Prayer and Fasting: Part 2 - Fasting from Busyness
Liz Glover Wilson
Did you know that I grew up in a home where fasting was part of our culture and spiritual belief system?
From a young age, I was taught to consider the importance of restraint, sacrifice, and encouraged to find purification.
Yet, I resisted this concept for most of my life.
It always seemed a bit dramatic for me.
I had to find my own way.
In recent years, I have revisited the practice of fasting with a fresh perceptive. There is intermittent fasts, full fasts, water fasts, 1 to 40 day fasts, and dry fasts. Today, we have scientific support that fasting can improve your brain function, eating patterns, immune system, and can even clear your skin and prevent acne.
In my on-going study of Living Religions, I have found a wide scope of observances for fasting. There are seemingly endless ancient practices that are still honored today. To name a few:
Muslims are prohibited from eating or drinking from dawn ( fajr) to dusk (maghrib). It is considered time to begin fasting when a person standing outside can tell a white thread from a black thread, i.e the light of sun rise and the darkness of the night.
Christians see fasting as abstaining from food or drink during a period of spiritual growth to become closer to God. St. Augustine, the 4th century Bishop said, “Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, [and] scatters the clouds of concupiscence.”
The Hindu's consider fasting a moral and spiritual act where the aim is to purify the body and mind and acquire divine grace. Upavasana (औपवस्तम्) means one who fasts. Vrata (व्रत) is a Sanskrit word that means 'vow, resolve, devotion,' and refers to pious observances such as fasting.
The Hebrew word for fasting, ẓwm (צום),Jewish fasts are focused on atonement for sins, commemorative mourning, and gratitude. There are several well known annual observances, such as Rosh Hashanah; the Jewish New Year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and a day of judgment and coronation of G‑d as king.
In summary, most ancient fasts (that are still important today) require the practice of self-denial of our exaggerated physical appetite, for a period of time, as a way to open our pathway to divine G-d.
ABOUT PHYSICAL APPETITE
Lately, I have been thinking about what physical appetite means. It is not just food, but how we are treating our bodies daily.
How we put a toll on our bodies, by running from one activity to the next. Or, worse yet, succumbing to inactivity.
We are putting a constant stress on our beings, when we don't take enough time to stop, reflect, and rest in mindful ways.
Perhaps we are driven by fear of falling behind, or missing out on the next big thing around the corner?
Could it be an unconscious desire to appear more significant to others?
Whatever it is, we claim that we can't find time in our day for self-care.
We are too busy, but this is not sustainable.
“The reality is the body is very much defined by our mental, chemical, and physical well-being and our intentions sometimes don’t line up with our capabilities as far as just keeping things functioning together.”
FASTING FROM BUSYNESS
Fasting from busyness is something that I have been doing for a while now and I would like to share my practice with you.
As someone that everyone calls 'busy,' I actually dedicate an average of one to two hours a day to soul cleansing; a time set aside to honor the body, mind and soul as temple and seek divine inspiration.
It may sound like a lot of time, but consider that one hour of a 24 hour cycle is only 4% of your day.
You are worth that!
It might mean you need to get up earlier, or give up some other activities. I do promise that you will notice a difference in your life, if you stay steady and committed to the process.
Here are a few things to consider on your soul cleansing practice; the fasting from busyness.
1) Food Consumption
In our hurried routines, we often are not thinking enough about the toxins we put in our bodies. We chew so fast, that we 'inhale' our food. We grab for the coffee, the wine, the whatever that makes us feel good or gives us the 'fuel' we need to keep going.
In a daily soul cleansing practice, we practice some restraint and allow for moments of restoration.
Mindful Chewing - as a start, just committing to actually experience the activity of chewing allows us to enter awareness. Notice the texture and taste of your food
Learn Ingredients - build your knowledge about what you are consuming. Then ask yourself if what you are putting in your body is helpful or hurtful. Is it wholesome. Does it honor the earth around you?
Witness Your Motives - In awareness, we can witness our motives, our desires and grasping. Are you actually still hungry? Are you on automatic? Are you eating something to suppress an emotion?
2) Technology Time
Most of us have a hard time being in a different room from our smart phone or tablet. We check our social media feeds, emails and texts. Unconsciously, we grasp for validation, information and stimulation.
In a daily soul cleansing practice, we practice some restraint and allow for moments of restoration.
Create Sacred Time - this sounds easy, but can be very difficult if you have a job, a family, lots of friends, or are just addicted to the stimulation. Create sacred time and walk away from technology for a solid hour daily. This means shut it off, put it away and walk away
Notice Your Breath - the next time you are scrolling through your Instagram feed, or answering texts - pause, and notice your body. Are you breathing smoothly and fully? Are you scrunching your brows or clenching your jaw? Notice.
Engagement is the goal — not isolation - when constantly looking at your phone, cannot be fully present with others. Consider how much better you may be able to connect with others if you were fully engaged? See 6 tips for digital fasting HERE
3) Reflection and Renewal
We all desire more peace in our hearts and lives, and wonder why we are not achieving that at the level we need. C.S. Lewis wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
In a daily soul cleansing practice, we practice some restraint and allow for moments of restoration.
Dedicated Prayer and Meditation - Dedicated time for reflection (study / svadhyaya) is critical in order to better understand our purpose, and align our-self with real wisdom, and spiritual liberation
Move Past The Temporary - All the 'stuff' we do and buy is a grasping to fulfill temporary desires. Dedicated times of reflection and renewal help us shift our perspective to a more expansive scope of understanding
Witness Universal Vibrations - A new desire for God/ Consciousness - When we take away all the outside stimuli we are able to start to hear the inner voice as it tunes into the universal vibration of divine.
Renewal (Shaucha) Purification and Cleanliness - The practices of asana, pranayama, and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being. We must also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings, and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.
Need help to get started? Maybe use the list above as inspiration, and then start to customize your personal busyness fast plan. Just know that this is a daily commitment, and should continue throughout your life. You will need to make adjustments along the way, so give yourself grace for the journey.
CONCLUSION
Fasting is personal. Not everyone can or should fast from food. You should research any food fast you are considering and make sure you seek advice from a professional.
Everyone can practice a daily soul cleansing; a fasting from busyness.
When you take the time to care about your own being in a consistent and loving way, you will build a stronger relationship with the self and the divine.
