Adapt Stillness

CREDIT: GOOGLE IMAGES

Just like nature, we need to learn to adapt stillness in our lives.

We need to learn how to get out of our minds and into our hearts, the mind that constantly: thinks, worries, anticipates, remembers, plans and doesn’t stop. It is easy to allow the mind to take charge throughout our day, it is not as easy to learn to be still. Just like nature, we need to just, be. Just like nature we need to submit to life and its natural order, no rush, no worries and no foretelling of ‘what if’.

During this month of fasting I can’t help but be totally aware of my bodily reactions to:

• stress
• traffic
• hostile people
• disturbances
• other people’s mood/ energy
• negative emotions ..

The rhythmic heart that lives in the city does not have much of a chance to keep itself in a constant beat, it is easily affected and just as easily fluctuates to a higher irregular beat. It is agitating and perturbing. How do we tone it down when our adrenal glands are blasting the cortisol stress hormone? How do we shut off the irritations if we can not distract ourselves with a drink or food or a ….. ? Not that it is a good idea to suppress our emotions with distractions, but most do.

Yes, remembrance of God surely helps but what if in that moment you were not able to find solace?

I’ll tell you how I deal with it for I know you are going through the same emotions as me,

– AROMATHERAPY-

From nature we receive many blessings, one of them is the therapeutic affects of scent, i.e aromatherapy.

Lavender, one of the most versatile plants and is not limited to these benefits, however I want to only make mention of its instant relief for anxiety and mood imbalances. Seriously, when you feel off try taking a whiff of a lavender essential oil. Make sure it is pure, 100%.

Now back to adapting to stillness.

Know that the month of Ramadan is a blessing for a believer, it is a time for spiritual elevation and in specific the last 10 days of this holy month. It is a time for deep reflection, contemplation and complete jihad (strive) to become one with God, and if not, then at least be conscious of His Glory. It is a blessing that Allah, Subhanu Ta’ala, has given us an entire month to unplug from the dunya, the lowest realm that is also an analogy for us to detach from our lower self – our ego that holds us down. These sacred days are filled with grace and opportunities to get close to Allah (swt), and in return nurture our spirit to transcend negativity.

“And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” – Quran [The Forgiver, 40: 60]

We have arrived upon the last 10 most sacred days of the month. I advise you and myself to take full advantage of the spiritual blessings as well as delve further, deeper in adapting stillness and drawing nearer to our Creator –  to be thankful and to ask for His Mercy for ourselves, our loved ones and for all mankind. May He accept our fasts and prayers.

So, for these days I will be taking time off of all social media platforms.

And you, are you craving stillness like me? I hope we use these last days of Ramadan to plant spiritual love seeds that will surely flourish for us in the coming 11 months.

Inshallah. God bless you readers.