Jediism and Fasting

Hello,

I have a few questions related to fasting and the way of the Jedi.

1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?
2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?
3) What do you gain from this?
4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

I have always heard of fasting as a way to promote spiritual growth if done sincerely, so I am interested to know whether or not the Jedi community is any exception to this.

Sometimes I do early day fasting. No food for 6 hours after waking. I do this as practice for self-control and discipline. It is also for my physical health.

1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?

Yes

2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?

I currently am fasting off and on as part of my weight loss regiment. Sometimes I do a day with only water. (Once a month) Other times I do a day where my diet is only liquids (meal replacement shakes) for lunch and dinner with no breakfast
( twice a week)

3) What do you gain from this?

Training in discipline and a healthier body.

4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

The reason I am doing this is I was/am overweight by a good amount and to be healthy I need to drop that weight. I personally feel a Jedi should be as fit as their body will allow and this pushed me to work for a healthy weight.

MadHatter wrote: 1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?

Yes

2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?

I currently am fasting off and on as part of my weight loss regiment. Sometimes I do a day with only water. (Once a month) Other times I do a day where my diet is only liquids (meal replacement shakes) for lunch and dinner with no breakfast
( twice a week)

3) What do you gain from this?

Training in discipline and a healthier body.

4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

The reason I am doing this is I was/am overweight by a good amount and to be healthy I need to drop that weight. I personally feel a Jedi should be as fit as their body will allow and this pushed me to work for a healthy weight.

Wow! How well has it worked for you? I've always heard fasting can be dangerous if used as a method of weight-loss over an extended period.

If you decide to fast, I would caution about being mindful of your body's needs for the action of that day. Depending on your own health, your activities, and the length of time you fast, it can become dangerous to your health.

Just listen to what your body is telling you.

Axid wrote:

MadHatter wrote: 1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?

Yes

2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?

I currently am fasting off and on as part of my weight loss regiment. Sometimes I do a day with only water. (Once a month) Other times I do a day where my diet is only liquids (meal replacement shakes) for lunch and dinner with no breakfast
( twice a week)

3) What do you gain from this?

Training in discipline and a healthier body.

4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

The reason I am doing this is I was/am overweight by a good amount and to be healthy I need to drop that weight. I personally feel a Jedi should be as fit as their body will allow and this pushed me to work for a healthy weight.

Wow! How well has it worked for you? I've always heard fasting can be dangerous if used as a method of weight-loss over an extended period.

It has worked very well. The reason its not been bad or risky is I only do one day a month where I do not eat and the day before I am sure to get my limit of calories. The other "fasting days" are low calorie but not no calorie. Plus I only do these low or no calorie days when the only thing I am going to do is be walking around the house. As Knight Kit mentioned fasting while doing any real sort of activity can be risky.

I'd say diet in the West parallels the flamboyant consumerism in other areas of our society, as a religion of short term gratification. One one hand it drives growth of capitalism but on the other it plagues it by depriving it of its potential! And so diet has surprised me how big a role it plays now in my life. These days I'd say at least 95% of non-fruit stuff in a supermarket is outright garbage.... seriously. In some regards I am on a permanent fast from most foods.

Just because now I tend to see that everything society does around food seems to be wrong! The right way to view food is probably more about gut flora, and much much less about energy or taste. Taste is easy to get over, but energy is a tricky one. I think the body knows how to operate with different energy sources, and we can once we get used to it... and if we get too used to eating and storing fats then we lose the capacity to function in the other more healthy modes of operations - like an addict cannot function without its drug. We've all heard sugar is like a drug and why we reward kids with treats (it gets them a 'high' of energy), but I think too much fat works in the same way, albeit slower and therefore not activation the reward system like sugar does. Great if you've got limited food supply mind you, like hunter gatherers who spend most of their time starving trying to chase the next meal.

So the good thing about avoiding all the garbage permanently is that when you do find yourself having something designed to engorge the senses - you get the benefit of taste relativism
:side:

Axid wrote: Hello,

I have a few questions related to fasting and the way of the Jedi.

1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?
2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?
3) What do you gain from this?
4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

I have always heard of fasting as a way to promote spiritual growth if done sincerely, so I am interested to know whether or not the Jedi community is any exception to this.

1. Not as part of my Jedi training, but I have as part of other, non-Jedi religious practices.
2. Limited fasts, usually. Fasting from one thing (sugar, or meat, or grains) for a specified period of time (usually while the sun shines on a certain day or week)
3. It's a meditative practice that I find helps to make me more conscious of what I choose to put into my body. That lesson, that realization of what I take in, extends to my other senses as well. It puts me in a mindset to examine the kind of talk I allow around me, the kind of positive or negative people I allow in my life, etc.
4. It is not for everyone, and you should always check with your doctor before starting a fast or diet of any kind.

1) Does anyone here ever practice fasting as a compliment to your Jedi training?

As another said - Sometimes I fast. Nothing to do with Jediism.

2) If yes, what sort of fasting and for how long?

Generally water only for 24 hours.
I often drop certain food groups for a period, but I don't consider this Fasting so much as "not being an irresponsible git with what I eat"

3) What do you gain from this?

Hard to say. I don't know enough to know if there are actual physiological benefits, or if they are just per-syche-oh-logical.
Anyway, I usually end up just feeling "lighter" and "Cleaner" and occasionally enjoying my next meal more.

4) Anything else fasting-related that you would like to add.

Just agreeing with what Kit Said - Don't go on a full Fast if you're planning to go for a long drive or build a shed!

and disagreeing with what Steamboat Said

It is not for everyone, and you should always check with your doctor before starting a fast or diet of any kind.

You should go through as much of your life as possible without checking with your doctor, otherwise you don't really deserve to live it.

Whoever came up with "Check with your doctor" is probably the same git who said that Diamonds are for showing love.

JamesSand wrote: and disagreeing with what Steamboat Said

It is not for everyone, and you should always check with your doctor before starting a fast or diet of any kind.

You should go through as much of your life as possible without checking with your doctor, otherwise you don't really deserve to live it.

Whoever came up with "Check with your doctor" is probably the same git who said that Diamonds are for showing love.

What is wrong with suggesting you check with a health care professional to make sure that a diet or fast is something you are healthy enough for. For example, if you have very low blood sugar levels and then fast it could be really bad for you. I am not sure why you sound so hostile to the idea of making sure it's safe to do something before doing it.