Fasting

[hoobley]

Ok, well with it being ramadan i've been thinking about fasting recently.

How many of us fast as part of our spiritual lives? I know many muslims do, and i wonder if some of the pagans might too. Anyone else?

In 2004 i fasted for one day of ramadan on the invitation of the muslims who i worked with. They invite non-muslims to keep fast with them for one day so we could experience it (all of it aside from prayers of course) and as an opportunity to allow us to better understand it all.

I LOVED it. FIrstly though the lack of water (more than food) gave me a foggy brain, i really valued looking at food in a new way. This was enhanced by the fact that to keep proper fast we rookies were working hard at not complaining about it at all At sundown (might have been a tough year for you in Aus but for us UKers the 2004 fasts were only actually about 10 or 11 hours and the lovely ladies organising it invited us to join them in the final week before Eid, so the fast was as short as possible) all the muslims and all the tryers like us gathered in a big board room to break fast together and talk about how it had gone for us, how it was for them to do it for a month of every calendar, what it all means and so on. It was really wonderful

Anyway, i am not a muslim. I have read the seerah of the final prophet PBUH and i have looked at the koran, and it doesn't fit with me. I cannot find faith there. It appeals to me, but i do not think it feels "real" enough for me to become muslim. I think i'd be trying a hat on, and TBH i don't want that.

BUT, i cannot let go of the fasting experience. I really enjoyed it and i felt it did something for me, spiritually. In starving my body i fed my soul, sort of thing. As such i'd like to find a way to incorporate fasting into my life. I don't want to "adopt" ramadan as the idea to me is slightly offensive, religious pick 'n mix? Yuk.

I'm a bit of a purist, and i'm interested in a purer way to incorporate fasting. I was not considering a full month of fasting, more perhaps one or two days a month. Perhaps at full moon? Or maybe in time with my own rythmn, when AF is here?

I don't know, but this longing has grown with every ramadan since 2004 (the only people i know IRL who fast are muslims) and i do feel that something within is "speaking" to me that this is something my sould would appreciate.

So, any ideas, stories to share, etc.?

Many thanks for reading.

Bx

[dachlostar]

There is a wiki article about fasting Fasting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There are a few other religions that fast so maybe you could also look at the their practices.
As you'd know in Islam women have an exemption from fasting when they menstruate.
On a practical level I find there are a few things that help me get the most from fasting.

• Use a slow cooker and get dinner on early so you're not thinking about it all day and don't have to cook just before diner time. If I'm not cooking a slow cooker meal I try to get as much prep done early in the day as possible.
• Keep dinner simple and don't spend the night eating. Some Muslims actually put on weight in Ramadan because they spend all day cooking elaborate feasts and all night eating them. To me that seems totally self-defeating, hence my slow-cooker thing. I put the food on and try and forget about it lol.
• Do your food shopping in the morning so you don't make hunger related impulse purchases
• Have something with a fairly low GI for breakfast and drink a lot of water. I have a high protein cereal every morning.
• Try and set some quiet time aside for reflection.
• Break your fast with friends sometimes.
• Soup is a good option for breaking your fast - it's food and drink all in one.
  

[punkin]

I fast prior to a ritual, with one coven I was a member of, we used to stop food 24 hours before the ritual, then I used to stop all liquids other than water 12 hours before the ritual. After the ritual we would all break fast together, to help ground us.

[SaraJane]

Good thread Bx!!

So, my experience is from a Christian perspective as you know. I do fast on specific holy days such as the day of atonement, where it is required to fast. Other Christians also fast on days such as Good Friday, and during Lent. Or instead of fasting during Lent you can abstain from something else.

Apart from fasting on the days required the Bible also encourages fasting at other times. God expects us to fast and Jesus is quoted as saying '...when you fast...' rather than '...if you fast...'. The purpose of this is to focus on prayer and being close with God. So, I try not to think about food too much (as hard as it is) and not mope around being hungry but rather use my time that I might usually spend eating or preparing food, for spiritual activities.

The times I have decided to fast for myself (not a holy day) it has either been because I feel I have lost contact with God and need to get back to basics, or for some cause. I don't really ask for things for myself because I feel a bit weird about that but I have fasted for things I am worried about (like people who are sick, etc).

In starving my body i fed my soul, sort of thing.

I think it is really beneficial and your post reflected how I feel about fasting, so go for it!! I haven't fasted since last year so thankyou for getting me thinking about it again!! Although, I'm not really sure what to do when pregnant.



Matthew 6:16-18 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

[Nelle]

I don't fast on particular days. And I don't do it often, haven't in ages to be honest. But I fast when I want to symbolise I don't rely on anything of the world, kind of to demonstrate that I'm really serious about what I'm about to approach God about, perhaps a friend's illness, or other situation close to my heart. I don't think God needs me to fast, it's more about making a difference in how I approach him, my mindset, and it makes me connecting with God feel more special than usual.

For me though, fasting isn't the big deal it is for many people, because I can go all my sunlight hours without eating anyway. I'm lazy, absent minded, and disorganised, so it's often 4pm by the time I think 'gee, I'm hungry'. For me, symbolically it's a bigger deal to go outside somewhere quiet by myself with my bible, or not speak for a certain period of time.
Kind of like some people do the 40hour famine without their phones or internet - that is more significant and meaningful to them. And God gets my meaning, he knows what is significant to me.

I'm not sure how you would work fasting into your life Hoobs. Perhaps when you need to think about something, redefine who you are and what you want out of life, you could fast to symbolise that this isn't a physical issue, but a deeper one? Not sure.

[Rosehip_Fairy]

Hi Bec

I have fasted in the past and used the time to concentrate on my relationship with God. It has been fantastic and given me some fantastic insight into where I am in my journey. And in my life too. Answers come quicker when you're listening rather than eating!

BUT on the whole I try not to fast too often. It's something that I can do easily, I've fasted for up to three days before, with nothing but water. Given that I have a bad relationship with food and I tend to comfort-diet, I have to make sure I am mentally strong enough to fast and that it doesn't start me dieting again (I haven't dieted for about 3 years now, but that doesn't mean the mentality isn't there and fasting sometimes encourages this). Plus I have to cook for DS, if not DH, so I'll still be thinking about food.

It's not something I do on a specific day or at a specific time, for reasons mentioned above, but it is something I try to do. For me, it's more on focussing the mind, which can sometimes mean missing a meal so I am praying and contemplating privately. Again, with DS around, doesn't happen too often. But can happen because it's taking time out while he's sleeping and I could have lunch. Just a few times a year, just missing food for one day to concentrate on other things, can be so beneficial (as you found a few years back!).

Maybe you could spend time thinking about your own faith and what you really believe rather than trying to follow a set fasting programme? I know that when I do that I have a much clearer picture of what I do believe and that's helpful; there's so much cultural stuff that we were told as children that we just randomly think is true when, if we evalutate this, we find we don't believe it at all.

HTH.

[Yael]

Yep, i fast.

We have 2 major fasts a year (around 25 hours, dusk - night) - on Yom Kippur (the day of atonement, which is in about 2 weeks, eek!, and the 9th of Av. These are the only 2 days were everyone has to fast, unless it is life or death not to (not, "i have a headache kind of thing". Pregnant and bfeeding women do also.

We have about 8 other minor fasts a year, which go from daybreak until night. These ones pregnant and bfeeding women can be excluded from (i haven't done one since beginning 2005, my aim is not to until menopause )

As much as fasting is exhausting and hard at times, i enjoy it when i'm not around the kids and i have time to think about why i'm doing it. I find it very refreshing and cleansing in a way.

My tips for fasting are:

1) stop drinking caffine etc at least 3 days beforehand.. the biggest cause of headaches are always caffine withdrawl
2) the day before just keep drinking water.. very important tha you are hydrated enough during the fast
3) complex carbs and protein are the way to go for your pre-fast meal.
4) break your fast on something light, like a cup of tea and some cake.. then after an hour when your stomach has adjusted have a proper meal.
5) have a sleep during the day, makes it easier.
6) make dinner in advance, - it's hard enough fasting and feeding kids, let alone cooking all day long.

[SaraJane]

Does anyone know if it's ok to fast for a day when pregnant? No food or water? I'm not sure about it, especially the no water...

[hoobley]

I think for muslim women they can choose if they want to, and i know at least 2 who did. They only did it in the middle trimester and if they felt unwell on it they did take some water. For most of my muslim friends it depends what season Ramadan is falling, how far along they were, and how good their pregnancy was going generally. One girl i know told me the town in Pakistan where she was from MOST women did fast during pregnancy and breastfeeding (you can't fast if you have lochia still anyway, so most never fasted if ramadan happened to fall in the first 4-6 weeks of breastfeeding)

IN many many parts of the world women live on FAR fewer calories that we in the West do. Many have to go days without food, and sometimes days without water, weeks, months, years, lifetimes without clean water. It's not ideal, but it hasn't wiped the human race out yet. I think in the situation of Ramadan, where a woman is able to eat and drink amply and healthily during the 24-hour period, just not during daylight, it's probably not dangerous for healthy women having normal pregnancies.

Bx

[Yael]

Yes, it's fine to fast during a normal pregnancy for 24 hours with no food or water. I have done it twice, both pregnancy's. Last year i was around 32 weeks, felt fine, just took it easy that day (still walked 25 mins each way to synagogue pushing a stroller).

Drink lots of water the day before.

[SaraJane]

Thanks guys!