The uncomfortable grips of Ramadan burn out, have hit, we have almost reached the middle of this month, it feels like it is swimming by, and at times exhausting. It is very easy to feel motivated when something is new and fresh, but what about when it starts to become a habit? We often start the month with an almost supernatural burning fire to carry out all the spiritual tasks we have set for ourselves! What about when we have been carrying out those tasks to reach our daily spiritual goals, again, and again, and again, day, after day, after day for 15 days? How do we maintain consistency when all we want to do is sleep it off for the next week? Keeping up with daily tasks, especially when they become an obligation, feels demotivating and draining. The last thing we want is for our deeds not to be accepted because the intention wasn’t there. If you look into all the gurus, business, athletes, and finance managers, the thing they seem to always reference is setting the intention. Intention, how does that manifest? What does that look or feel like for us?

 

“Our intention creates our reality” Wayne Ryer

“an inch of movement will bring you closer to your goals than a mile of intention”- Dr Steve Maroboli.

 

We have set up a few tips for you to steer your Ramadan back on course. First, take a large inhale in and exhale out…How do you feel?

1) Mobility

Body mobility is a fantastic way to rediscover your purpose and vitality. Keeping your body, supple, and your blood flowing is a tip you hear often when you want to find optimum motivation whilst studying. A 10-minute yoga session is far more effective than a large cup of coffee in the morning. Research shows it combats stress, In 2013, researchers looked at studies spanning 619 participants who struggled with depression. They found moderate evidence that yoga was effective for providing a short-term boost. Research also suggests it reduces anxiety and combats inflammation in the body.

More than this, the feeling of inspiration normally hits when you’re feeling your best, your senses heightened, your muscles suppler and less tense, therefore welcoming of free-flowing thoughts. Logging in to just 1 session of Muay Thai can be a great way to get you back on track with your Juz a day! We often don’t even see taking care of our bodies, as a good deed, and something that will be rewarded, as a healthy body is a healthy believer. A healthy body is a revitalised mind, and even though you may have told yourself that movement in Ramadan is a no go. It is time to try this out!

2) Breathe

One of the most underrated components when it comes to the mind is breathe work, guided mediation, and breathing exercises have been proven to sharpen senses, making us more aware of the world, colours, tastes, and sounds around us. It brings us to the present, therefore, slowing down racing thoughts, and enables us to take on larger tasks. Breathing isn’t just about letting the space between your lungs fill with the air from outside, it requires focus and discipline. This leads to mindfulness, and mindfulness actually helps us to understand our thoughts and feelings more, by detaching ourselves from them, and understanding them from afar, instead of allowing them to engulf and overwhelm us. Breathing with mindfulness allows us to anchor our thoughts and breathe, and use this as a technique when negative thinking can override us.

A lot of us don’t even know, that we have lost the ability to ‘breathe properly’.  As we have gotten older, we were exposed to more stress and anxiety causing us to go into fight or flight with our breathing, we started taking shorter, sharper breaths to get by. The very fact that we are taking short, sharp breaths indicates that we are only using the top third of our lungs. It means that we are no longer using our abdomen to breathe. This can make us feel as though we are hyperventilating, the sharp breaths, therefore, leading to a poor exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) in our bloodstream, deprives the body of these vital gasses. That major lack of Oxygen can rob our organs and muscles of proper blood flow, and the reduction in CO2 can lead to dizziness, fatigue and even insomnia.

A great guided breathing guru on Youtube to work with is Wim Hoff, his methods, although known to be quite extreme, at times, actually bring about an extreme response In the body, and a radical feeling of rejuvenation. He always mentions the importance of finding assistance when trying breathing exercises like his. Here is a mini starter pack into Wim Hoff breathing.

3) Change your environment

We know what you’re thinking, that’s pretty hard to do, when we are stuck in Quarantine. Going back to our intention is a great starting point to pulling us out of this mind standstill. Relearning your reasoning as to why you set the goal and intention, to begin with, will bring some tingling of inspiration back. But sometimes, when we get settled into a routine, it can feel like we are stuck in the mud. Nothing changes or moves especially when the intention is spiritually connected. The feeling you want to achieve perhaps has taken its time to reach you, perhaps you were looking for spiritual awakening, contentment, revitalisation, a burning motivation to read the Quran with more zeal.  When these feelings don’t hit us, we feel like it never will, our brains start to play tricks on us, and tells us half-truths about our current situation. Especially when it comes to our connection with Allah (swt) matters of the heart are very sensitive, a change in its condition, therefore, won’t occur as we plan it to, or think it will. That part is up to Allah (swt), all we can do, is our part, do the work, whatever that looks like for you, it can be daily affirmations, dhikr, a page of Quran, a spiritual video, a yoga session. The work is all you can control, the inspiration comes from Allah (swt) and know and trust that even that being delayed has some wisdom in it. Don’t let it stop you from doing the work.

Often when we feel uninspired, we take ourselves out from the place that is making us feel dull. This can look like a walk In the park and a marvel at nature. Spring is in full bloom and there is so much to look at. It can be stumbling upon new artists, or poems that elicit a new emotion, or reading new literature. When we learn something new, we are giving space in our minds for more thoughts, which reduces stagnancy and gives a boost of motivation. If you can’t physically change your environment by stepping out of it, why not change it by moving it around. Room renovation, even changing your sheets, or moving your cupboard, painting the walls, buying plants are all great ways to rediscover the love of the space you’re in.  When you’re in a happy, calm, serene, environment your thoughts will free flow into positivity and inspiration will hit, you just have to be patient.