“A call rises from the deepest layers of the body: the whirling begins. As we turn outwardly, we draw closer to our inner centre.”
Years Later, Back in the Same Circle
Dervish in Progress (DIP) grew from more than 25 years of artistic and philosophical inquiry. Its practice of whirling has touched tens of thousands of people in over 50 countries. Now, years later, we return to the stillness of Kayaköy, Fethiye, with the joy of meeting in the same circle again.
This four-day retreat brings the DIP community and the world of yoga into one welcoming circle. Hosted by wellbeing specialist, yoga and breath teacher Elif İmrahor, it weaves DIP, breath awareness and Yin Yoga into one living experience of movement and stillness, whirling and centring, body and breath.
The Heart of the Retreat: Learning to Whirl
At the heart of this retreat is a simple intention: everyone learns to whirl in a kind, attentive relationship with their own body. No experience in whirling, dance, yoga or meditation is needed. Together, we explore centre, axis, balance, direction, breath, gaze and weight transfer, step by step.
Core DIP principles are shared through clear guidance and direct practice. As you begin to sense your own pace, limits and direction, physical, emotional and mental responses become more visible. This is the liberating responsibility of becoming your own driver.
The Body’s Deeper Layers: Breath and Fascia
As we whirl, we listen to the spine’s axis, the centre of gravity, the feet’s steady contact with the ground and the body’s response to gravity. The subtle relationship between the vestibular system, proprioception, visual focus and coordination becomes a lived experience.
In Yin Yoga, we stay in long, quiet postures without forcing the body; every level is welcome. Time slows, making room for patience, rest and surrender. Awareness deepens through fascia, the living connective tissue that surrounds and links muscles and organs. The aim is not simply to stretch, but to soften effort, hear the breath and meet the body more closely.
What We Will Explore Together
DIPasana - Silent Morning Walks
Each morning, we step together into the quiet of nature. Pace, breath, surrounding sounds and the body’s smallest signals become clearer. Every step brings us closer to the world outside and to what is moving within.
DIP UP - Preparing the Body to Whirl
DIP UP prepares the body to whirl through three connected fields: Awareness Exercises awaken bodily, spatial, emotional and mental awareness; Stretching Exercises create space through the myofascial chains and joints; Take Off Exercises support balance, coordination, weight transfer and a responsive relationship with gravity.
Foundations of Whirling
Rather than copying a form, you discover how whirling arises through your own anatomy and rhythm. As the body turns, it seeks its centre; as it senses its axis, it settles into balance with greater trust.
Between Movement and Stillness
In the slowness of Yin, we soften the mind’s hard edges; in the rhythm of whirling, we move toward surrender. We listen for silence within the flow and notice how body, emotion and thought tell one story together.
Tennure, Dervish Tango and Flock in Space
With the tennure—the traditional Sufi whirling skirt—we feel how the circle of fabric connects the body’s axis to the surrounding space. In Dervish Tango, two people whirl together in silence, meeting intimacy, trust, boundaries and the impulses to lead or follow. This quiet encounter can reveal how we move in relationships and open a singular, mystical sense of closeness. In Flock in Space, individual axes join a shared current, revealing the expansion, belonging and power of a group moving as one body.
Extended DIP Whirling Sessions
In extended DIP sessions, everything we have learned comes together in the body. Repetition opens into attention, movement into silence and continuous flow into meditative awareness. Each participant travels toward the centre in their own rhythm.
Evening Circle and Yin Yoga
After dinner, we gather in a circle and share the traces the day has left in body and emotion. Elif İmrahor then guides Yin Yoga, breath and relaxation practices to balance muscle tone, settle the nervous system and prepare the body for a peaceful night.
Accommodation Options & Fees
All occupancy options include accommodation, the retreat fee, and 3 meals a day. International participants can book directly via PayPal or Bank. Please choose the occupancy option that suits you:
- Single-occupancy bungalow: €600
- Two-person bungalow: €550
- Three-person bungalow: €500
- Four-person bungalow: €450
Event Details
Date: 29 October–1 November 2026
(starts on 29th Oct at 4 pm, and ends on 1 Nov at 2 pm)
Venue: Fethiye Yel Değirmenleri Ahşap Evleri - Yeldeğirmeni Bungalow Hotel
Address: Kayaköy, Gemiler Caddesi No: 44, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla, Türkiye
Full schedule: Shared with everyone in a WhatsApp group created shortly before the retreat.
Facilitators
Elif İmrahor | Wellbeing Specialist, Yoga and Breath Teacher
Founder of Yoganda, Elif İmrahor works across yoga, breath and holistic wellbeing. Her training includes Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda, 500 RYT and HİS yoga coaching, with a special focus on Yin Yoga and traditional breathwork. A graduate of the Wellbeing Specialist program delivered by Istanbul Gedik University and Yükselen Çağ Wellbeing Academy, she invites people to listen to the body without force, awaken awareness through the fascial network and calm the nervous system through breath.
Ziya Azazi | Founder of Dervish in Progress, Dancer and Choreographer
Ziya Azazi is a dancer, choreographer and teacher with more than 35 years in the performing arts and over 25 years devoted to whirling. He has performed in more than 50 countries and taught in over 35. As the founder of Dervish in Progress, he shares whirling not simply as performance but as a living field of physical, emotional and mental inquiry—one that brings people back to their own axis. Whirling is his world, and carrying it across cultures remains both an artistic calling and a human responsibility.
Toward Your Centre
At this retreat, whirling is more than outward movement; it is a living journey toward the centre within. We invite you to Fethiye to trust the body’s intelligence, deepen through breath and hear the silence inside motion. You do not need experience—only curiosity, willingness and a first step.
“As we whirl outwardly, we centre within. When we hear our own axis, we find the courage to choose anew the direction of body, emotion and thought.”