ascesis
- noun
- /əˈsiːsɪs/
- Specialized
- Through daily meditation and fasting, she embraced ascesis to deepen her spiritual connection.
Examples
-
Only through moral cleansing, the right path of life, and the systematic ascesis of the body and the instruments of emotion can the yogi attain this high aim.
Academic text (2015) -
This course will explore medieval and early modern texts to imagine what the inclusion of particular representations in these texts of "improbable" modes and techniques of the self would have contributed to Foucault's history of sexuality and his late thinking on ascesis, with an eye toward the consequences.
Blog text (16) -
We suffer because of our lack of knowing, but for Pater, the willful suffering that accompanies ascesis, or his kind of renunciation, is a far better gesture than the arrogant effort to extend and insinuate oneself over other persons and things.
Academic text (2000) -
His journey of ascesis involved strict routines that tested his willpower and commitment.
-
The monk practiced ascesis, renouncing worldly pleasures to attain a higher level of enlightenment.
Synonyms
Choosing not to have something you want for moral, religious, or unselfish reasons
A way of living with very strict self-control that avoids pleasure for religious or spiritual reasons
Strict training of body or mind to become better
Antonyms
How Ascetic
- Formal
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ascesis comes from the Greek word askesis, which means 'training' or 'exercise'. It is the same root as ascetic, a person who gives up pleasures to train their mind or soul, so ascesis means strict self-discipline often used for spiritual growth.