What this holiday of sacrifice teaches us about mindfulness

While holidays are often marked by parties, shared meals, gift-giving, and special outfits, experts say there are health benefits to remembering the meaning behind the celebration.

The three-day holiday of Eid-al-Adha commemorates the story in the Quran of God appearing to Ibrahim, or Abraham, in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. The holiday starts on Sunday this year and is determined by the lunar calendar.

Muslims believe that as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, an angel of God stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. Many people kick off the holiday by calling and texting Muslims they know throughout the world with “Eid Mubarak,” which means blessed feast or festival.

Families typically attend a special morning prayer at the local mosque and then gather with loved ones to feast over a holiday meal and exchange money or gifts. Others may make an obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca — the Hajj pilgrimage — to visit the holiest sites in Islam.

Muslims also honor Abraham’s sacrifice with udhiya or qurbani — sacrificing a cow, sheep, or goat and then sharing the meat with friends and family and offering it to those in need. Many people also send donations or place qurbani orders in Muslim countries to feed disadvantaged people.

These traditions are reminders that letting go, having faith, and doing good deeds will be rewarded. This message and the pious and social acts of Eid, such as celebrating with friends and family and spreading acts of charity, exemplify mindfulness and can be helpful when implemented regularly.

Here are some takeaways from the Eid holiday that you can include in your routine – no matter what you believe in. At its core, mindfulness is staying in the present, focusing on one’s thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. The practice of mindfulness carries multiple health and wellness benefits such as decreasing pain, reducing stress, and easing feelings of depression.

The story of Abraham is not easily transferable to everyday life as it was an example of an extreme hurdle, but the lesson of pushing through a hardship and carrying on with resilience is relatable.

During Abraham’s challenging ordeal, his wife was also being tested. In this story, the baby was in desperate need of nourishment, so the mother ran between two hills seven times to try to procure water for the baby. Muslims commemorate the day with the sacrifice of an animal, and they take it a step further by making a meal of it for their own families and for people less fortunate. At the root of qurbani is creating a shared experience while giving to others.

You can make cooking for others, volunteering, and donating your money, time, or goods a regular — but impactful — part of your routine.

Giving can realign people so their minds will be different, they will think more positive thoughts, their bodies will feel better, and they will have a smile on their face. By stepping out of one’s routine and giving to others, it can help make you feel you have an impact, you help, and you have significance.

This sense of purpose and meaning contributes to living a happier and longer life. Kindness contributes to one’s sense of community and belonging, and donating to others has proven to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.

Humans are inherently social creatures, and loneliness and social isolation are not good for one’s brain, body, or spirit. Even the size of a person’s social network can impact health.

Because Eid is celebrated over a period of three days, the holiday emphasizes socializing and connecting with others for longer than just an afternoon or a day.

Connecting with one’s community and expanding that circle, or even in smaller ways such as making time for a friend, can be healthy.

While going on the Hajj pilgrimage might be spiritually fulfilling for some Muslims, it may not be practical for everyone to take that journey. But creating space that brings in any sort of fulfillment can usher in new, exciting energy.

It could be something that just fills your cup to where you’re able to then ground yourself and be much more attuned to the people around you and the work that you’re doing.