We are told there is no such thing as not having time; rather, we must carve it out by getting up early, freeing up space, or staying up later.
In many instances, “more time” means a greater capacity to push one’s body towards the discomforting and ignore the physical, mental, and emotional aches as a consequence. We certainly do not tend to think sustainably of our innate resources.
I have been thinking deeply about my relationship to doing, producing, creativity, rest, and dreams/sleep and how they affect my ability to show up and serve.
Since moving back to London, this year has been unbelievably busy. From moving homes, traveling often for work, one-on-one with clients, to starting my business – I no longer have a day off in the week. Yet, I signed up for this fully aware and promised my body to not override my nervous system and honour my energy as I birth new ventures and create.
As I get older, my relationship to rest and sleep has transformed – after the work is done, they are my priorities. It is not only essential to function and show up as myself, but a way of resisting the systems created to deplete our energetic resources, disconnect us from our bodies and all creation, and equate our existence and worth to our production and consumptions.
Resisting The Grind Culture
Around me, everyone parades the “grind” and “hustle”; overtraining, overworking, and over-networking/socialising – people are intentionally seeking to do more in hopes of “being more”. They are completely desensitised and disconnected in their efforts to self-improve and achieve their definitions of success.
If you look back, this is the essence of colonisation; an invasion of one’s body through forced labor that one is not able to reside in their body and be present in their own lives. Colonisation is the theft of one’s attention, time, and energy. It is the program installed in our psyche that makes us act as though our bodies do not belong to us. We see it happening in subtle ways today, but it is still largely present.
The truth is, we cannot amplify who we are and our vitality through constant expenditure and/or consumption. Instead, we need to be well-rested and physically nourished to receive from higher realms.
This is why understanding your nervous system and learning to regulate it is key to raising your awareness and being embodied, once again.
The nervous system is the system of the body that translates the quantum world physically. It is the mediator between the spirit world and physical world. As you’re ascending, the nervous system is required to become more sensitised so it can pick up more energy subtleties. Accordingly, sleep deprivation is not merely a public health issue but a major spiritual issue.
Ask yourself:
What is your relationship to doing and how productive are you?
Do you often feel that time is fleeting and there is still much to do?
How do your everyday tasks and activities affect your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual body?
How much energy do you expend to look and behave a certain way? Do you do it because it makes you feel good or for others to approve of you so you can feel better about yourself?
After your ‘work’ and ‘to do list’ is completed, do you find that you have the energy to express yourself creatively or are you uninspired?
How sensitive is your body? How sensitive are you to the world in which you live? Or does the word bring up negative connotations and feelings?
More importantly, what is your relationship to rest and sleep?
Honouring Our Biology
Personally, what has changed entirely is the luxury of time to practice rituals and spiritual discipline. Instead, I practice making my every thought, word, and action a prayer. I focus on transforming the mundane and repetitive micro-moments of every day into extraordinary and sometimes even, glimpse Divine presence and magic. I make sure to call in the Divine and allies to support and guide my journey at each moment. I keep myself open and connected to what I am already part of; the Earth I walk upon and fellow Earthlings. I imagine my feet emanating light as I tread and kiss the ground with gratitude for the life it has given me and to the soil I shall return.
Life experiences were created as an illusion that can easily obscure being, but when you are able to just be and rest in awareness, no experience can take you away from Truth. The invitation begins with learning to slow down and at the start, do less.
With anything you do every day, a good practice is to stay mindful of your body – what sensations arise that are actually yours and what you pick up from your environment. In this way, you will become more aware of what opens your heart and how interconnected you are with all that is.
This is the gateway for us to reach our fullest potential: to honour our biology. Spirituality is embodied; it necessitates a void and nourished physical home in which spirit can reside. Likewise for creativity, if you are always burning up your energy or numbing emotions (if you wish to follow energy, follow emotions) – you will have no energy left to create.
The revolution begins with you. Tune into your innate intelligence and learn to honour the nuanced nature of our bodies created in alignment with the cosmos. Create your own ways of being, then do.
And remember, every moment can be transformed into intentional prayer to enrich your life with wonder, sacredness, and joy.
May you stay open in heart to see from within everything you are already a part of,
Salma
