There’s something captivating about the vast desert plains, stretching far beyond what the eye can see, bathed in amber and sienna under the shifting sun. It’s a landscape that invites you to step away from the known, to leave behind the familiar, and enter a realm where life seems sparse, but every whisper of wind,…
Imagine a place where every detail—from the walls to the whispers of the wind—is designed to help you breathe a little deeper, rest a little more fully, and reconnect with who you are at your core. Mwasi Healing and Restoration Center isn’t just a retreat; it’s a sanctuary for those of us who carry the…
What if life was like bread—simple yet deeply nourishing, with every bite offering a taste of the stars and the heavens? In Morocco, bread is more than just food; it’s an experience, a reflection of culture, and a way to connect with life’s most meaningful moments. From the warm, flaky msemen to the spongy baghrir,…
Imagine walking into a sun-drenched courtyard, where the walls and floors sparkle with intricate, geometric patterns. Every step you take seems to awaken a new shape, a new color—a dynamic mosaic that dances before your eyes. This is the timeless art of Zellij, Morocco’s renowned tilework, where mathematics meets beauty in a mesmerizing fusion. In…
Have you ever tasted paradise? Perhaps it’s hidden within the warm, golden crust of freshly baked bread, or the simple sweetness of mint tea sipped under the shade of a tree in Morocco. As we explore the soulful streets of Marrakech on The Inner Road retreat, we’ll find that bread is much more than just…
If roti has a North African cousin, it must be msemen, one of the many breads of Morocco. Another is kobsz, a classic Moroccan flatbread. Or try a meloui, a pancake that pairs nicely with butter, honey and fruit. Then there’s baghrir, reminiscent of a spongy crepe. From the city to the countryside to the…
Wild, uninhabited, desolate, forbidden. Though the desert may appear devoid of life, it is anything but! It is arid land, yet it teems with life. Driving a jeep in the peaks and valleys of the desert is like being on a roller coaster, or an ocean-skimming speed boat. It takes experience and skill to know…
It’s called Zellij, the striking patterns painted or carved on plaster or wood known the world over as Moorish tile art. Endless combinations of squares, triangles, stars, diamonds, polygons and crosses, fit together in precise mosaics on walls, ceilings and floors in buildings and gardens all over Morocco. Math marries artistic expression. Enhancing these mosaic patterns are…
Among the things that are essential to living, the writing and reading of words stems from the mists of the past and reaches into the equally nebulous future. Books serve as markers along the path of evolving civilization. “Read!” That was the word revealed by an angel to the Prophet Muhammad as he was meditating in…
L to r: Vergie Hamer, Robin Hamilton, Rev. Ed King, Dorie Ladner, Dr. Leslie McLemore. Photo courtesy of Robin Hamilton The first time I met Dorie Ladner was at the March on Washington Film Festival in 2017 in the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. She was part of a panel of movement stalwarts I’d…