by Dada Vedaprajinananda,
copyright, 2004
Fasting is one of the secrets of
long life. Your body, and your digestive organs in particular, are
required to work and work without any vacation. You know that you
require rest from your work or your school from time to time. In the
same way, your digestive system needs a rest from time to time.
Periodic fasting provides the rest for your digestive system. It allows
your digestive system to recuperate from the rough treatment that you
may have given it by overeating or eating the wrong foods or eating at
the wrong time.
In addition fasting also provides an opportunity to eliminate many
toxins from your body. After fasting, you should take some lemon water
with a bit of salt. This drink helps to flush the digestive system,
eliminating waste material that might otherwise remain in the body if
you didn't fast.
Fasting also helps you to keep a balanced mind in spite of the
attraction of the moon on the fluids of your body. That is why our
fasting system is timed in relation to the moon. The eleventh day after
the new and full moons is the time when this attraction is very strong.
If you fast during this period, then the emptiness of the stomach pulls
down liquids that would otherwise rise up in your body under the
attraction of the moon.
Finally fasting also gives you a chance to save some time and use that
time for spiritual pursuits. In order to eat, you may have to spend time
shopping, cooking, cleaning and of course eating. If you fast, you can
use that time to do meditation, to read or some other valuable pursuit.
This system of yogic fasting has a duration from Sunrise to Sunrise. You
begin at Sunrise on the fasting day and eat nothing. If your body is
strong you can also refrain from drinking anything. On the next day, you
can break the fast with lemon water, as I have mentioned above, and then
with fruit and other suitable food.
Some people think that fasting is difficult. If you prepare yourself for
fasting it is not difficult. Prepare yourself physically by taking
enough food and also plenty of liquids the day before. Prepare yourself
mentally by deciding the night before fasting: "Tomorrow is fasting day,
and I am not going to eat anything." If you take this mental
determination prior to the fasting day, you will not be hungry during
the fasting day. If you don’t make a prior determination, during the
fasting day you will start to think “Maybe I should eat, and fast
another day!” Decide before hand and you will be able to complete your
fast..
All in all, fasting is one of the best practices for maintaining
physical, mental and spiritual health. I highly recommend it.
Dada Vedaprajinananda is a yoga and meditation teacher. You can read
more of his articles at his website
www.dadaveda.com and take a look at his
social work at
www.albaniansunrise.com
