Manifesto Monday: Observing the Sabbath

“[The Sabbath] is a time to come apart from the things of the world.  It is something to look forward to.  You get to go on hikes, stop pushing.  I don’t know how to describe it to you.  I think the Sabbath gives you peace, and that contributes to your health” – Marge Jetton, 104 years old

“To cease” is the original meaning of the word Sabbath and comes from a description of the seventh day of God’s creation in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.  This eventually became a law for the Jewish people, the breaking of which could result in death.

While death has been removed the equation, this is still a regular part of the practice of Judaism.  From sun down on Friday evening until “the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night”, no work is to be done.  There are 39 rules that are applied to the “Shabbat”, most of which I keep all seven days of the week.  Rules such as plowing, beating wool and tearing for the purpose of sewing are rarely a problem for me.

The problem for me exists in breaking the spirit of this law.

“To cease”

Judaism doesn’t have a lock on the Sabbath.  A few modern day Christians, particularly the Seventh-day Adventists, still observe the Sabbath.  The Uposatha is a Buddhist Sabbath day meant for “the cleansing of the defiled mind”.  The Jumu’ah, or “Friday Prayer”, is held every Friday by Muslims and, while not a 24 hour practice, is often used as a time of rest.

Regardless of religious background, the focus of the Sabbath is to rest.  In reading about the various cultures of longevity around the world, a common thread of regular rest and focus on family runs through them all.  Therefore, I’m using the concept of the Sabbath as a way to remove myself from the normal pace of life once a week to rest and spend time with my family.  The rule of thumb is:

“I can do anything as long as it accomplishes nothing”

From sun down Saturday night until sun down Sunday night I will observe the Sabbath and do no work.  Here’s a few examples of things not allowed:

• No house work including doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, etc.
• No “real” work such as checking business email, scheduling client calls, etc
• No running errands such as picking up groceries, returning a movie, etc.

The goal of the day is to spend time relaxing in preparation for the work week and spend time connecting with my family without distraction.

How does this relate to living in Perfect Health?

In the book Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, Dr. Dean Ornish, in speaking on the impact of love and relationships, says, “I am not aware of any other factor, – not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery – that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of  illness, and premature death from all causes”.

While there’s been plenty of studies done on this subject, I’d like to point out one in particular.  J. H. Medalie and U. Goldbourt kept track of 10,000 men over a five year period.  They were tracking the risk factors in development of angina pectoris – chest pain indicating heart disease.  The findings were startling.  Even in the face of “high risk factors” a wife’s love and support play a huge role in keeping a man’s health “balanced” and substantially reduced the likelihood of developing angina.

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Fostering the love and support of your family is potentially the most important thing you can do for your health and is seen in all of the Blue Zones across the world.  Observing the Sabbath is the rule that forces time into my schedule to do just that.