Nobody Talks About Ramadan Like This (Here is My Truth)

This week, there was a cluster of astrological events that happened worldwide like the Chinese Lunar Year, the Eclipse, and the start of Ramadan.

 For this letter, I thought it would be a good angle to share about Ramadan.

You might already know that I don't call myself religious. But what you don't know yet is the background story of how that started,  and why I spent years finding creative ways to escape this exact month.

But before we get into that, let me first tell you what Ramadan actually is, because most people get it wrong.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, and like any number 9 in numerology, it's all about completion and release. Most brands and businesses try to skip this number because of its very non-lasting nature.

The number 9 is the soul number, and it weighs a lot, especially for soulless brands and businesses, first from a spiritual standpoint, and second from a profits standpoint. 

You won't find an iPhone 9, Microsoft 9..for this reason. 

The thing is, number 9 doesn't negotiate. It strips what's artificial and asks what's actually real. It completes what needs to be completed and releases what was never meant to stay. 

And Ramadan, as the 9th month, carries exactly that energy,  whether you're Muslim or not, whether you fast or not. It arrives every year to do what 9 always does: clear the soul..

What Ramadan Really Is (And What It Isn't)

Ramadan’s rules are simple: You don't eat food or drink water from dawn to sunset for the whole month. Those windows are called Suhoor time (Dawn) and Iftar time (Sunset). But it's not really about eating and drinking, here is what I mean:

During this month, one of the main purposes, apart from the purification and connection to your divinity, is learning how to emotionally, physically, and mentally control yourself across all domains of life. 

For example, eating will make you break your fast, yes, but then if you start having ill intentions and a heavy heart towards another human, that's breaking your fast too. If you get aggressive or angry, that's breaking your fast. If you watch inappropriate scenes, you break your fast. If you curse or start speaking badly, that's breaking your fast.

So it's not about the food and the water.

It's about the holistic nature of being a better human.

 During this month:

• You'll learn how to breathe and let go.
• You'll learn how to respond and be a kinder human.
• You'll learn how important charity is.
• You'll learn how to control your emotions.
• You'll learn how to starve the parasites in your body and mind without going nuts.
• You'll also learn how to be grateful for food and simple water.
• You'll learn how to BE SILENT.
• You'll learn how to listen to your higher self, and to this divine intelligence, and in doing so, usually the connection will start reflecting back to you how many layers you've built around your heart, how imperfect you are as a human being, and in that, it'll break your heart.

They say the minute you start crying in prayer or meditation during Ramadan, it means God is listening, and you're in direct call. Most muslims don't arrive at the channeling and crying stage; they pray and practice from obligation or/and fear, which is not the point of Ramadan. So if you’re emotionally breaking down, it’s a good sign of a cleanse. 

The Exceptions Of Ramadan:

There are few exceptions to those who can or cannot do Ramadan, the main ones are: 

• The sick (who take daily medicine)
• Those traveling. ( You still can if you like)
• Women on their period ( Once it ends, you have to take a full body and hair shower to get back into fasting the next day)
• And those who are physically unable or doing blood work. ( Most Muslims, even if they're sick, try their best to do it.)

There are few other exceptions, but if you have a special case, you can just ask ChatGPT or a practicing muslim. ( I’m not a reference in this topic, just sharing my knowledge) 

How I Escaped Ramadan for Years (And Thought I Was A Genius)

When I was 16, I had strong beliefs.

One of them was that Muslims were hypocrites, especially during Ramadan. I watched people fast during the day and then gossip badly during the night. I've seen people becoming an almighty Godly person during the month, then abuse their kids the next day after Eid. I’ve listened to people judging those who don’t believe in this month, yet allow themselves to do all types of ‘haram’ and forbidden rules in the Quran. 

I didn’t understand why this was happening, so at that age I realized that the whole religious system was a theater. And to tell you the truth, I was never an atheist, yet I was somehow agnostic. I didn’t know what to believe anymore.. but because I had those strong (and negative) beliefs, I figured that I needed a way to escape the system I was raised in.

This led me to think of a master plan to escape this month without raising red flags to my family. And I found the perfect exception to exploit, which was traveling.

When it comes to traveling,  + 1,500 years ago, people were traveling in the desert on a camel or on foot, so it was hard to fast. That's why the exception exists. And because Ramadan is a lunar month that shifts 11 days every year, Muslims usually don't have next year's calendar in mind; they usually forget Ramadan a few days after Eid, and then remember it again 4 to 6 weeks before the next year. 

That 10-month window of collective amnesia? That was my operating space.

I was ahead of time, so I realized I found the perfect loophole to escape the system, like a billionaire who found the perfect tax evasion. And that loophole is: I could 'coincidentally' set a traveling experience during Ramadan dates for next year.

My master plan consisted of multiple steps, so I summarised them into 9 steps in case someone would use them:

1. Start nagging and dreaming OUT LOUD about traveling to a new country to your parents: 2 to 3 months consistently is perfect.
2. Save Money and show your parents how committed you are to your dreams: Create a piggy bank, do not eat out, do not shop, do not ask for new things, and only accept money as birthday gifts.
3. Make sure to plan 2 weeks of traveling minimum outside of your period week, this gives you already 3 weeks off Ramadan for the girls. ( 15 years ago, Ramadan was during Summer Break, so I got lucky there.)
4. Find traveling packages or safe organised groups that your family will allow you to go with by yourself. ( Parents will only accept educational programs if you’re a minor)
5. Book your tickets (NON-REFUNDABLE) 6 to 7 months prior…Ofcourse after steps 1 and 2 are fully in effect.
6. Do NOT book obvious dates like the 1st day of Ramadan; make sure to travel 3 to 4 days early or late. ( better early than during the fast)
7. 1 week before Ramadan: Someone in your family will ask when you're traveling. You tell them the date. They do the math. They say "Wait,  isn't that during Ramadan?" You look mildly shook. You say: "I booked this 6 months ago. It's non-refundable. I had no idea about the exact starting date." ( saying the exact starting date will save you from lying because nobody knows the exact date until 24 hour prior)
8. Once you come back from the trip, Make sure you speak so well about the traveling experience, no matter what. This will help you make your case for next year.
9. Repeat every year, for a new destination.

Now, mind you, those steps are not just steps; for this plan to work, I needed to master two things:

1. The art of timing (when to ask)
2. and the psychology of my parents (why they'll say no and be prepared with excuses and justifications).

This plan worked for 4 consecutive years while I was still living with my parents. They never even joked about how 'coincidentally' I planned my travels during Ramadan, and because of it I was free from my systematic obligation to practice something I didn’t believe in, and gained greater memories and awareness while solo traveling to a new destination every year. The beautiful part of it was: I didn’t have to lie about fasting.

Bonus to those still living with their parents:  If you get good grades or achieve milestones during the year, you’ll have more leverage. If you save money during the year, they can’t tell you no if you book with your own money. If you study your parents’ worries, you’ll know exactly the things they’ll say no to. Make sure you have those excuses and justifications prepared so you can debate those points.

Now, if you are a parent reading this, I assure you those travels were my most memorable ones. But if your kid did something similar, there is a reason why they went to this master plan extent. Just try to be understanding of that reason.

You might be asking: What Changed?

 After more than 10 years of not practicing it, the past years, the science of fasting + woo-woo spirituality made me realize that Ramadan has many health and spiritual benefits, and I can just do it on my own terms.

 First, for health purposes, I spent one year doing intermittent fasting every day, and I loved it. But then next, Ramadan came in, and I was like, let's do it. 

 My Ramadan looks very different from what my family does or eats, and for a good reason. The intentions behind it are very different now. I don't do it out of obligation, but mostly out of love and care for myself.

How I Actually Do It: My 7 Recommendations:

 You don't have to be Muslim to use this month as a purification container. In the Quantum Formula, this is exactly where we clear the residue,  make space so the new reality or new blessings can land in the 3D.

These are my 7 recommendations as a gym and spiritually aware girl:

1.  Break your fast consciously. There are a lot of muslims who go to the gym or do sports 1 hour before breaking the fast, and you can do that if you like, but I honestly don’t like gym sessions with no water, no protein, then eating a big meal for the Iftar. So what I recommend instead:
   
   Eat dates + water + protein shake or small protein bowl, then go directly to the gym. ( Do not directly eat your big meal once you break your fast, you won't move afterwards. The body will feel heavier than usual, and you'll get lazy.)
    
2.  Hydrate with Electrolytes. Drink as much water as you can after breaking your fast + add electrolytes. Better to hydrate for long night hours than drink a lot of water before dawn.
    
3. Get Your Hygiene on point: In Islam, it's highly recommended by the Prophet to wax or shave every 40 days (This includes armpits and intimate body parts). For Ramadan, it's kind of a must to start clean.
    
4.  Write your Duaa: your list of asks. This is not a vision board. This is a written document, in your own handwriting, of everything you are asking for during this month. Most Muslim women create 2 to 10 pages. Small things and big things. Material and spiritual. Health, love, money, awareness, don't be small with your asking, and don't be one-dimensional either.
   
   The best time to pray with it or read it: the hour before Iftar, right before sunset. Read it out loud if you can. That window before breaking your fast is one of the most energetically potent moments of the entire month. Your asking lands differently when your body has been in a state of surrender all day.
    
5.  Structure your work around the fast: If you're an entrepreneur, Suhoor ends around 6-7 AM. Focused deep work from 7 AM to 1 or 2 PM is more than enough; in fact, fasting sharpens your focus in the morning hours, so you'll work less but better.
   
   Around midday, you'll start to crash or get tired. Take a nap. Then wake up, connect with your list, prepare to break your fast, train, eat your full meal, drink tea and water to digest, and sleep. Repeat.
    
6. Give to charity daily. Even $1. The act of giving while in a state of fast rewires something in your relationship with abundance. Make it a daily non-negotiable.
    
7. Just connect more with your humanity. Ramadan is where you'll get tested the most, in your faith, in your health, in your mind, in your heart. So connect with those aspects you’re actually releasing. You don't have to be Muslim to do it. It's a ritual for anyone willing to purify themselves.

One Last Thing:

If you are a coffee lover, Muslim or not,  this is the most difficult part of Ramadan. Most people think it's the water or the food, but it's really the coffee. Muslims who are prone to headaches and migraines usually struggle the most during the first days, but then it gets better.

 That said, Ramadan starts today (Wednesday) in Saudi Arabia, but most European countries start tomorrow, Thursday 19/02. Check your country's Muslim news,  but don't be surprised if nobody really knows for sure. (Can't believe we're in 2026 and Muslim officials are STILL not sure about seeing the moon with all the technology we have. I swear this yearly problem has existed since I was born.)

 That said, 

Ramadan Mubarak. 

Ons

PS: If you are non-Muslim, it's said that it's highly favorable by ‘God’ to respect those who are fasting. Most Muslims don't mind that you eat and drink in front of them;  it's a month of emotional, physical, and mental discipline, but they'll respect you more if you make an effort not to do it in front of them. ( Otherwise they’ll secretly think you’ve been sent by the devil to test them, lol)