Zikr is an ancient practice of rememberance from the Middle East. It�s from the Sufi tradition which is the mystical off-shoot of the Muslim religion. The word "zikr" means rememberance and it is done with the intention of dropping the illusions which keep us trapped in ourselves, therefore opening up the freedom of self realization. This practice has been done for thousands of years and is the inspiration of poets such as Rumi and Shabistari.
The basic form of zikr uses the phrase La illaha illa llah. This phrase means, "There is nothing but oneness." It could also be translated as "There is no God but God." It is a very powerful statement because it takes us from our everyday concerns and places us in a universal cosmology.

It is so easy, in every day life, to get caught up in the crises of the moment: health problems, money problems, relationship problems, problems with our family and friends. These things capture our attention so powerfully that they could be considered as "gods." In the ancient cultures of the Middle East (where zikr was born) people took these things so seriously that they did create Gods to rule them. Either way, whether you have an icon to rule your problems or just let them capture your attention, they take you away from the feeling of oneness which is bliss. Zikr is done with eyes open as that increases awareness.

In zikr practice, while breathing out the first phrase, "La illaha," the head makes a sweeping motion from left to right and then straight up. You are saying, "There is nothing." This is a moment of cleaning out, of accepting the vast vacuum of space which permeates us, dropping your individual personality and personal concerns. This is a most important moment of the zikr because, unless you clear out your heart�s chamber there is no place for divinity to enter.
In the second part of the phrase, "illa llah," you breath in, filling up the lungs, first dropping the head down to the chest and speaking into the heart, and then raising the head to the level. This is not a declaration as the first phrase, but more of an exclamation of wonder, "except oneness." You have emptied yourself of everything and now divinity comes.

Zikr dances often incorporate other sufi phrases, movements and song. Long zikrs can go for hours or days. Short zikr practices are often done at the Dances of Universal Peace meetings.