Food for thought...

[fajrdrako]

Yesterday, for the first time in months, I was talking to Aliya, my Ayurvedic diet consultant. I think Aliya is amazing.

I mentioned in passing that I felt stuck ata stalemate with my weight-loss diet; after losing about 25 pounds I stopped losing weight and haven't lost anything since, over several months.

She looked thoughtful, and suggested a weekend of fasting. She said she would e-mail me details, but it would be three days on a moderated kichadi diet - meaning, basically, rice, mung beans and spices. Fine. No problem. I thought she was going to say 'fast on only water' or 'consume nothing but fruit juices'. I was prepared to try any of these things.

Then she said: you would fast for three and a half days, from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, and during that time you don't read or write anything.

I may have turned pale. I know my jaw dropped. Three days? with no reading? no writing? I'm not sure I can go three minutes. I sure wouldn't want to go three days. But....

She's going to e-mail me the details. She explained why she thought it would be a good idea. She may be right.

It feels like a challenge.

But I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I want to try.

Is sanity optional?

Comments

[lmondegreen.livejournal.com]

Three days? with no reading? no writing?

My first impulse is to cringe and say, "Ack! What would you *do*?", but I can see how it could be helpful. Difficult, but helpful.

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[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Difficult, yes, but that's probably the whole point. My massage therapist talks about people 'who live in the mind'. I wonder.

I'm thinking about it.

[blackbyrde.livejournal.com]

So what would you do? Meditate? Watch TV? Talk a walk outside in the snowy clean whiteness? :)

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[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

All those things. I was thinking of waiting till it's warmer to try this - maybe have some spring greenness to walk in.

She didn't say I couldn't watch TV or videos but I suspect that isn't supposed to be on the agenda either.

[brancher.livejournal.com]

I think you should listen to your instincts. This is, in plain terms, nutty.

If you were feeling overwhelmed or spread thin by life or out of touch with yourself, sure, a weekend without words might be just the thing. (You could try going a weekend without speaking, instead; that has much the same effect.)

But all you want is to lose some weight. Starving yourself in short bursts will only cause your metabolism to panic, assume there's a food shortage, and start converting *everything* you eat into fat so in to lay in stores against the spring.

And while going a weekend without reading is certainly a legitimate spiritual practice (as is fasting) you don't mention anything about needing your spirit cleansed.

If you want to lose weight, talk to your doctor about your nutrition and excercize habits.

But please, don't do this absurd fast. I'm sure your Ayurvedic friend is a deep person of great spirit, but her science is seriously junky.

Re:

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to do anything without looking into it thoroughly ahead of time, and making sure I think it's the right thing to do. For me. I have talked to doctors, who give various forms of sensible advice. Since I'm seeing my GP again on Tuesday, I'll ask her about the stalled-at-dieting thing and see what she said.

I too was thinking (in relation to this) about the "going without speech" practice which many books recommend; and it reminds me of the story of the time Viggo Mortensen did that (for a role) and communicated with his son by tapping the telephone.

I think the theory is - though I'll have to ask Aliya to be sure what her reasonsing is - that cleansing the spirit will send a message to the body to get back to the weight-loss and improved-health business. Or prehaps it will send a message to my mind that I shouldn't worry so much about poundage one way or another.

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[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

I too was thinking (in relation to this) about the "going without speech" practice which many books recommend; and it reminds me of the story of the time Viggo Mortensen did that (for a role) and communicated with his son by tapping the telephone.

I think he breathed down the telephone line as well as tapping, but still... *g* It was for "The Passion of Darkly Noon" - have you seen it? Local video rental places being what they are, the only way I'll ever get to see it is if I buy the dvd. So it would be nice if it came recommended.

Or prehaps it will send a message to my mind that I shouldn't worry so much about poundage one way or another.

LOL. Quite possibly! That's a very pragmatic attitiude, and either way, you can't lose. I mean if you're fit and happy, maybe losing more weight isn't really necessary...?

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[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think he breathed down the telephone line as well as tapping, but still...

You know, there are times when I really envy Henry. I wish Viggo would breathe at *me* over a telephone line. He breathes so beautifully. His "gasp, pant, groan" audio for the LOTR video game is quite a treat. No, I haven't seen "The Passion of Darkly Noon" but I'd like to.

I mean if you're fit and happy, maybe losing more weight isn't really necessary...?

I have conflicted feelings about this. I really do believe that people shluldn't conform to predetermined notions of beauty - that's just vanity, we are all beautiful in our own ways as we are and should be happy as such. On the other hand, I look in the mirror and think, "That isn't me - I'm a slim person" because I used to be a slim person and that is ingrained in my self-image, and being plump doesn't make me feel good about myself. It seems to fit into whatever irrational concerns I have about aging. I'm not sure what the answer is! It would be good to find a balance between "bettering myself so I feel good about my looks" and "a stupid desire to look like Sharon Stone".

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to know the details, and her reasoning. I can see the advantages of not reading or writing anything for inspiring creativity and mental/spiritual cleansing, but for weight loss? It's intriguing. I've done the rice/beans cleansing diet when I'm feeling physically dragged down; perhaps the whole combination is to get a mind/body connection.

Will you post the details?

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[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'll post more when I get further details. Yoga theory tends not to make much of a differentiation between "what's good for the body", "what's good for the mind" and "what's good for the spirit". That kind of reasoning makes sense to me, which is one of the reasons yoga appeals to me in the first place.

[jfc013.livejournal.com]

Uh-huh.

What's good for my mind and spirit is to take in knowledge and communicate rather than hold things inside to fester. Without distractions, I would quickly go mad.

But you do what you have to do...

Re:

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well, yoga isn't for everyone. I like the sense of choice and control it gives me - and I know it sounds contradictory in saying that not doing something (like fasting, or going without reading) gives you choice and control, but there is a thrill of freedom in not feeling compelled to do something you would normally do and you can therefore do without it by choice.

I don't know if I'll do this exercise, but I find it psychologically interesting. Even just thinking about my reactions to it (which are extremely mixed) has been enlightening.

Anyway, going mad isn't one of the options. I can do the exercise, or not do it. I can do it, and decide to stop at any point if it isn't working for me. Freedom of choice remains - with a little fudge factor for stubbornness.