Crystal Aura Gaze

I have recently started doing “my own personal Sabbath” every Saturday, which begins on Friday evening at sunset and then ends on Saturday evening at sunset. This is inspired by Jewish and Christian tradition. It’s very different than the Jewish Shabbat, but it is very much inspired by it. There are also some Christians that observe the Sabbath but very differently, some on Saturdays and some on Sundays.

I do this primarily for my own health, but for spiritual reasons too. I think that it’s extremely important to give yourself a day of rest — especially in this modern society where we are constantly overstimulated and expected to stay busy. The tradition comes from the story that God made the world in six days and spent the seventh day resting, and so we need to take one day to rest each week.

In Judaism, there are very strict rules to follow in this day. While most Christians don’t observe it, though the ones who do tend to observe it very casually. I’m sort of somewhere in the middle. I set certain rules for myself, but I also believe that intention is more important than rule-following.

The reason why Sabbath begins and ends at sunset comes from the Torah and the Bible stating that a new day begins with sunset. I like this because 1) it breaks up my day and allows me to have a majority of a normal Friday, and then have Saturday night to do what I want, 2) paying attention to the time that the sun sets brings me closer to nature, it’s something I generally wouldn’t notice.

The day Saturday is chosen because in Judaism, this is the last day of the week. There are some Christians who agree. But most Christian religions say that Sunday is the Sabbath, when they have church. The calendar date we follow marks Saturday as the last day of the week, although with weekends we tend to associate Sunday as the last. Saturday works for me because by Friday night, I’m super exhausted, and then I have Sunday to clean, meal prep, run errands, etc. to get ready for the coming week.

Also to throw in some Roman mythology, the day Saturday is named after Saturn. And Saturn is the god of discipline and restriction, so it also makes sense to unplug on this day.

My intention for Sabbath is to disconnect from the outside world and focus more on the inner world. It’s how I can recharge and conserve my energy in order to be my most productive for the coming week. And it’s my spiritual reminder that we were put on earth not to accomplish things, but simply to love and to be.

My basic rules:

• No cooking
• No cleaning
• No TV, no music, no phone, no laptop.
• No driving
• No working/labor
• No posting/social media.
• No creating.
• No spending money.

So, sometimes I am not able to do with every single Saturday. I try not to make plans during this time, but if I’m invited to something, I’m not going to stop myself from going. I will still try my best to follow these rules. But the point is not to isolate myself, and so spending time with others shouldn’t be avoided.

And even though I’m trying not to use my phone, I’ll still have a call with a friend or family, because again the point is not isolation. If I’m spending time with someone who’s watching TV, then I’ll watch with them — or if I’m out with someone and I’m hungry then I’ll buy food — or if someone is playing music then I’ll listen — etc. Spending time with others brings connection, and those are the exceptions when I won’t follow all of these rules.

I won’t do any heavy cooking — but if I’m reheating leftovers, or having a microwave meal, or lighting the kettle for tea, that’s fine. I won’t do any cleaning, but I’ll do very basics like throwing things in the trash.

I’ll put my phone on do not disturb. It’s very important for me to get away from my phone, laptop, and internet. This is also probably the greatest struggle. But it has become so toxic of our culture that we are expected to be in constant communication with all people at all times. The internet, especially social media, causes so much disconnection and completely takes you away from the present.

I can leave my home, I can also have someone drive me somewhere, but I try my best not to drive. I need one day away from the stress of driving. But I still try to get out, walk around the block, be out in nature and get fresh air. I also don’t listen to any music, as much as I love music, it can feel overstimulating so I need a break.

I don’t do any creating at all, that includes any crafts or arts. So in the religious aspect, God created the world and then on the day of rest did no creation. And in the nonreligious aspect, creating is a form of work and involves an end-goal. Also, prevents creative burnout.

And last, no spending is also important. Most of all, I don’t let myself buy frivolous things, or go out shopping for fun. Anything I absolutely need, I try to buy beforehand or afterwards. At times it feels tempting, but overall it’s a relief to have 24 hours not to think about money.

So, what can I do? I spend most of my time reading. I let myself use my kindle if it’s just for books. Reading helps me focus, drown out distractions, and allows my mind to wander. I do some yoga, some stretching, gentle movement, walking around. I do journaling and reflecting. I play with my cats. If I’m with others, have conversations. Do some meditating. Sometimes I’ll just lay on my couch and stare at the ceiling and think. I’m returning to my thoughts and emotions.

I do try to make room for spirituality if I can, but I don’t force it. I may read a spiritual book, or I may decide to read fiction, or science, or history etc. I may do some praying if I decide to. But my major intention is just to press pause, put a break on the constant need to accomplish things, the nonstop flow of external distractions — to reconnect with what’s on the inside.