I'm an Orthodox Christian, and we practice fasting for about half the year. We fast almost every Wednesday and Friday and have longer fasting periods for Lent and the Nativity. For most people this looks like refraining from meat, dairy, and eggs (some people eliminate oil and wine as well) on those days. I was reading a book about fasting when Russia was mostly Orthodox, and I was surprised to read they fasted from a number of things including conviences and entertainment. It has really inspired me to broaden my views on fasting to potentially include refraining from television watching, smartphone use, and maybe eventually doing our laundry the old fashion way or using a wood burning stove during fasts. I think confining it to a certain time makes it feel more achievable. Also, I think it alligns more with the traditional spirit of fasting which was supposed to be difficult, uncomfortable, and inconvient. It also just seems to be a healthy way a living physically and spiritually whether or not someone is Orthodox!
I reread Brave New World this week so your post is very relevant to what I've been think about lately. Mainly, our modern culture of valuing comfort, pleasure, and conformity above all else.
I love the idea of fasting from conveniences and entertainment! I would find both those fasts very challenging, especially entertainment. I agree that bounding that kind of undertaking with a start and finish is a good way to make it more doable.
I'm Catholic. We traditionally "give up" something during the 40 days of Lent, and it's often sweets or chocolate or some such. One year, I gave up talking badly about other people. It really made sharply clear which conversation partners I habitually slandered others with. Once I understood that that habit was associated with the company of certain people, I was able to rein it in by avoiding those people, none of whom I was close with. It was very good information.
I also love your idea of fasting from the washing machine!! Very intriguing. I've been dancing around some variant of that idea for years. I'm not sure how big your family is, but I have been looking at this manual tool from Lehman's, coupled with a five-gallon bucket, to do the job: https://www.lehmans.com/product/breathing-hand-washer/
I'm an Orthodox Christian, and we practice fasting for about half the year. We fast almost every Wednesday and Friday and have longer fasting periods for Lent and the Nativity. For most people this looks like refraining from meat, dairy, and eggs (some people eliminate oil and wine as well) on those days. I was reading a book about fasting when Russia was mostly Orthodox, and I was surprised to read they fasted from a number of things including conviences and entertainment. It has really inspired me to broaden my views on fasting to potentially include refraining from television watching, smartphone use, and maybe eventually doing our laundry the old fashion way or using a wood burning stove during fasts. I think confining it to a certain time makes it feel more achievable. Also, I think it alligns more with the traditional spirit of fasting which was supposed to be difficult, uncomfortable, and inconvient. It also just seems to be a healthy way a living physically and spiritually whether or not someone is Orthodox!
I reread Brave New World this week so your post is very relevant to what I've been think about lately. Mainly, our modern culture of valuing comfort, pleasure, and conformity above all else.
I love the idea of fasting from conveniences and entertainment! I would find both those fasts very challenging, especially entertainment. I agree that bounding that kind of undertaking with a start and finish is a good way to make it more doable.
I'm Catholic. We traditionally "give up" something during the 40 days of Lent, and it's often sweets or chocolate or some such. One year, I gave up talking badly about other people. It really made sharply clear which conversation partners I habitually slandered others with. Once I understood that that habit was associated with the company of certain people, I was able to rein it in by avoiding those people, none of whom I was close with. It was very good information.
I also love your idea of fasting from the washing machine!! Very intriguing. I've been dancing around some variant of that idea for years. I'm not sure how big your family is, but I have been looking at this manual tool from Lehman's, coupled with a five-gallon bucket, to do the job: https://www.lehmans.com/product/breathing-hand-washer/