Eating much less food - worried

[VipassanaXYZ]

Hi

I had a deep 3 hour long sitting right after waking up. I meditate but so long and so easy is rare.
The attention continued to get better through the sitting and I could not eat afterwards as usual.

Since the last 3 days I have had to force myself to eat and cant eat/digest much though still feeling energetic.

Should I continue to eat less?

(I already do eat less, no dinner and try to eat my meals by 1 pm in the afternoon and generally only have fruits/juice afterwards. I am on the thinner side and have been trying to put on some weight because I feel weak sometimes).

[siddharthgode]

I dont need to eat much at all if i dont do much physical work. In modern life we dont spend any energy be it travel or work. I only need to eat 1 meal a day.... just talk to your body. If it is comfortable then dont worry..

[VipassanaXYZ]

Thanks!

Nice to know I am not alone experiencing this.

After breakfast, I had the lunch packed for office, and felt heavy  - as if I didnt need it

I will try to listen to the body.

I work on the computer mostly and dont really have much physical exercise.

Thank you for the reply 
metta

[siddharthgode]

i avoid eating in between. i.e, if i eat breakfast i eat dinner straight. if i dont eat breakfast then il have a good heavy afternoon meal and no dinner. If i eat dinner i do eat breakfast though.

[Quardamon]

For me, it was only once in my life that I did not feel like eating. Someone running a health food store told me that I could eat an apple, taking very little bites - as if scraping - or that I could fast. I fasted for four days, then.
Like the other three or four times that I fasted (for four days) it felt like I was changing from getting energy from food to getting energy from prana/air.
To me, there was a logic to doing this.

In my view, there can me a seduction in feeling airy and light. So I love what Siddharthgode says about listening to your body. To me, that includes doing physical things and enjoying to be physically present. (Like any other being, the body speaks more and wiser when it is listened to with appreciation.)

[VinceField]

I often hear monks teaching that one should not eat after lunchtime.  I don't think this is practical for a layperson.  I also don't think it is necessarily all that healthy for any human.  As a certified personal trainer, I understand the body's needs for nourishment and the importance of daily exercise for improving and sustaining health.  I don't hear much talk about these aspects of healthy, mindful living from monks, although I have seen my share of obese, lethargic and unhealthy-looking venerables. 

[Matthew]

I often hear monks teaching that one should not eat after lunchtime.  I don't think this is practical for a layperson.

It is not proscribed for a layperson.

 

also don't think it is necessarily all that healthy for any human.

If after lunch all you are doing is meditating it is part of the monastic discipline and helpful on the path. Also not necessarily unhealthy - in fact there is a saying, "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper" - if you are eating for health. It isn't healthy to eat large meals in the evening or late in the day because the digestive tract shuts down significantly during sleep and this results in food rotting inside you before you start digesting it in the day.


 

As a certified personal trainer, I understand the body's needs for nourishment and the importance of daily exercise for  and sustaining health.  I don't hear much talk about these aspects of healthy, mindful living from monks, although I have seen my share of obese, lethargic and unhealthy-looking venerables. 

The Buddha was very keen on staying healthy and used to swim daily. Like many other aspects of Buddhism what you see today is often far from the teachings. The Buddha also encouraged healthy eating - the "Middle way" was itself a rejection of asceticism (including practices such as starvation) and indulgence (including unrestricted dietary greed).

Kindly,

Matthew

[Matthew]

...

I will try to listen to the body.

I work on the computer mostly and dont really have much physical exercise.

...

Hi poojavassa,

Both working on a computer and not having much physical exercise will reduce the ability to listen to the body. I think this is shown in your example where you say you feel weak sometimes.

Like Sid I do not eat huge amounts but if I feel weak I know it is time to eat more.

Kindly,

Matthew

[VinceField]

Like you hinted at, Matthew, it's important to listen to your body.  If you deny your body of nutrition when it demands it, you may be doing yourself a disservice, whether you are a layman or a monk. 

[VipassanaXYZ]

Matthew I think you touched upon a very important thing : I have been having constant disturbance from the electromagnetic radiation ( from the cell phone tower ON my office building, and from a cell phone tower barely 100 mtrs from my house).

Working on the computer and being in electric fields is not helping me at all. My concentration can at times be reasonable but I know I am hitting a rock because the environment is so charged with radiation that it is literally burning my head.

 Over few years I can earn enough to move to some village (I live in India) - but by then I think my brain would have undergone severe 'burns' from this radiation I do not have other words because when I left office yesterday my head was 'burning' from inside and all I wanted to do was to sit under a tree and ground myself (not possible, in middle of the city with cell phone towers planted every few hundred mtrs).

[bomega]

Hey Pooja, Have you thought about adding some physical exercise to your day? I know that when I don't exercise I eat less, but that also makes me light-headed and difficult to concentrate, and then when I eat, it isn't always nutritious. But if I do regular physical exercise, I eat more, and also on a regular schedule, and crave more nutritious foods. The body has an intelligence about what it needs, and physical exercise is a way of connecting to that. You say you are trying to gain weight. I think doing some strength training or one of the more vigorous forms of yoga would be very beneficial. Do you have access to any fitness facilities convenient to you?

[VipassanaXYZ]

Hello Bomega

I am looking at joining a yoga ashram in South India (where I live currently) and left my job yesterday.

I was amazed at what I wrote at this forum (my last comment) and just left the job and trying to shift to a new rented place where I will not be exposed to so much radiation from cell phone towers.

I have been thinking of becoming a nun for the last decade now, may be I will go to Pa Auk in Burma.

I had wanted to start a place for women practitioners in India though and was working in IT with the motivation to arrange money for a big house where women could come and stay for free to meditate ... I dont want to continue in the IT job though, not even for money because it is really hurting my health.

Samatha (calm) does bring loss of desire to eat more ... but (for now) I discovered the dangers of having cell towers and being in radiation all the time. I dont want to be doing something that will take away my capacity to meditate - I feel cell phone towers and radiation (from computers, wi-fi etc.) are affecting me adversely to the extent I left the job.

[Matthew]

poojavassa,

When I referred to being at a computer stopping you from hearing your body I was referring to a specific issue but not radiation. When we look at a screen we mentally get drawn into that reality - it takes over from our connection to body.

You have made some long-lasting decisions and it sounds as though they are in line with some long-held wishes you have expressed. I like the sound of the house you planned to buy and then into a place for mediators to come. If you don't choose ordination perhaps you can find a work role in a less polluted environment and continue along that path.

Whatever you do now I wish you the very best.

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[VipassanaXYZ]

Matthew

Thanks for your reply.

I actually got a bit scared and asked my manager for a sabbatical (as good as leaving) shortly after reading computers are affecting my ability to listen to the body/meditate - my mind quickly jumped to conclusions and it was only later I realised what happened

It is also true that these are long held desires but I needed to arrange things. Also radiation IS burning my brains out and I need to move from my residence/away from office very quickly.

I will ask on Monday if I can work from home and come to office to attend meetings 2-3 times a week (am a technical writer and can work from home mostly) - and then work on finding a living place of residence a little outside the city! If that happens, I can keep working for the same company and get some dough.

If not possible to WFH in this company or any other company then I might choose to hang around in the same rented place, bear with the radiation till I arrange Visa for Burma and update my documents to wrap things up to go become a monk 

I think sacrificing too much when you dont have enough means to build a house/monastery is a useless desire because mara keeps you in the world as his slave by conceit. It is better to then work on self- realization because that is more important that building a building.

There are monks who establish monasteries even after ordaining and I dont have to think too much about it, dhamma being my goal not starting a monsatery though it would have benefited a lot more women if there is a convenient place for long term questionless stay here in India ...

I shouldnt be delaying self-realization because I have got the means for that - a healthy body and mind and dhamma !)

There was a mention of a story of a woman and child ghost - mother and child became ghost by having great attachment to making merit by helping build a monastery and were still carrying stones searching for a pagoda in the ghostly form - their mind, it seems, took to stones and idea of pagoda more than to 'dhamma' and objective behind it, attachment became unwholesome leading to their state until a monk advised them to leave the stones (and clinging to finishing the pagoda!)

 

[VipassanaXYZ]

There is some power in a forum like this.

Every time I write here, it clears my head.

Brings clarity and I get amazing ability to act.

Thanks!!

[siddharthgode]

hi pooja,

I have been having constant disturbance from the electromagnetic radiation

I doubt you actually have the awareness to observe its actual effect on your body and mind. Can it be your mind's fabrications?

I actually got a bit scared and asked my manager for a sabbatical (as good as leaving) shortly after reading computers are affecting my ability to listen to the body/meditate - my mind quickly jumped to conclusions and it was only later I realised what happened

I believe your mind is a little unstable now. I advice you not to take any big decisions now.

I know how it feels when one first tastes true Dhamma. Wait for all the (sensations of) excitement dies out. Then get settled in Dhamma and then you will be much stable to take decisions.

I would advice you not to quit your job. Take a brake. Do some intense meditation (may be attend a vipassana course). Settle in.

I am looking at joining a yoga ashram in South India (where I live currently) and left my job yesterday.

Both Hyderabad and Bangalore centers for Vipassana are very good. Bangalore usually have a long waiting list for first time meditators. Hyderabad center is bigger and one can get instant admissions.

[VipassanaXYZ]

Ok, I have not quit and joined back to work after the headaches receded.

Thanks people!

[Matthew]

[Thomas87]

Where does your knowledge about radiations and health comes ? What I mean by that is, how seriously did you search about that subject ?
I'm not sure, but you might want to look seriously about the effect you attribute to radiations. As said earlier, there is several reasons why you could feel worse in your work environment, besides possible radiation effect.

For now, lots of research has been done, I'm not qualified to conclude about any of it, nor did I review a lot of it, but according to serious physicians explanation and studies about radiations, it seems science doesn't show serious health adverse effects of radiations from phones and wireless etc as loads of people thought there were. Different waves create different results. I can only suggest that you take a couple hours to look carefully at that problem or even try to talk to a specialist if this is really important to you. A lot of flawed information is on the internet, warning about dangers that never have been proved, so be careful and serious. I would advice that you search for governments' information (IE I just found : http://www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/basics/ion_nonion.cfm )sites or large institution sites (IE : http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/cellular-phone-towers ), and do not trust low confidence random sites.

Specifically there is a major difference between ionizing radiations and non ionizing radiations : "Ionizing radiation has more energy than non ionizing radiation; enough to cause chemical changes by breaking chemical bonds. This effect can cause damage to living tissue". Most phones waves, micro waves, wireless etc belong to the second category, that can heat a little (depending on the amount), but not harm basically.

But well, I'm not well aware of your situation, I'm just saying, you might be creating unnecessary stress and tension about this situation, plus a nocebo effect on yourself, by holding to flawed beliefs about radiations dangers.

So I'm not sure, maybe I'm not right and you already know about that, but if not, that might help you.

Good luck.

Thomas.

[VipassanaXYZ]

Hi Thomas, Matthew

it is so nice to receive your replies!

I would have become a nun, the monastery I like to ordain in is in Burma and I will need visa fees for a long time to keep renewing my visa if I live there till I reach the final goal/till end of my life. Logistics have held me for now and I am back in my job till I figure things out more carefully.

I do need a better more peaceful place to live in this very polluted city - yesterday, I asked a student from Swaraj University (http://www.swarajuniversity.org/) to work with me, if she agrees I can start a yoga house for myself and other women like me to split the costs and earn some money.  Can hire a biggish house to convert to a paying guest facility for working women (with yoga, ayurvedic massage with herbal oils to strengthen the back muscles and spine, organic food, wheatgrass juices and healthy smoothies, no plastic/chemicals, not far from the IT factories but in a green spot). I think this will be good experience for me.
I have not moved out of my old house yet since I am now searching for a bungalow I can rent to start with my project, I am sure I will find something soon enough!

Radiation does affect me and I need no studies to prove it. Cant wait to get out of my current rented house!

Sorry, for such a long reply, but so many things have happened for me in the last few days. While on leave I had gone to stay at a beach and took some pictures, thinking about my alternative options for earning money I sent those pics to international agencies and got a response from Marilyn Agency, I have not landed on their profile but it all brought some excitement and made me think outside the current job!

The student I spoke to from Swaraj university is arriving in September second week and we can start experimenting with this new way of living and opening the house for other like-minded women and make good space for health and meditation in midst of a crowded city!
And, I hope to soon enough move out of the city in quiet place, it was so good to meditate in nature and I really felt the difference!

[Matthew]