Guidance in the Fourth Station: Inner School Leaders Training 2026

Guidance in the Fourth Station
Inner School Leaders Training w/ Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Friday to Sunday, January 23rd – 25th, 2026
Richmond, Virginia & via Zoom

Our annual Inner School Leaders Training is designed for leaders within the Inayatiyya’s Inner School, including Coordinators, Representatives, and Retreat Guides, as well as those in training. Please only register if you fit one of these categories. All Inner School leaders are encouraged to attend and to participate in real time, or to watch the video which comes with registration.

Over the last five years, Pir Zia has been gradually introducing the paradigm of the Sophic Whorl, a cognitive map that derives from Murshid’s teachings on esoteric physiology, the seven lata’if of classical Sufism, and Pir Vilayat’s alchemical insights.

The Sophic Whorl is most optimally navigated by means of a spiral movement, the Spagyric Gyre. In last year’s Leaders Training we explored the Third Station, that of the soul. The Fourth Station in the Gyre corresponds with the belly, the center of the ego. After rediscovering the pristine light of their own simple nature in the station of the soul, pilgrims descend back into a personal and incarnate self-image – this time consciously.

Entering the ego deliberately rather than unconsciously makes all the difference. We learn how to retain the freedom of the soul while entering into engagement with manifest life. We learn, too, how to actively sculpt the statue of the self. 

In this training, we will revisit the motivation that brought the soul to Earth. We analyze the mind and recognize its various functions. And we will work with techniques to maintain contact between the soul, the mind, and the body.

Two sessions a day will be devoted to study and practice led by Pir Zia with additional Breakout Sessions led by senior teachers in the Inner School in which we will share meditation and suhbat together. Attunements and topics will focus on those introduced by Pir Zia during the weekend.

This training is designed for leaders within the Inayatiyya’s Inner School, including Coordinators, Representatives, and Retreat Guides, as well as those in training. All Inner School leaders are encouraged to attend and to participate in real time, or to watch the video which comes with registration. There will be French, German and Turkish translation.

For participants based in Oceania, recordings will be provided promptly and there will be a local timeframe offered for breakout sessions.

You are warmly invited to gather in centers or regions, with each participant registering individually. We are all looking forward to being together in January.

Guidance in the Fourth Station is taught by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, carrier of the Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia’s teaching will be complemented by additional faculty, to soon be announced, during the mornings in Europe and afternoons in North America.

TUITION & REGISTRATION

Tuition for the three days is:

• $175 for in-person participation in Richmond, Virginia (includes community dinner on Saturday)

• $115 for online participation

Both options include video and audio provided within a few days of the program. Partial scholarships are available as needed.

I you hope to attend in person at the Astana in Richmond, Virginia, please see inayatiyya.org/astanarva for information on travel, parking, local restaurants and accommodations. Please note, space at the Astana is limited to 50 spots, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions about the content or other details of this program, please email innerschool@inayatiyya.org.

GUIDANCE IN THE FOURTH STATION SCHEDULE

BIOGRAPHY

Pir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He is the author of the forthcoming Tears from the Mother of the Sun with the visual artist Amruta Patel (Inner Traditions, Feb 2026); Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest; and the editor and compiler of Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan, for which he also wrote the critical introduction. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France. inayatiyya.org