A Little Bit About Fasting

I usually try to fast at least four times a year or whenever my body seems to call for it. Each time I dedicate my fast to something that I want to create or improve in my life. I am on one now and this one is truly about making room for all that is here and ahead and releasing all that is no longer of service to me in my life. People fast for a variety of reasons. Primarily for physical health, spiritual practice, emotional expression, and brain power. Due to the pollutants in the western world, much of the air and food we consume is poisoned. Toxins brought into the body are stored there, and may lay dormant, causing degenerative diseases much later on in life. To help the body extend its life and function more optimally, these toxins must be removed. Many religious holidays and spiritual practices require fasting as a part of their ceremonies. Spiritual leaders around the world fast to become empty, so that they can be filled with the spirit or energy that they seek. Some examples include Yom Kippur, the Hebrew holiday of cleansing, where no food is consumed for 24 hours while people atone for their sins. Pieces of bread, as a representation of sins, are cast out into flowing water to be cast out of the body and soul. Ramadan is an Islamic holiday where only water is consumed until sundown for 30 days. Lent is a Christian holiday where a certain type of food is given up for a month to help atone for sin. In preparation for Native American sweat lodges, participants fast to prepare for this purification ritual. People who find themselves in emotionally exaggerated situations choose not to eat food because so much of their energy is focused on the challenge at hand. Fasting can also help the mind to maintain focus. By not spending extra energy to digest food, that energy can be used to go deeper into whatever practices you find important. Some fasts are lengthy, while others are short. Traditional juice fasts are done for 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, and even 120 days. It really depends on the person and their commitment. You can design one that best suits your needs. We suggest that if you have never fasted, try a fast for 24hrs and see how you feel. The next time you can try it for 3 days, then 7, and so forth and so on. There are so many different techniques. Some folks fast on air, yes air, water, coconut water, wheatgrass, juice, living foods, etc. Then there are things that you can fast from, speaking, all media, sleep(which is said to induce powerful dreams), people, sex, sweet foods, mucogenic foods(foods that cause extreme mucous to form in the body), starch, work, drugs, alcohol, etc. Do a little bit of research or ask friends and family that have had prior experience, before designing a fast. This time around I stumbled across a book entitled: Dining From an Empty Bowl: A Fasting Handbook by Jeremy Safron. Its a good one to check. Please be patient with all of your processes and look forward to being brand new...Bless...Be well....