The Four Sides We All Have in Ramadan and How to Balance Them
In the last few years, Ramadan has become the month of mind-numbness, low productivity, browsing through your Facebook newsfeed during the day, watching mosalsalat for the rest of the night, and stuffing our faces with food from Iftar to Sohour.
Truth is; the holy month is much more than what people think it is. With just a simple twist of mindset, you can turn it into a great opportunity for a whole detoxification of your body, mind and soul. It is the time of the year where you are able to slow down and gain perspective on your own lives. If we reflect, we can hopefully find balance on the four dimensions of our existence: physical, social, personal and spiritual.
Not convinced? Take five short minutes from your oh-so busy 24 hours of the day, stop whatever you are doing in it, take one deep breath and consider your physical, social, personal and spiritual self. Ask yourself how have you been embracing these four elements? Are you satisfied? Would you like to change something this month? Is there something you would do differently if you had the time? Just reflect. If you do that, you can hopefully find balance on those four dimensions.
Physical
Fasting might feel like a burden to some people and a blessing to others. You might have heard about the benefits of fasting a million times. Yes! It has been proven that fasting is a great opportunity to detoxify your body and return it to its natural healing state. Give your body a break! It is time to literally embody health and wellness, from exercising to doing yoga, taking naps and more.
Social
Abuse the holy month by gathering with family members, reconnecting with old friends or talking to someone you’ve meant to call but never had the time to do it. Your social existence is an important part of your well being; don’t overlook it! Take time to be offline when you’re on Iftar tables and find some actual time to talk and listen to those around you. You might be surprised on what you have been missing on!
Personal
Embracing the personal dimension revolves around you and yourself only. If you’re the kind of person who has trapped themselves in a repeating vicious cycle, PAUSE your autopilot mode. Take control your own well being. Treat yourself to something you’ve always wanted to do. Read a book. Listen to your favorite artist. Dance your heart out. Watch a movie that will make you cry or laugh. Do something out of your comfort zone. Unplug yourself for one hour during the day. The possibilities are endless.
Spiritual
Ramadan is a great opportunity to purify your soul. Let go of hate and anger. Don’t hold grudges. This might sound cheesy, but write a list of all these things that have been bothering you then burn it or tear it down into pieces, tiny little pieces and throw it away. You can also meditate, pray or do an act of kindness towards a person you don’t know.
