What do power dynamics have to do with life in a spiritual community?
Have you ever been in the role of a healer, teacher or mentor in our community and wondered how to bring your gifts to help a student or healing client without disempowering them?
Have you ever been in the role of student or healing client and not known how to stand in your own power to give feedback in a clear way to a teacher, healer or leader?
In this class we will be examining the many roles that we play in our community and throughout our lives. We will look mainly at four different areas of power outlined by the Right Use of Power Institute:
- Personal Power: Something we all have in any situation or relationship
- Role Power: Power that comes when we step into a role of responsibility, such as teacher, healer, parent or community leader.
- Status Power: Power that can come from socially created values in a culture
- Universal Power: Power that comes from Allah and is accessible to everyone when in alignment with Allah
When power imbalances are unexamined, how we play them out can be hurtful. But it doesn’t have to be this way! When we heal our relationships to each of the 4 types of power, we can use our power wisely wherever we find ourselves, and empower others to do the same.
This series will present practical, somatic and spiritual skills and awarenesses for understanding, healing and transforming our relationship with power in our community.
You might be worried that this class is going to be heavy. We will for sure be working with some deep topics and making space for all kinds of feelings and experiences. And, throughout the class we expect to have a really good time! We’ll be speaking what has been on our minds, laughing and healing together, and learning to use our power in service for ourselves and our community.
Maryam Thea Elijah describes the series
➤ Watch additional videos about the series
Class Schedule
Each class will be repeated twice, once on Thursday morning with Maryam Thea Elijah and then again 2 weeks later on a Tuesday evening with Mahabbah Maryam Young.
Our intention is to offer more opportunities to join in person and to engage with the material. Beloveds are welcome to attend one or both classes on the same topic. Beloveds are also encouraged to keep their cameras on for the classes as much as possible so we can engage the material and build community together.
- Introduction to Power Dynamics in Community Life
Class 1: Thursday, April 24, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - Cultivating Healthy and Holy Personal Power
Class 1: Thursday, May 22, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - Let’s Talk about Role Power
Class 1: Thursday, June 26, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, July 8, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - Navigating your Role Power Differentials with Clarity and Efficacy
Class 1: Thursday, July 24, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - Real Life Examples of Role Power Dynamics
Class 1: Thursday, August 21, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - The Benefits and Risks of Status Power
Class 1: Thursday, September 25, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, October 7, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - The Rise and Fall of Status Power
Class 1: Thursday, October 23 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young - Giving and Receiving Feedback
Class 1: Thursday, November 20, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET with Maryam Thea Elijah
Class 2: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET with Mahabbah Young
Class Descriptions
1. Introduction to Power Dynamics in Community Life
In this class we begin our journey of learning about power and power dynamics in community life. We will cover the different types of power, including personal power, role power, status power, and universal power. Then we will explore different aspects of personal power, including what is healthy and holy personal power. We will also discuss what a power dynamic is and begin to unpack our experiences with both healthy and unhealthy power dynamics.
Class 1
Thursday, April 24, 2025
11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
with Maryam Thea Elijah
AND
Class 2
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET
with Mahabbah Young
2. Cultivating Healthy and Holy Personal Power
In this class we will dive more deeply into the difference between personal power born of the commanding nafs vs personal power which originates in a connection with Universal Power. Using several different Divine Names, we hope to find the places where we are more “down capacity,” and in receiving the light of the Qualities, experience a shift to feeling more “up capacity,” in sha’ Allah. We will work with Al-‘Aziz, as-Sabur, al-Hayy, and al-Mu’izz among others. When we are more firmly rooted in our personal power, we can navigate power differentials with more awareness, strength, presence, and clarity.
3. Let’s Talk about Role Power
We will learn about role power, which is distinct from personal power. Role power is the power that comes along with our role when we step into positions of authority and responsibility, such as teacher, healer or community leader. We will examine our experiences in both up power and down power roles, and begin to identify what makes these roles healthy and effective. (HINT: It has a lot to do with not losing touch with your healthy personal power!)
4. Navigating our Role Power Differentials with Clarity and Efficacy
In our up-power-roles, we have both authority and responsibilities that directly affect another person (down power). Perhaps surprisingly, the person in the down-power role also has responsibilities that contribute to the effectiveness and success of the relationship. The power differential between an up-role-power person (teacher, healer, community leader) and a down-role-power person (student, client, murid) can be healthy, clean and beneficial–and the reality is that sometimes it isn’t. Most often this is a result of not understanding the responsibilities and vulnerabilities of role power dynamics. In this class we will explore both sides of the role-power-dynamic and learn how to navigate it in a healthy and responsible manner.
5. Real Life Examples of Role Power Dynamics
In this class we will review and apply all that we have learned by role-playing common scenarios of difficult-to-navigate power dynamics. We encourage you to bring your own real-life examples to the class, so that we can find ways to navigate them together with courage and heart.
6. The Benefits and Risks of Status Power
Status power happens whenever a community has strong values. Those who have qualities, attributes or abilities that are valued by that community are often given power and prestige that others are not given. This allows up-status-power people to have opportunities (including decision making power) that may be reflective of their qualities and capacities, or may be the result of idealization. In this case people, high status people are given privileges that they might not deserve, often without even realizing it. Together we will explore the origins of status power, as well as how we can work with it in a healthy way.
7. The Rise and Fall of Status Power
Often we have certain people in our life whom we admire or respect greatly for certain qualities they carry. When that admiration is exaggerated or expanded beyond those respected qualities, and in fact veils us from seeing the full humanity of the person whom we admire, that is called the “halo effect.” What happens when we, or the halo-holder, are not aware of this status power dynamic? How do we handle it when the halo effect fades or is shattered, and we are left with a sense of betrayal and hurt when the person holding status power does not live up to our halo-tinged image? Can we navigate this status power differential with more wisdom and compassion, by staying connected to our personal power, and allowing those whom we admire to be human, too? In this class we will explore how we can benefit from our heroes and mentors, while not setting ourselves–and them–up for a fall.
8. Giving and Receiving Feedback
In this class we explore ways to give and receive feedback while taking power dynamics into consideration. We will practice giving feedback from a down-power-role to someone in an up-power-role, as well as down-status to up-status. We will also practice asking for feedback, as well as receiving unasked for feedback, when in an up-role or up-status position. In sha’ Allah we can increase our capacity for speaking and addressing the issues that matter to us in a timely manner.
Helpful Links
OTHER PROGRAMS
REGISTER FOR RECORDINGS