Advice for a New Mureed *

What does it mean to become a Sufi initiate?  How does one go about it?  Is Sufism another religion?  Is Sufism just another sect of Islam?  


I once saw whirling dervishes on educational TV, but I never dreamed that I would one day be one.  


Here are some things I wish I had known when I was initiated into the (Chisty) Sufi path.

• I wish I had known how important doing  practices is.
• I wish i had known how Sufi teachers approach thier task.
•  I wish I had known how important breath practice is.
• I wish I had known how false this ego is.

Of course if I had known these things I would not have needed my Sufi initiation and path. 

* Mureed = One who has taken hand or been initiated by a teacher.