When you think of fitness, you automatically think of the gym, weights and a sculpted physique. Up until recently, I hadn't seen much focus on the importance of mindfulness and wellness- all of which contributes to creating a healthy mindset. After being tested with hardship, I found peace in meditation. This wasn't easy at first as it was frustrating due to my mind thinking erratically, however, it has helped me be able to watch my emotions and control my reactions. It is definitely a journey and there is so much to learn and practice.
Below are a list of questions and answers I asked brother Mohamed Bouaziz- an advocate of mindfulness, movement, and all things positive. Upon coming across his instagram profile @bouazizlifestyle, I was intrigued and Alhamdulillah he was able to provide me with an insight into his world. Definitely check out his profile, it is unique and a breath of fresh air!
"Bismillah.
I just want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts. All good is from Allah and any shortcomings are from myself and my ignorance. This is advice to myself before anyone else.
1) Was there a particular moment, person or thing that brought you to health and wellness?
I recently realised that for the last two decades of my life, I’ve been let down by so many people entrusted with my youth development and life coaching. So I took matters into my own hands and decided I wasn’t going to be a victim of modern day slavery from the state. I've always grown up aware of the importance of wellness and health, something instilled from a young age in the family home. Growing up, pursuing medicine was the natural route towards practising in the wellness field, fascinated and encouraged to become a doctor. You know white lab coat, fancy pen, lifesaving operations. Faced with a paradigm of doctor and patient, prescription and surgery, we've been conditioned to export our wellness to others who themselves are under legislation from corporate interests. Shortly after being rejected by every medical school I wanted to attend, I progressed into an undergraduate medical sciences degree. It wasn't until was faced with health problems of my own that I discovered the negligence of mainstream healthcare during my unpleasant stays in hospital being maltreated by alcoholic doctors and obese nurses. I soon made a decision I didn't want to be part of allopathic medicine, this was way before I discovered the corporate interest of the pharmaceutical industry and its corrupt nature. This is a subject matter of its own. I spent my remaining years getting by at higher education, demotivated by the reality of being let down by healthcare, and knowing it wouldn't be a future avenue for me. After years of exposing myself to spiritual and physical toxins, it was time to take responsibility for my health and stop blaming everything else for my lack of self-love. Fast forward a few years and I've established a lifestyle that enacts and promotes a system of wellness. After spending the last few years scanning and practising methods of wisdom, healing taken from cultural and scientific milieu, its only right that I focus on reassembling my reality before reaching out to others professionally. A culmination of events, not an isolated one has brought me to where I am today, an advocate for integrative, holistic medicine that is rooted in the Sunnah of our blessed Prophet Muhammad SAW.
2) What would you be doing right now if it wasn't for your constant lifestyle?
If it wasn't for pursuing a constant state of wellness, I would probably be down the other side of the spectrum where I would have continued to abuse my body and soul. I wouldn't want to imagine a reality where I would be back to my old ways and it is this that serves as my motivation. To know I was blessed by the most high to begin a process of healing, I would be doing his mercy a disservice by doing anything other than attempting to purify my body and soul daily. This is the journey and I pray were are all guided to the straight path.
3) What is the "dark side of yoga"?
The dark side of yoga is a question of context. For a yogi or a Hindu, yoga would be a vital part of their culture and identity. So without disrespecting the people who follow these paths, we must see it from a Muslim perspective. The energetics of yoga and the basic physical benefits must be differentiated. If you take yoga to be a pure physical exercise, then the very acts of stretching and mobility are fantastic for maintaining integrity of the physical. However, yoga is deeper than mobility and it is the spiritual reality that we as monotheistic believers should be aware of. Yoga invokes spirits and gods of Hindu worship. Spirits that we would classify in our tradition as Jinns. Now without expanding into detail, clearly, we should be calling upon the help or company of Jinn. Practising yoga in groups, under teachers would require the welcoming of these spirits in the gatherings and would really disrupt the energetics of a believer. We don't have enough emphasis on energy in our culture but our worship and rituals create and maintain pure energetics, associated Noor and peace obtained from the divine, and whom the blessed angels and his righteous awliya. So we should seek to sit in the circles where the bounties and blessing of the divine are accessible and not in circles where demons are being summoned. We are living in an enlightenment period where humanity will face spiritual challenges and as Muslims we are destined towards challenges to our creed of Tawheed. If the devil doesn't get you straight up, he will entice you with shirk without you even clocking. We must hold on tightly to the book of Allah and the Sunnah of his prophet, period. There lies so much goodness there that we haven’t even been exposed to. It’s time we took hold of our Islamic traditions and revived the healing that lies in them, after all, they are what primordial man is designed thrive on. .
4) How did going to Thailand change your life?
Going to Thailand brought forth a huge change through many aspects of my personal life. It created a n alternation in my though process, social conditioning and gave me time to reflect. I needed to shake up my reality quick so moving to the other side of the world seemed logical? Isolated on a small island nurtured a tawakul in Allah and ignited a spiritual fire that I would be stupid not to keep alight, nurture and strengthen daily, by the grace of the divine. When you are blind then you’re gifted with vision, it changes everything and Thailand was a tipping point in a time of spiritual turmoil and difficulty in my life. There is no going back once you have awoken to realities so dep that you would be eternally at loss if you were to ignore them. Any second could be your last on this earth so put the ego behind and focus on spreading love and prioritising your spiritual progression above all things.
5) Do you think it's important to have set goals or should we see where life takes us?
Goals are important but spontaneity in life is also beautiful. We forget that Allah has written the destiny of his creation so we should focus on making dua and focusing on the experiences of the journey more than the destination. Goals are important. Set goals and work daily toward achieving them. Keep yourself hungry and motivated for better and never settle for where you are. Each day is a step closer to where you want to be or a step closer to where you used to be. Your choice. Positive mind set and acquiring knowledge can aid your progression and direction in life. Seek a natural unforced progression and be patient because each moment is a test written to shape your ultimate reality, the next life. Sit in good circles and emit goodness, in return you will receive goodness and always be guided towards what’s best for you even if you don’t comprehend the wisdom behind it. I think that limiting your thought process to just being successful here and making a career isn’t satisfying enough. Practise gratitude and know there are endless opportunities for a better brighter future for you and your loved ones. Take a deep breathe, say alhamdoudlilah and let the journey flow.
6) Have you ever experienced conflict with balancing Islam, mindfulness, meditation etc or do they go hand in hand?
The answer is simple. Islam
In its core reality breeds mindfulness and consciousness. This way of life is deeper than rituals but about shaping your spiritual reality. Rituals of Islam are there to breed our spiritual connection with Allah and we should first be grateful that we have Islam and second work in improving our relationship with him. As the Quran says, the signs are across the horizon and everywhere, so learn to appreciate his creation and meditate on his eternal word. The reality of the Quran is powerful most of us including myself haven’t realised it. As you immerse every aspect of your existence in reciting his book, states of mediation and bliss will ensue. Once we taste this, nothing will or can compare. Referring to the enlightenment I mentioned before. Our liberation doesn’t come from the mind but from the heart. The new world will encourage liberation of mental consciousness but Allah speaks of a liberation that comes from the heart. Look at our physiology; without blood flow there is no cerebral activity. Ultimately, the function of the mind depends on the blood flow form the heart so don’t fall for the new age religion that will convince you to free your mind, reach your higher self, as that were all Gods. The journey is one of cleansing and purifying the heart from ego and arrogance and being as detached as possible from the enticing reality of the Satan who refused to prostrate.
7) How has being mindful and aware of yourself affected you relationships with people?
The prophet SAW was sent to cleanse and purify people from his time to the end of time. Allowing his energy to manifest in us will transform us. He taught us to control our tongues. If we spoke less and listened more, better know that our experience through this life would be more transformative and easy. Being selfless and depriving the ego of its food is where I’m trying to be but first, one must learn to love himself properly and not in light of societal expectation. Self love will breed selfless love. Loving others and valuing human relationship is important to our journey. We have a perfect well documented and preserved Seerah that offers medicine even upon the intention of embodying it. Mad.
8) Why do you choose to be active in the way you do as opposed to the usual lifting weights etc?
Right now, building a strong cardiorespiratory system is fundamental in the way I exercise. There is no point listing weights if your heart and lungs cannot function optimally. I want to train in a way that is functional, performance based and not aesthetically driven. I love to be out in nature and make most of nice days to train outdoors and train my lungs. Again, I am very young in my physical development having stripped all my past training to rebuild from scratch. Currently staying active and optimising the way I use my lungs is a good place to be and I’m very much enjoying the journey. I don’t train to keep up with society's expectations of a generic sculpted fitness model, something many people are chasing today. Many are falling victim to misinformation because the fitness industry is out to make money. So in a field that should promote health, many are undertaking substances and exercise practises that aren’t healthy or sustainable over the long term. Why? Just for short term gains in muscle, size and ego, oh the bloody egos walking round in city gyms….oh my days! I encourage you to train with the sole intention of being healthier and stronger than you were yesterday and allow time for your body to mould and grow into a milieu of cellular integrity and physiological harmony.
9) What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is to take the Quran very seriously. More than a book of beautiful recitation or one you blast through during Ramadan. The Quran is an infinite reality, word and miracle, not a book. I am yet to give it its due value and each time I’ve opened it in this renewed essence, it presents priceless wisdom and goodness. I urge myself to spend more time immersed in decoding its wisdom because it contains all the answers we are looking for. Something it swears by itself. Miracle.
10) Can you share a breathing or meditation exercise that those new to the lifestyle could begin with?
First understand that breathing is core to everything but is highly compromised in modern society. The number one essential nutrient to our existence is oxygen. Teaching yourself to breath diaphragmatically will change your life. I’m not afraid to make that claim. Now, learning to breathe may sound like a joke because if you couldn’t breathe you wouldn’t be reading this right now. But stay with me. Learning to be efficient is the key. Breathe from stomach up, using your diaphragm apparatus and inhale through the NOSE. Not mouth. Most of us aren’t using the potential of our lungs and our breathing machinery has been stagnant for years. It will take time and effort to loosen the muscles around the core and back but you will find many benefits to controlling the flow of air in and out of your lungs. That’s all it boils down to; the volume and rate at which you take air into your lungs. My advice is to work on your breath consciously daily. To go somewhere clearn, open and full of trees and be conscious of your breath when you walk or sit. Master the diaphragmatic method before you look at doing any complex breathing techniques. Know that each breath can make or break your health, so first be conscious and grateful for it and work on it on every moment of your day.
11) Why are so many people depressed?
We live in a time where mental health is widely conversed and unfortunately is going to destroy many people and will be at the core of societal downfall in the coming years. There is so much attention being placed to it that its making everyone question their state of happiness and their willingness to exist. I believe it's deeper than just a pathophysiological phenomenon. Yes there are changes that happen in the brain but these chemical changes are triggered through stimuli from the experience of reality and life. People are paranoid and fear fills the streets because we live in a time where there is a lack of identity and legitimacy. Humanity is being propelled toward a totalitarian world system that promotes materialism, here to create sheep/cattle who consume and don’t reflect. There is little gratitude for the ultimate blessings we have been given in life. The ultimate fact is, we're being ruled by a few global elite who have no interest in our health states and futures but reinforcing their power and wealth at the expense of the majority. These elite can end world hunger overnight but chose to create a system that enslaves the human body and soul. These elite also sponsor narcissistic fame hungry puppets to entertain and misguide the people toward a false sense of happiness. The very role models we see our children emulating with devotion. Devil worshipping puppets who have made a pact with the Satan himself to corrupt the youth. Youth who are accepting a state of depression through the lack of real social engagement, poor lifestyle and dietary practises, drug and alcohol abuse, falsifying alter egos and personas through their experience
s in fake social media platforms and friendship groups. The family circle has been destabilised and there is diminished connection between the close and distant family circle. Families are broken because mum and dad are busy working to keep up with repayments of their material luxuries. Many members of society today are depressed because there is so much social competition, pressure and unadulterated stresses of the modern world. I’m not here to give you the solution because each case of depression is unique. But the many triggers of depressive states are clear for many to see and explore deeper that a mere paragraph.
Al hamdoulilah for everything.
Mohamed Bouaziz
Bsc(Hons), Dip.ISSN"
Comments
Post a Comment