Welcome to
In the Footprints of Rumi
Explore principles and practices for turning Rumi's sacred poetry and teachings into portals for spiritual awakening and transformation.
Read and listen to Rumi in such a way
as if his sacred verses were speaking directly to you.
Welcome Beloveds
The courses, presentations, and offerings from In the Footprints of Rumi are tuition-free and donation-based. They are dedicated to providing authentic translations and windows into the heart of Rumi's teachings, including the spiritual and cultural context embedded in his work.
This Podcast (Blisscast) with the Caravan of the Heart has been the most beautiful, heartfelt, sacred, and profound conversation I've ever had. Aim Me and Renee of Troubadours of Divine Bliss allowed me to share my heart through their love, presence, attention, and talents. They managed to evoke topics I had never discussed in an interview. The sense of separation and the concept of "conducting an interview" vanished, making way for a deeply sacred space in which we danced and shared our hearts. I am deeply grateful for their hearts and respectfully bow to them. I pray this conversation will soothe your hearts. Please visit their website and various podcast platforms to learn more about these two amazing beings, their podcasts, and their music.
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Level I: In the Footprints of Rumi
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Level II: Rumi: Found in Translation
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Online Courses
Go to the Courses page
Published articles and poetry on Rumi and of the heart.
Read
Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Balkhī Rumi was a saint and a mystic. He was not a poet in the traditional sense where one sits and composes poetry, and he did not write poetry before meeting Shams of Tabriz - over thirty-seven years of his life.
His poems are considered sacred verses to those on the Path of Love. He uttered these verses spontaneously in ecstasy beyond mind and reason as his students wrote them down.
His two major works of sacred verses include the Masnavi, his magnum opus, also referred to as the Quran in Persian. It is filled with stories covering everything imaginable. His other major work, the love poems, meaning poems that were given birth to through the fire of Love inside him, is the Divān of Shams of Tabriz. The Divān can be understood more as music than poetry. Truth is ultimately beyond speech, and music is beyond speech and reaches higher states. Rumi's sacred verses are like music to one's ears, and there's nothing like them, and they cannot be truly translated without extensive footnotes, contexts, and penetrating attention.
I created the Seasons of Rumi and The Metanoia Moments video series to provide opportunities for non-Persian speaking beings worldwide to hear Rumi's sacred verses in their original. Many are intoxicated by simply allowing the music of his sacred verses to land on their heart.
The Seasons of Rumi is a collection of short videos I create with my iPhone while on my year-round contemplative sauntering in sacred nature. I recite one of Rumi's original poems in its original Persian language, followed by an English translation.
May they nourish your hearts!
Seasons of Rumi
The Metanoia Moments is a collection of even shorter videos intended to act as a visual meditation to help us pause and return to the heart's breath—returning toward the inner world as we ride the wave of the breath at the threshold between the seen and the unseen worlds.
May they nourish your hearts!
The Metanoia Moments
Rumi - Hush!
Rumi - The Journey Home
Rumi - Know Your Worth
Through Instagram, I create artworks that showcase the original poetry of Rumi with my English translations and photography. What is important is that all of the videos and artwork I make have the source of the poetry used. This way, seekers and scholars can benefit more from Rumi.
Interviews & Presentations
Michelle Mott
What wonderful gifts Pouria's teachings and this class are. I have long been a fan of Rumi's work but now I have a deeper understanding and a far greater appreciation for his divine verse. I so appreciate the heartfelt work that goes into Pouria's teachings - he truly loves and lives this work. The verse (shared in both English and Farsi), songs, and meditations are all woven beautifully together to create an extraordinary experience. Thank you, Pouria!
Chris Janeczko
From the first moment on I knew I was in the company of a great teacher. This class was like going to church but in the very best way. For days after each class, I would walk around in a state of total peace. Pouria's gift is to be able to turn a poem, or writing, into something that pertains to our world today.
Fred LaMotte
The power of Pouria's teaching comes from this: it is not 'his' teaching. He is a radiant emptiness, like the hollow in the reed flute, that lets the ancient wisdom of the first Sufi's, of Rumi, and of the Christian mystics who were also part of that 11th Century community, play through him like a healing breath. His discourse is a melody, but the one who plays the flute is Rumi. Pouria impeccably translates Rumi's poetry from the original Persian, then unfolds the subtle depths of the Master's words in practical terms for the contemporary seeker. With unmatched media skills he supplements this wisdom with music, calligraphy, and video imagery, that is a feast for your heart. If you have a chance to explore Rumi with him, or need a humble spiritual guide, don't hesitate to pass through the generous open door of Pouria!
Eric Cooley
It is such a rare and wonderful gift to meet a true teacher. Rumi came into my life many years ago now and I have been turning to his poetry and teachings for illumination and encouragement ever since. What Pouria has done with this course is create an immersive experience in the teachings of Rumi. Imagine living in Rumi's poems and being met by a master teacher who can deepen your understanding of the mystery and symbolism at work, that is what this course is and I am so grateful for the experience....
Mirabai Starr
What an incredible opportunity, to be guided into the mystical heart of the luminous Rumi by a native Farsi speaker and a true exemplar of the love Rumi sings about in his ecstatic poetry and brilliant prose. Pouria carries the direct transmission of his master and shares it with extraordinary insight, humility, and sweetness. I highly recommend this course, either in person or online.
