Incredible Scenes From Oprah's New Passion Project Belief
By Arianna Davis
Circle of Life
Karen Cavanagh, Konya, Turkey
After recovering from a brain injury caused by a surfing accident, Cavanagh trains to become a whirling dervish, a follower of a mystical branch of Islam who meditates through a spinning dance. "The dervishes wouldn't allow our crew just to film them—we had to practice with them, too," says Eric Strauss, one of four directors of the series. "It's hard shooting a story when you're trying not to topple over!"
After recovering from a brain injury caused by a surfing accident, Cavanagh trains to become a whirling dervish, a follower of a mystical branch of Islam who meditates through a spinning dance. "The dervishes wouldn't allow our crew just to film them—we had to practice with them, too," says Eric Strauss, one of four directors of the series. "It's hard shooting a story when you're trying not to topple over!"
From the November 2015 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine