I’m unconditioning my attention (and you’re welcome to join)
A grounded rhythm for staying human in hard times (and doing it alongside others)
Since the beginning of this year, a lot has been happening in my country, Iran. It’s now escalated in a way that’s impacting so many people globally. The worry about my family’s livelihood is real, and running a business on top of that has been especially hard. I also had a health scare, which was a lot, but I got it checked and, thankfully, it’s nothing serious (phew)!
I found myself dwelling in fear often. What supported me most was co-creating a prayer group with an amazing group of women, and it became the grounding I desperately needed during this time.
It reminded me what becomes possible when we keep each other accountable in community.
And today, I want to invite you to join me in something I decided to do for my own sanity during this time. I won’t be leading it, per se. It will be all of us coming together and keeping each other accountable as we uncondition our focus.
Let me explain what that means…
I’ve been deeply committed to regaining my attention and focusing on creation. Last year, I set some hard rules for myself, because I genuinely noticed my brain getting lazier and lazier, and that really worried me. In that distracted space, it’s much easier to be manipulated and programmed, and we have far less capacity to stick with a long-term project and find satisfaction in deeper work.
It was going really well until this year. With everything happening, as you can imagine, I let go of many of those boundaries, and my anxious mind is back….
And I’m committed to changing that, starting April 1st for 75 days. I see it as a way to self-parent myself into a more regulated state.
Here are 6 things I’m focusing on:
The most important one is regaining my attention. I’ll be using my Bloom card to set non-negotiable boundaries around my phone in the morning and in the evening, basically from 10 pm to 10 am. I’m only allowed to use Telegram to watch the news highlights and stay informed, rather than getting sucked into drama on other social media platforms. You can define your own boundaries, too.
The second most important thing for me is regular movement. I’m committing to two movement sessions a day, at least 20 minutes each, and one of them will be a walk outside. Fresh air and sunlight, even when we get very little where we live, can do wonders for an anxious mind. You can choose your own commitment. If you don’t have a regular movement practice right now, you can start as small as 2 x 10 minutes a day.
The third thing, and honestly the one I resist the most, is getting social locally. We moved here over a year ago and we haven’t built a solid community yet. It’s one of those things that takes the most energy, but it’s also the one I know, deep down, I need the most. So I’m committing to getting social at least once a week during this time.
Next one is to start my day with a prayer practice to reflect on where I’m stuck, where I need guidance and how can I best serve. This can be a minimum of 5 minutes, and more if I choose to. You can choose your version.
Sort out my evening routine. Take my time to actually wash my face and do my skincare, which hasn’t really been happening for the past 3 months, and read a minimum of 2 pages of a book I like. I’m currently reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Nourish myself. I typically eat healthy, but lately I’ve been feeling lazy and doing the bare minimum. I often only think about food when I’m starving. I want to change that by planning more colorful plates and taking the time to design and enjoy them. Define yours!
I also created a tracking template in Canva to print out, and I’m sharing it here. If you want to edit it and make it your own, you can. Click here!
This is a very spontaneous invitation, so I haven’t figured out how we’ll stay in touch yet. Maybe Substack chat, which I’ve never used, or WhatsApp, or something else.
If you want to do this with me, press reply to this email. Depending on how many people are interested, I’ll decide which route to take.
👁️ What has your body been trying to tell you?
The way we hold ourselves matters. Not just because of how it looks. But because it shapes how we live, how we relate, and what we’re capable of imagining. Let your body speak. Let it interrupt the collective war and offer you a new way of being entirely.
Start Your Unconditioning Path ↓
A 18-week journey that combines nervous system regulation, breathwork, and posture-focused strength training to address the root cause of your pain, not just symptoms.
What’s next?
Monthly Unconditioning Practice
Mar 30th. Monday. 5 pm GMT
This session helps you reconnect with your body's innate wisdom, move beyond what keeps you stuck, and rediscover who you are beneath the conditioning.
You'll follow the rhythm within and the pulse of the music to guide yourself back to the wild Self.
Each month, we gather for:
Nonlinear movement with music to shake off tension and emotional residue
Guided reflection to integrate what the month brought
Intentional planning to meet the next cycle grounded and resourced
Show up exactly as you are. Leave feeling more alive, grounded, and free.
What to bring:
Comfortable clothes
Plenty of space to move around
A pen and paper
Thank you for joining me on the path of unconditioning,
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Hedi Shah
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👁️ Mindfulness Teacher & Bodyworker
🐉 Nervous system regulation, breathwork, and posture-focused strength training to target the cause of what keeps you stuck and in pain, not just symptoms.
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