Al-Diballahi min ash-shaytan al-rajim.
Bismillah,
Rahman,
Raheem.
This is Mark Silver with Heart of Business.
Welcome to the Remembrance.
There are so many moments,
It seems,
When we can sometimes be left with low-level anxiety,
Just a sense of unease or offness.
And this state can almost seem more challenging than when we are in a more significant amount of upset.
Because when we're in significant upset,
It seems justifiable to stop everything and deal with it.
But when we're just kind of off or uneasy or something doesn't quite feel settled,
It seems like we should just be able to function,
Get over it.
Is this really here?
What's really going on?
And so I want to give you permission and affirmation that even low levels of anxiety or unease are worth attending to.
And so without trying to change how you're feeling,
Without trying to shift anything at all,
Just noticing how much space there is to feel exactly how you're feeling.
These kinds of low-level feelings of unease can be a wonderful way to practice attending to yourself.
In the same way that you may have more choice around eating something healthy,
If you choose to eat before you are really reactive and really hungry.
Or you may be more prone to making healthy choices when you rest,
When you're tired,
Instead of pushing through into exhaustion and collapse and overwhelm.
But attending to,
Caring for yourself with what you might be tempted to call insignificant levels of unease or upset or misalignment or exhaustion.
So just notice.
And it must be said that you don't want to have to stop and do in-depth healings every time you feel a little bit off.
So this is not about bringing a big process to a small feeling.
But just subtle realignments and re-corrections.
And just noticing and asking,
Pausing even for just a moment.
Do you feel off?
A little sense of unease.
Noticing how even just taking a breath or three allows your belly to soften,
Allows some restfulness to come in.
An awareness of what is it that you're needing.
Noticing you can unclench your jaw.
And you don't have to be doing what you're doing in such a rush.
Sometimes it can be as basic as noticing that you've had to pee and you've been holding it.
And just allowing yourself the space to go to the bathroom,
To take a breath or to lie down on the floor for a few minutes.
And.
.
.
What is it that your heart is needing?
What is it that your body is needing?
Is it that your shoulders or your belly or your jaw are needing?
Or your pelvic floor?
What is it that is asking for attention?
Anh.
.
.
Anh.
.
.
Anh.
.
.
Anh.
.
.
Anh.
.
.
Anh.
.
.
What do you notice when you take just a short amount of time to care for some low level need that is nonetheless legitimate?
And obviously this remembrance is as long as remembrance is.
But perhaps noticing that you don't even need this long sometimes to care for yourself.
In these small ways that help you settle back into your heart,
Into your body,
Into your workflow,
Into your true state.
And beginning to call the name of the Divine through the open doorway of your heart.
Beginning to remember the Divine.
Is love available even here?
Is the Divine present even here?
In Sufism,
In Islam,
In the Quran,
There is a verse that says that the Divine sees a black ant on a black rock at midnight.
And knows that ant needs and cares for it.
That there are no needs that are missed by the Divine.
No needs that are considered unnecessary.
What if your smallest needs were worth caring for and attending to?
Many of which may not need much time.
But they do need the care that they need.
Andha.
Andha.
Andha.
Andha.
And allowing yourself to take a gentle breath.
Noticing any authentic gratitude,
Appreciation for anything that you've experienced during this remembrance.
And letting yourself express that to the Divine.
And taking a nice gentle breath.
Allowing your heart to know that you can return here in a moment.
Letting yourself return.
