Avoid new shoes and look after your mental health. How to be well at the Hajj
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to do it.
It is a spiritual highlight for those fortunate enough to go, but it is also grueling and stressful.
Pilgrims conduct their rituals outdoors, among huge crowds, walking up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) a day. There is often no privacy or personal space. Languages, routines and surroundings can feel unfamiliar, and the emotional impact of doing the Hajj can also take its toll.
Here are some ways to be well at the Hajj.
Preparation, preparation, preparation
Pilgrims work on their spiritual readiness to undertake the Hajj, but equally important is their physical preparation.
Saudi authorities have published a 45-page safety kit in eight languages. It encourages people to do aerobic exercises for 30 minutes daily and to 'make movement activities' like using the stairs instead of the elevator, before they travel to Saudi Arabia.
There's a lot of walking at the Hajj, even when pilgrims are not performing rituals. Too much traffic, or not enough transport, means people end up walking up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) every day. All the rituals are on foot.
High temperatures, adrenaline, and physical exertion will elevate the heart rate.
If pilgrims are not used to working out, they should have at least prepared their bodies for the long periods that will be spent outdoors and upright, as going from an inactive or sedentary lifestyle straight to the Hajj will be a shock to the system.
Keep cool and carry or wear a UV umbrella
This year, temperatures at the Hajj are expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
The
body's resting core temperature
is typically about 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), just 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) away from catastrophe in the form of heatstroke.
The bigger killer in the heat is the strain on the heart, especially for people who have cardiovascular disease. Blood rushes to the skin to help shed core heat, causing blood pressure to drop. The heart responds by trying to pump more blood to keep someone from passing out.
Avoid going out during the day unless necessary. Seek shade and rest often, despite the temptation to go at top speed. The Hajj is a marathon not a sprint.
White or pale-colored clothing and UV umbrellas reflect the sunlight, meaning your body and clothing won't get as hot. Oral rehydration sachets can help replenish electrolytes lost through sweating and physical exertion.
There are also hands-free 'Hajj' umbrellas that are worn on the head, allowing pilgrims to pray and carry out their rituals unencumbered.
Put your best foot forward with comfy shoes
Avoid new shoes, says Dr. Hina Shahid, the London-based chair of the Muslim Doctors Association. 'If you have new shoes, break them in beforehand. Make sure your footwear is comfortable. You don't want to get blisters.'
Well-fitting sandals or sliders are fine for Mecca, which has well-paved roads and sidewalks. It is common to see Muslims streaming into the city by foot.
There is smooth tiling on the outer courtyard of the Grand Mosque that is washed by an army of cleaners at regular intervals. But pilgrims go barefoot when circling the Kaaba, where the marble flooring is cool to the skin whatever the weather.
But the terrain changes in Muzdalifah, where people collect pebbles to use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil.
They also spend the night in the open air so it's better to wear a sturdier, closed-toe shoe and also at Mount Arafat, where people clamber over rocks to reach the hill's 70-meter-high (230 feet) summit to spend hours in prayer.
Adopt pandemic-style personal hygiene
Cough? Runny nose? Sore throat? Fever? That's 'Hajj flu,' a nickname for the respiratory infection that people develop during the crowded conditions of the pilgrimage.
It's common to see people wearing face masks during the Hajj, even though face coverings are not a religious requirement, because they are in close proximity to each other, making droplet infections inevitable.
Pilgrims are exposed to new germs, new environments and new routines. These are tough on the immune system when combined.
To minimize the chances of developing the Hajj flu or giving it to others, pilgrims should wash their hands well, especially before eating and after sneezing, coughing or using the bathroom.
Coughing or sneezing into the arm or elbow can help prevent the spread of germs when a tissue isn't available. It's worth sanitizing frequently touched objects and surfaces in the camps at Mina and opening windows for ventilation.
It's important to stay on top of mandatory and recommended vaccinations before traveling to Saudi Arabia.
Take care of your mental health at the Hajj
The Hajj can be daunting because of its scale, religious significance, practical difficulties, the expense, the physical exertion and the pressure to get it right.
It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the core beliefs and acts of worship that Muslims must practice.
It can feel tough to fulfill this obligation when you're away from home comforts. Not following your normal routine, sleep deprivation, vast cultural and linguistic differences, and being surrounded by upward of 1.5 million strangers add to the challenges. You can't even wear your regular clothes.
These factors can rattle your calm, kindness and patience.
Prioritizing your health, and resting whenever needed, can alleviate some of the stress. Focusing on what you are doing, rather than comparing yourself to others, can also relieve the pressure.
Being grateful for the opportunity to be at the Hajj will help remind you why you are there. Talking to friends and family back home will ground you.
Hajj is about endurance, humility, mindfulness and struggle. A willingness to let go of negative emotions.
It's a test of your spiritual connection with God, even when everything around you is testing that connection.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's
collaboration
with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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She has grown her public profile in part with a compelling origin story that seeks to explain why she left her residency and conventional medicine. 'During my training as a surgeon, I saw how broken and exploitative the healthcare system is and left to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room,' she wrote on her website. Advertisement Means turned to alternative approaches to address what she has described as widespread metabolic dysfunction driven largely by poor nutrition and an overabundance of ultra-processed foods. She co-founded Levels, a nutrition, sleep and exercise-tracking app that can also give users insights from blood tests and continuous glucose monitors. The company charges $199 per year for an app subscription and an additional $184 per month for glucose monitors. 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Among them are books, including the one she co-wrote, 'Good Energy'; a walking pad; soap; body oil; hair products; cardamom-flavored dental floss; organic jojoba oil; a razor set; reusable kitchen products; sunglasses; a sleep mask; a silk pillowcase; fitness and sleep trackers; protein powder and supplements. She also has shared links to products sold by other companies that included 'affiliate' or 'partner' coding, indicating she has a business relationship with the companies. The products include an AI-powered sleep system and Daily Harvest, for which she curated a 'metabolic health collection.' Advertisement On a 'My Faves' page that was taken down from her website shortly after Trump picked her, Means wrote that some links 'are affiliate links and I make a small percentage if you buy something after clicking them.' It's not clear how much money Means has earned from her affiliate marketing, partnerships and other agreements. Daily Harvest did not return messages seeking comment, and Means said she could not comment on the record during the confirmation process. Disclosing conflicts Means has raised concerns that scientists, regulators and doctors are swayed by the influence of industry, oftentimes pointing to public disclosures of their connections. In January, she told the Kristin Cavallari podcast 'Let's Be Honest' that 'relationships are influential.' 'There's huge money, huge money going to fund scientists from industry,' Means said. 'We know that when industry funds papers, it does skew outcomes.' In November, on a podcast run by a beauty products brand, Primally Pure, she said it was 'insanity' to have people connected to the processed food industry involved in writing food guidelines, adding, 'We need unbiased people writing our guidelines that aren't getting their mortgage paid by a food company.' On the same podcast, she acknowledged supplement companies sponsor her newsletter, adding, 'I do understand how it's messy.' Influencers who endorse or promote products in exchange for payment or something else of value are required by the Federal Trade Commission to make a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any business, family or personal relationship. While Means did provide disclosures about newsletter sponsors, the AP found in other cases Means did not always tell her audience when she had a connection to the companies she promoted. For example, a 'Clean Personal & Home Care Product Recommendations' guide she links to from her website contains two dozen affiliate or partner links and no disclosure that she could profit from any sales. Advertisement Means has said she invested in Function Health, which provides subscription-based lab testing for $500 annually. Of the more than a dozen online posts the AP found in which Means mentioned Function Health, more than half did not disclose she had any affiliation with the company. Means also listed the supplement company Zen Basil as a company for which she was an 'Investor and/or Advisor.' The AP found posts on Instagram, X and on Facebook where Means promoted its products without disclosing the relationship. Though the 'About' page on her website discloses an affiliation with both companies, that's not enough, experts said. She is required to disclose any material connection she has to a company anytime she promotes it. Representatives for Function Health did not return messages seeking comment through their website and executives' LinkedIn profiles. Zen Basil's founder, Shakira Niazi, did not answer questions about Means' business relationship with the company or her disclosures of it. She said the two had known each other for about four years and called Means' advice 'transformational,' saying her teachings reversed Niazi's prediabetes and other ailments. 'I am proud to sponsor her newsletter through my company,' Niazi said in an email. While the disclosure requirements are rarely enforced by the FTC, Means should have been informing her readers of any connections regardless of whether she was violating any laws, said Olivier Sylvain, a Fordham Law School professor who was previously a senior adviser to the FTC chair. 'What you want in a surgeon general, presumably, is someone who you trust to talk about tobacco, about social media, about caffeinated alcoholic beverages, things that present problems in public health,' Sylvain said, adding, 'Should there be any doubt about claims you make about products?' Potential conflicts pose new ethical questions Means isn't the first surgeon general nominee whose financial entanglements have raised eyebrows. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general from 2017 to 2021, filed federal disclosure forms that showed he invested in several health technology, insurance and pharmaceutical companies before taking the job — among them Pfizer, Mylan and UnitedHealth Group. He also invested in the food and drink giant Nestle. He divested those stocks when he was confirmed for the role and pledged that he and his immediate family would not acquire financial interest in certain industries regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Vivek Murthy, who served as surgeon general twice, under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, made more than $2 million in COVID-19-related speaking and consulting fees from Carnival, Netflix, Estee Lauder and Airbnb between holding those positions. He pledged to recuse himself from matters involving those parties for a period of time. Means has not yet gone through a Senate confirmation hearing and has not yet announced the ethical commitments she will make for the role. Hund said that as influencer marketing becomes more common, it is raising more ethical questions, such as what past influencers who enter government should do to avoid the appearance of a conflict. Other administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, have also promoted companies on social media without disclosing their financial ties. 'This is like a learning moment in the evolution of our democracy,' Hund said. 'Is this a runaway train that we just have to get on and ride, or is this something that we want to go differently?' Swenson reported from New York.
