow together. I am an artist and a woman of two cultures. I feel like a bridge between worlds. I was raised at the crossroad between traditional Persian culture yet in Germany. My bicultural upbringing is my gift to embody and share with the world. My family's home was infused by the scents of saffron and rosewater, the intricacy of miniature art in paintings, objects, and carpets. Moments filled with messages from the Beloved were expressed in the wisdom of mystical poetry and music. I learned through osmosis. My parents left their home and families so that my brother and I would experience a peaceful upbringing with opportunities. I dedicated myself to making the most of this gift. My practice weaves together these threads on my journey to reclaim my femininity. I dance where the east and west meet. My expression carries an integrated message of both sovereignty and sensuality united together in the arms of the Beloved. I’m a global nomad, artist and teacher. I’m a pilgrim traversing the sacred, diverse world. I’ve experienced many places around-the-world. I keep encountering the same confusion about femininity, just in different ways: oppressive restrictions condition our feminine expression like in Iran. The concept of what is “taboo” for the feminine causes fragmentation and pain. In Germany, we celebrate rationality, intellectualism and the thinking mind. I personally experienced German culture as very masculine in my own experience. I felt the linear and rational bedrock of German culture neglected my deep, intuitive knowing as a woman. My personal journey of transformation allows me to hold space for the deep mysteries of the east, and the powerful freedoms of the west. Growing up in Germany gave me a sense of freedom, while my life’s blood instilled a deep love of spiritual beauty. I now offer healing in from this space of integrated freedom and sensuality. I felt confusion during my intercultural upbringing as a woman between worlds.
An inquiry was sparked in my spirit when I observed the masculinization and rationality of women in Germany. The left brain, rational focus in German culture contrasted starkly with the mystical Persian poetry that rang through my childhood. Yet, my experience of freedom in the west illuminated the oppression of female sensuality in the east. I’m not saying western women are not sensual, but rather that women’s sensual expression is almost universally shamed. Societal norms always find fault and fragment feminine sexual expression in one way or another. To restore women’s sexual energy to a status of the greater creation cycle is key to harmonize the gender rift. I’ve resolved these layers of complexity by taking the middle path. I have married east and west, feminine and masculine within myself first. As I grow, so does my understanding of the dance between these forces. Over time, I’ve harmonized the perceived differences within myself between east and west. I eventually realized the gift of both cultures, and the freedom my position between worlds gave me. I unite what works best from both cultures in my offerings. I integrate the sovereignty of the west with the sacred sensuality of the east to create space for all forms of divine expression. My life was naturally infused with Persian mysticism since birth. Whispers of Rumi and Hafiz whirled through my childhood. Rumi’s beloved teacher was Shams of Tabriz. My family name is Chams and my parents are Tabrizi. The tapestry of my ancestral line is woven together with the richness of eastern spirituality, yet embedded in the global community. It’s a blessing to walk this path fortified by my mother and father. I share the beauty of eastern mysticism with the hand of experience in my offerings. In Persian mysticism, the state of longing plays a significant role. We’re all in a state of longing for union, to move from separation into wholeness. We yearn to become one with the Beloved again. For women, union and empowerment can happen when the heart and womb are finally connected. The union of feminine and masculine, matter and spirit, mundane and divine is found in the heart. My work is about the heart. It’s about the Beloved. It is about love. I hold circles just for women in order to create a safe space. We welcome men as well in our circle at the right moment in time. It is a comfortable space where everyone can relate. In all mystical traditions, our human body has the power to channel the forces of the feminine and masculine, the earth and the sky. We bring these two polarities together in the heart. I bring women and men together in the heart space between dualities. Persian mysticism conveys that our longing is universal. We realize that the Beloved is in everyone. When we meet ourselves in the face of another then transformation and healing is possible. Mine is a richly embodied offering. Immersing ourselves in these traditions from the root and the origin creates depth. My prayer is for you to receive a direct experience of the beloved in my performances and teachings. We can have instantaneous healing and transformation when we drop into a safe space with the right guidance, and our inner power sources turned on. These moments can have a long-lasting effect. I’m holding a space for you to redefine your womanhood in community. We’re bringing back the healthy feminine aspect that transcends all barriers. We’re retelling the story in a celebratory and healing way. If you are longing to unite with the Beloved then please join me at the Bali Spirit Festival for my Essence of the Feminine offerings.