Imām Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah رحمه الله
From Prophetic Medicine

My sister once compared me to the energiser bunny because my mind and body are often active, sometimes restless, with no off button. My idea of relaxation must involve an activity that sates my intellect, creativity and/or body, to aid in releasing restless or unhealing energy.

One of the ways I achieve this is through yoga, with its various types but more specifically hatha, restorative and yin, for it fulfils all the requirements for my overall physical and physiological wellness, preventative care, plus mental and emotional wellbeing.

I even expanded my practise with a year long study into the science of yoga.

BODY

I mainly stretch through yoga for a release. I also enjoy focus and balance poses (think of chair, crow, dancer, eagle, forearm stand, half moon, handstand, headstand, side plank, tree, warrior three, wheel, wild thing), and various breathing techniques like alternate nostril, fire, ocean and stomach / diaphragmatic vacuum breathwork.

The benefits the body reaps from yoga are countless, which you valued reader can research if you have not experienced them yourself, but amongst them are: the mental and physical challenge, massaging of organs, improvements in internal systems, increase in metabolism, spine adjustments, core and muscle strengthening and toning, weight shed and control, agility, and thriving at a cellular level.

An essentiality in yoga is breathing in and out through the nose – clearing the sinuses – vital for a healing heart and brain, helping to support the nervous and immune systems, and more, by increasing the flow of the enzyme nitric oxide with little to no effort and for free – which can also be attained via natural nutrient-dense whole earth nutrition.

One major gain derived from nasal breathing is the raising of body temperature. From this simple and vital practise, the lungs expand, permeating clean oxygen throughout the body, hence detoxifying from the inside out, as well as exciting every cell in the body – and so much more.

In yoga, I fathomed the bliss of correct breathing, found a new appreciation and love for my body and its blessings, and a more respectful attitude towards it Al-Hamdu-Lilâh.

It is a lifestyle and lifelong journey of relearning, rediscovering and reconnecting with my body, mind, heart and being, entrusted to me by ALLÂH ﷻ.

MIND AND HEART

Willpower, patience, concentration, commitment and coordination are key elements to practise a posture, in turn freeing my mind of the chaos of quotidian daily responsibilities by focussing my attention and shutting out diversions.

When holding a pose for a longer duration, it can be a rewarding opportunity to sweeten the tongue by whispering praises to ALLÂH ﷻ, listen to or whisper invocations or ruqyah, or perfume the ears listening to a beautiful (and meditating) Qur’ânic recitation by a favourite reciter – Sheikh Muhammad Siddiq AlMinshāwi رحمه الله is the one for me. When doing so, I have noticed it gives me the stamina to maintain the pose for much longer thus helping me to lengthen, strengthen and restore my body before bedtime – as well as my faith – whilst focussing on my inhales and exhales.

At the end of my practise (or beginning), whether in child pose, hero pose or reclining bound angle pose, I unwind even further and release even more. I close my eyes and concentrate on slowing down my breathing and feeling my heartbeats, embracing the silence and serenity to dispel away any accrued stress.

Even better, whilst breathing invocations and remembering ALLÂH ﷻ.

I cannot think of a better way to disengage from the world, even if ephemerally, rejuvenate and relieve myself of as much tension as I can, by centring my body and mind and opening my heart to ALLÂH ﷻ – other than salâh, du’âs, ruqyah and The Holy Qur’ân.

A THERAPEUTIC WAY OF LIFE

Shari’a, i.e. Islâm, is my heart healing way of life; so, at the forefront of my mind taking care of myself will bring me closer to ALLÂH ﷻ. It also means following the path of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

I have a more conscientious outlook towards my whole wellbeing and one of the reasons is because of yoga – albeit not the only one, Alexander technique being another as well as other moving meditations and medicinal movement. I am cognisant of my mental and physical health and fitness, what I put into my body reflects the outside, and my breathing.

A beautiful heart healing benefit: performing salâh mindfully better with smooth yet strong movements and postures, becoming more aware of spine alignment, foot placement and joint care Al-Hamdu-Lilâh.

For all this, I made a promise to make time for self-renewal via musculoskeletal movement, by moving daily with functional fitness and mindful movement suitable for my body type, constitution and condition, making yoga one of the daily priorities – even if it is a sweet and short flow – for releasing since it helps the union of my mind and body, breathing, organs, and purging me of all accumulated tension and possible aches.

Better still, when blending yoga with t’ai chi, qigong, Pilates, barre or ballet for a more dynamic fusion flow, or when rebounding (one of my absolute favourite and fun ways to move my body). Another delightful fusion is yoga with aromatherapy, acupressure and/or reflexology for realignment and winding down even further.

There is also the option of making yoga part of any active movement by incorporating a mini dynamic yoga flow as a warm-up to energise the body and/or a cool-down stretch to slow down the heartrate, and child pose to pacify the adrenals and the body.

UPON WAKING AND SLEEPING

I ease into my day with breathing techniques, starting with deep diaphragmatic nasal breathwork with ribcage expansion, then transition into mini moves for morning mobility and to awaken my spine, strengthen my core muscles, and stabilise and relax my pelvic diaphragm: bird-dog, cat-camel, elevated child, garland and child poses (to name a few).

I end my day by focussing on diaphragmatic breathing to give my vagus nerve some tender, love and care, chest-openers to counter any slouching or rounding of the back, and gentle seated or supine poses for hip (where we tend to store our emotions), psoas and sciatic nerve release. This makes me more aware by harmonising my nervous system (by activating the autonomic / parasympathetic / vagal system), comforting my little and overworked adrenals, satiating my insulin, and soothing my mind, as much as possible, to calm me into sleep.

One of my must-go-to before bedtime is legs-up-the-wall, for its various benefits, as I read a fictional book, manga or manhwa, my downtime relaxing my way into restful sleep.

Accordingly, I am able to live a life that will please ALLÂH ﷻ by doing my utmost to serve HIM ﷻ to the best of my healing habits, energy, fitness, health and wellness.

The enduring effect is an improved me as a Muslim, therefore better to and for others inshâ’Allâh.

Daily Doses

Be it yoga, with its numerous benefits, or any other movement of choice, moving the body has a tremendous impact on the health of our organs and their processes, effecting our faith, heart, brain, mind, character, energy and deeds.

Simply making the split second decision to breathe correctly with awareness and complete exhalations (or learn how to) – deep diaphragmatic nasal breathing, one whole cycle of breath at a time or for a minute, every waking hour, upon waking, before bedtime, when overwhelmed or feeling tense, can reset and rebalance our nervous system so we start afresh from a place of ease with a clearer mind and rebalanced energy – which may even improve sleep quality.

Even moving as little as 60 seconds to get started or to counteract sitting, nerd/tech neck and rounding posture throughout the day, and up to five minutes in the morning, afternoon and/or before sleep, daily, can elevate our mood and relieve stress and tension.

Squeezing in conscious mini movement or micro bursts of movement when we have free pockets of time or sprinkling in a move or pose here and there for blood, lymphatic and oxygen flow, and for mental relief, can truly do wonders.

Merely associating the heart healing habit of moving with a deed we frequently do can make a difference: coming in and out of yoga poses, walking pad, pacing or cycling on a desk, recumbent or stationary bike whilst on the phone, reading, studying or working; eating meals seated on the floor in seiza (Japanese sitting form), hero pose or cross-legged; 10-20 minutes of light activity (musculoskeletal movement) after meals / snacks, – though it would be gentler and kinder on the body (and adrenals) to relax for 20-40 minutes after consumption and before movement – like walking, tai chi plié pulses, cycling, house or cleaning chores _{^{(major ones only before ‘asr prayer, preferably before dhuhr prayer, as it is not encouraged in Islâm to do deep cleaning after ‘asr so stick to light chores or a quick tidying up after ‘asr)}}, etc., to clear the glucose from our bloodstream for glucose clearing. Added bonus, liver support – protecting it from the accumulation of excess fat reducing the risk of a non-alcoholic fatty liver, better digestion and even more heart healing benefits.

Another heart healing way to add movement is to connect it with salâh, after prayer, whilst whispering du’âs: a yoga pose (to soothe accumulated aches), a move (like a passive hang hold, plank or horse stance for glute activation, hip release, posture realignment) or flow (such as bouncing for a minute on a mini trampoline), as a way to sneak it in five times a day without much effort or thinking, and gaining rewards in the process for taking care of our heart, mind and body.

Let us not underestimate the power of repetitive small simple steps, little changes and mini habits for they have cumulative benefits in the long run – be they healing or unhealing.

A wonderful side effect: our bodies will thank us for the nourishment (through movement), we will feel great about ourselves, and before we know it, our bodies will begin itching for more nourishing self-renewal – as long as we are CONSISTENT.

Gift of Health

We make and take (and waste) time to pursue certificates, degrees and money, “socialise” on networks, apps and otherwise; then we owe it to ourselves to wisely invest our time and invest in our health, energy and wellbeing, for our own sake – no one else will – and, crucially, for ALLÂH ﷻ.

There are two inevitable outcomes if we do not make the declarative decision to embed movement as part of our daily life: the first, an insidious decline in health, healing, strength, mobility, coordination, balance and accelerated ageing, only to become dependent on others; and the second, we are “forced” to incorporate movement so as not to exacerbate current health concerns.

Or, we can CHOOSE to make movement a part of our everyday routine as a non-negotiable nourishing heart healing habit and preventative care, as we do salâh. Simply starting with what we like. Remember, the body loves routine, the brain thrives on variety and both flourish through incremental and transitional challenges for growth.

A promising factoid, the fastest root to a better brain, sharper mind, improved memory and creativity boost is exercise – not excluding adequate hydration, natural nutrition and quality night sleep.

The best gift we can present our loved ones, those we care about, our communities and society, is the gift of optimal wellness, so our time, health, energy, earnings and gained knowledge and skills, are better invested in heart healing habits, boundaries, connexions, contributions and more, rather than becoming a burden (on ourselves and others) because we CHOSE to succumb to transient and fleeting CHOICES that impact our way of life, losing along the way the will for a better quality of life and time that can never be regained, retrieved or returned.

We are the only ones responsible for ourselves and today’s overwhelming world is not an excuse or justification to evade that responsibility, even more so if we want to age gracefully and powerfully, grow biologically younger and gain self-empowerment.

Becoming a source of inspiration and leading through example makes moving the body fundamental for a firm foundation, an essential, an imperative, a must, a non-negotiable, a blessing and a graceful gift.

So, with a grateful smile for the amânah of our bodies entrusted to us by ALLÂH ﷻ, let us take a moment to fully belly breathe becoming aware of the ribcage moving out and in, without forcing the inhales but letting them happen naturally through the nose with sealed lips:

• Sit or stand in a preferred comfortable position or pose.
• Begin with a full natural breath, breathing out through the mouth, pursed lips or nose.
• Breathe in for the count of two then breathe out all the air for the count of two. Pause for a second.
• Inhale for the count of three, exhale completely for the count of three. Hold for one second.
• Inhale for the count of four. Exhale all the air out for the count of four.
• Stop for a second or two then breathe out with a sigh of relief letting out all the air.

We just nourished our cells with fresh oxygen, and made our brains, lungs, pelvic diaphragms and nervous systems happy with this simple yet powerful free blessing from ALLÂH ﷻ.

I strongly recommend yogic breathwork even if there is no interest in incorporating yoga poses or flows because correct breathing only enhances the quality of life – a miracle in and of itself, breathing, a merciful renewal gift from ALLÂH ﷻ.

NOTE

_{There are four major and crucial points of clarification for readers who think yoga may conflict with their religious beliefs, specifically Muslims, with the false assumption they will end up practising its mysticism.}

_{The following common yogic practises are to be avoided because they conflict with Islâm ~ the reasons are obvious:}

• _{The commonly used Namaskara Mudra and bowing;}
• _{Any of the Mudras: hand gestures and rituals, which are of Hindu and Buddhist origins;}
• _{Certain terminologies such as, Namaskār or Namastē, in Sanskrit and their English equivalent;}
• _{Although there is credence to the “Third Eye”, which is the Pineal Gland, and its function is vital to our human nature, it is not to be “thanked” for it has no magical power.}

* And ALLÂH ﷻ Knows Best *

Some of my favourite yoga resources

Charlie Follows

Women’s Eyes Only

The creative, challenging, diverse, dynamic and fluid sequences, the functional anatomy lessons, and knowledgeable tutorials, are enjoyable and educational.

Dr Melissa Oleson

Women’s Eyes Only

A go-to for preventative movement specific for the pelvic diaphragm and core connexion, correction and restoration. Benefits are ‘no more embarrassing leaks, achy backs, painful hips or pelvic tension.’

Yoginimelbourne

Women’s Eyes Only

The gentle flows for winding down, seated or supine, are amongst the best, especially for releasing tension. Plus, the breathing meditations (which I do in Alexander Technique’s active or constructive semi supine with eyes gently open), are delightfully soothing.

YOGABODY

For All

Science of Stretching® for flexibility, breathwork and great instructional videos.

About the Book