Salaams y'all,
I hope that the first few weeks of winter break have given you the opportunity to relax and restore yourselves. So much of what we're taught about what spiritual nourishment or restoration look like demands ritual, time, discipline, and sometimes even money. Sometimes we get so caught up in planning for some future time when we will be more grounded, when we will have space for the things our bodies and spirits needs, that we lose out on opportunities to nourish ourselves NOW.
It can be easy to tell ourselves we do not have time, or that we will inevitably fail, when we approach relaxation, mindfulness, creativity, or prayer with an all-or-nothing attitude. If I can't pray all five prayers, I should just wait until I am spiritually ready or physically able or have enough time to be strict with myself about it. If I can't sit for 20 whole minutes in silence, or if I can't practice mindfulness every day, then I should just wait until next term, next month, next week, when my schedule is less busy, and then I can create a ritual or some discipline around it. Next year when I'm taking fewer classes, I will integrate painting or making art into my weekly schedule! My resolution for 2021 is to start writing in a journal every day! For many of us, we are perpetually in a state of planning for our own well-being.
While it is true that there are benefits to discipline, ritual, and regularity in doing ANY of the things that nourish us (painting, praying, dhikr, writing, breathing, stretching, etc), there are also benefits to just doing what we can do NOW. Don't have 10 minutes every morning to sit and do a mindfulness practice? Ok, then take 3 minutes to do a breathing exercise NOW. Haven't prayed in weeks, months, or years? That doesn't mean you cannot pray or talk to Allah RIGHT NOW.
Sometimes life feels like it is all about planning, "finding" time, and crafting our future selves; I pray for each of you that during this break, you are able to live presently in your bodies and in your spirits in a way that shows you that grace and stillness and restoration are ever-present in our lives and that they are simply calling for our attention.
Best,
Maryam
