Pause.

When I was visiting the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Bastakiya, our hosts opened their ears and minds for questions. Any question, no matter how naive or seemingly untoward, was acceptable to ask. One of the guests asked about daily prayer, wondering if most Muslims attend every prayer time (there are 5) every day. 

The short answer was not necessarily. The longer answer was that it is in the benefit of the worshiper to do so. He explained that the purpose of prayer is to connect with god, to give thanks, to ask for guidance, and in general, to reflect on their current actions. For me, this equates to a personal reboot. And, at the time, I thought: yeah.

As a non-believer who finds no guidance in god and no usefulness or tangible outcome in prayer, what I can get behind is the idea of pausing for a few moments at key points in the day. To breathe. To ruminate. To center my thoughts. And, potentially right a mental or emotional path that has gone awry. Even just to unravel the tightly-wound spool that is my being.

I like it. And I think I might give it a try.

A portable mosque. In case of emergency.