For many who are trying to find their way to God, Truth, the Divine, etc., have encountered fasting in one form or another. In general, a fast is an act that includes ones detachment from food or drink. It does not necessarily entail abstention from all food and all drink, but it does require that one abstains from something for it to be considered a fast. This has taken the form of juice fasts, water fasts, potato fasts or absolute nothing fasts (no water, no liquids, no food).
What does abstention from food and/or liquids do for you spiritually?....DETACH.
One of the main obstacles on the spiritual path is our attachment to this world and things in it. When you partake in a fast, it is one of the most basic forms of practicing detachment. When you consciously decide that I am not going to eat any foods and only drink juice or water, you are mentally and physically detaching from food. Although this practice of detachment is on a small scale, it has a profound impact on the individual who does it.
*But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember that if you have never fasted before it is not something to do lightly. It is best to fast in the presence or under the guidance of a master or a nutrionist or someone who is knowledgeable. Your body is used to eating and to just stop especially if you have medical issues is not a good thing. You have to know when your body has been pushed to its limit and when its time to stop and recover.*
I've found in my experience of fasting that I have more energy. What? How can you have more energy? Because I'm not concerned with all of the tasks and thought processes that go into eating, I have more energy to focus on other things...let's say....reading, writing, schoolwork, professional work or better yet...my sadhana. I'm not giving attention to my hunger or my body saying it wants food. I'm not thinking about what I have in the refrigerator or the pantry to eat. I'm not thinking about what I'm going to eat with my rice or what vegetables I'm going to fix with my beans. Even further, I'm not thinking about what dishes are clean that I can use to cook so that I can eat or what dishes I'm going to have to clean after I'm done cooking so that I can eat. Do you get the picture? All of the time and energy that is put into eating is able to be directed elsewhere when I fast.
Seeing as though I fast for spiritual reasons, I try to focus that energy towards my sadhana allowing for me to dedicate more time and energy to something that helps me get rid of karma and get closer and closer to knowing who and what I am, to FOCUS on soul, on me instead of food. In doing so, I gain CLARITY when I'm confused or in doubt about anything whether it is spiritual or non-spiritual.
Fasting is a way for me to re-focus on what really matters in my life....SOUL. It allows for me to see things more clearly than I would on a day when I'm allowing my hunger to have priority.
What does abstention from food and/or liquids do for you spiritually?....DETACH.
One of the main obstacles on the spiritual path is our attachment to this world and things in it. When you partake in a fast, it is one of the most basic forms of practicing detachment. When you consciously decide that I am not going to eat any foods and only drink juice or water, you are mentally and physically detaching from food. Although this practice of detachment is on a small scale, it has a profound impact on the individual who does it.
*But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember that if you have never fasted before it is not something to do lightly. It is best to fast in the presence or under the guidance of a master or a nutrionist or someone who is knowledgeable. Your body is used to eating and to just stop especially if you have medical issues is not a good thing. You have to know when your body has been pushed to its limit and when its time to stop and recover.*
I've found in my experience of fasting that I have more energy. What? How can you have more energy? Because I'm not concerned with all of the tasks and thought processes that go into eating, I have more energy to focus on other things...let's say....reading, writing, schoolwork, professional work or better yet...my sadhana. I'm not giving attention to my hunger or my body saying it wants food. I'm not thinking about what I have in the refrigerator or the pantry to eat. I'm not thinking about what I'm going to eat with my rice or what vegetables I'm going to fix with my beans. Even further, I'm not thinking about what dishes are clean that I can use to cook so that I can eat or what dishes I'm going to have to clean after I'm done cooking so that I can eat. Do you get the picture? All of the time and energy that is put into eating is able to be directed elsewhere when I fast.
Fasting is a way for me to re-focus on what really matters in my life....SOUL. It allows for me to see things more clearly than I would on a day when I'm allowing my hunger to have priority.
