How to...
Some practical advice is offered here and more will be added as the pandemic unfolds.
…Remember the little things
Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ considers the importance of focusing on little things and how this may help us through the challenging Covid-19 pandemic. Can focusing on the little things help us overcome the big things?
The Little Things
...Make the most of Ramadan during the Covid-19 pandemic
For Muslims, Ramadan is the sacred month of fasting, spiritual devotion, charity and community activity. But with the arrival of Covid-19, Ramadan looks very different this year. For the very first time, many of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims are spending the month in lockdown.
In this special edition of Things Unseen, journalist Remona Aly is joined by Islam scholar Abdal Hakim Murad, also known as Dr Tim Winter, from the University of Cambridge. He reflects on how to make the most of Ramadan during the Covid-19 pandemic and how to address the challenges of having to abandon traditional community rituals and customs.
Could this lockdown, with all its limitations, also be an opportunity for Muslims to engage with one another and their faith more deeply? And with so many Muslim doctors and nurses on the NHS front line in the fight against coronavirus, could this time even mark a new chapter in how British Muslims are seen in society more widely?
Listen to the Podcast at Things Unseen: https://www.thingsunseen.co.uk/podcasts/ramadan-in-lockdown/
...Say Goodbye
As the global death toll continues to grow Dr Sister Gemma Simmonds CJ offers some support on how to cope with grief. As an expert on isolation she has already had to find a way to say goodbye to a friend in this challenging time.
Grief: Saying Goodbye
...Cope with Social Distancing
In this short film, Father Anselm offers some helpful ways to cope with getting used to social distancing, and reflections on how we look after others and ourselves.
How to cope with Social Distancing
...Use Time
Monks set themselves the daily task of manual labour. In this short film, Father Christopher Jamison OSB reflects on how this simple, daily practice could benefit those in isolation or who are social distancing.
Manual Work
...Manage Anger
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, many people are finding that they are struggling with anger. Monks and Nuns often live in close proximity with others and need to find ways to manage their emotions. Father Christopher Jamison OSB offers wisdom on how to manage anger through this challenging time.
Managing Anger
...Find Silence
Father Christopher Jamison OSB offers advice on how to find a time of deeper silence.
...Mix Mindfulness and Faith
“Mindfulness” seems to be everywhere these days. In essence, it’s a way of achieving greater awareness of “being in the present moment”, aiming to make us kinder, more compassionate and less judgemental. It’s also promoted as a way dealing with some mental health issues and reducing burnout. But with origins in Buddhism, how well does it sit with other faiths? And what caused Tim Stead to leave his calling as a Church of England priest to pursue a career in mindfulness teaching? To find out, Mike Wooldridge visits Tim’s “meditation barn” at the back of his house in Oxford.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST AT THINGS UNSEEN
As well as teaching mindfulness, Tim Stead is the author of two books on the subject. His particular interest is the relationship between mindfulness and religious belief and practice. You can read more about Tim’s work in his blog.