Mindfulness Meditation and the People of Islam

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You are lost terribly in the past or wandering in an unknown future, anywhere but not here, in the present. Swinging between past and future, you find yourself completely detached from the present. As we all inhabit the same world so luckily this phase doesn’t exclusively belong to you. Stress, depression and overthinking have become more like traits within us. As we know, with problems there come many solutions. The  same happened in the world of worried minds trying to calm themselves.

Mindfulness meditation has been in the mainstream, especially since 2015. In this day and age “meditation” is a billion-dollar industry. Headspace, Insight Timer, Yoga WakeUp, and many more apps, digital services are providing people with meditation training classes and courses. Major companies and CEO’S are showing more interest in promoting meditation than ever. Of course, no one wants sick and preoccupied employees and it’s proven with evidence that practicing mindfulness meditation is helpful in stress reduction and productivity enhancement. Employees are suggested to meditate on a regular basis in companies like Apple, Google, Nike, Proctor and Gamble and HBO. In the UK  5,000 teachers are trained in “mindfulness meditation” each year.  In Pakistan, however many people are still not aware of it and its benefits or even if they are aware, it is not in practice.

Where Meditation is more like a ritual, mindfulness is a horse of a different color. It is a well-known type of meditation and it doesn’t possess  any hard and fast definition. You will always read it defined differently, but, pointing towards the same purpose.

You are mindful when your mind and body are in perfect harmony.

Mindfulness is- when you attend present moment purposefully, without judgments and denials. It enhances clarity and reshapes your mind in a pattern that doesn’t let in painful past-memories and future fretting if practiced regularly. Yes! Evidence say it is true. When you start living in present with more focus, it results in increased creativity and productivity. Increased focus on the present is inversely proportional  to over thinking and stress. Acceptance and no denial over something that you can’t change bring balance and peace in your mind and personality. Those who practice mindfulness meditation on a regular basis are less reactionary as proven by studies. Mindfulness Meditation encompasses all the above- mentioned advantages.

“Let silence heal the inner turmoil of your mind and concentrate on your inner peace. With mindfulness, forgetfulness decreases as you are more focused on the present.”

Experts offer different ways of practicing mindfulness meditation, which can be adopted as per comfort. According to some, you have to sit in a calm posture and focus on your breath or focus on your thoughts. Inner and outer silence are also a part of practicing mindfulness meditation. It can be practiced whenever you want because you are supposed to be mindful in every moment. To practice mindfulness, you don’t require anything specific from the external environment. All you need is your mind, awareness of your mind, body and surroundings. However, after experiencing it myself I realized it’s best to practice mindfulness meditation in the morning as a ritual, just after you are wake up  because your morning mood influences you all day. In the morning, it can be done by drawing focus on your each day’s agenda. It is really helpful in boosting your mood positively, just give it a try. Not only in hectic schedules , mindfulness can also bring you on track when you are procrastinating.

I read as much material as possible to write about this topic, different sources explored mindfulness in a slightly different manner but left me with similar vibes. It’s amazing to be mindful in every moment because it just adds life to your life ☺.
I personally think we experience mindfulness when we make” Dua” because in Dua we are at a deeper level of concentration, especially when we ask Allah SWT something we want desperately.
Also, if you specifically practice mindfulness as a ritual you don’t have to pay attention to good and bad thoughts coming into your mind, you just have to let them go as they come without any denial and judgments. This previously mentioned trait of mindfulness inspired me and it is related to the Quran but in a wider spectrum. Once, my Quran teacher said, ” People of Quran are those, who don’t let them affected by worldly good and bad incidents because they know whatever good happens is not their final destination and similarly whatever bad happens is not permanent, it will fade away soon”. This higher level of contentment and composure is attained when one is focused on his purpose and final destination.

Those who pray with “khshoo and Khazoo” are actually mindful in their prayers. Focusing on your utterances during Salah is helpful in achieving a high level of concentration.

Focus and awareness are the essentials of mindfulness, which ultimately leads you to your purpose. I personally know such few people who are very mindful without even practicing it knowingly and the key to their mindfulness, I think, is their focus on eternal life and the final purpose. We Muslims are always advised to reflect on our lives and think about our purpose on this earth. Reminders of a purposeful life from the Quran are sources to make us more mindful. Again, fortunately it is something that was gifted to us long ago, but in a different shape – in the shape of an eternal purpose.

It is said that Mindfulness is a human ability basic to everyone, which with the passage of time is lost, resulting in heightened stress and depression. Nevertheless, it can be acquired if you start practicing it right off the bats and mindfulness meditation can seriously be your getaway.

These are my reflections on Mindfulness in link with Islam. Share your opinion, if you are inspired to start practicing mindfulness or impact of mindfulness in your life if it is already a part of your routine.

Cheers!!