Fasting

Another thing that has come through loud and clear is that stress definitely has a bearing on my will power! The only times I felt tempted to break the fast is when faced with stressful situations and I have to say that I did tonight. A difficult day lowered my will power and I have had a normal meal tonight.

Although I didn't make it 7 days, it has been a very educational experience and I feel that I have learned a lot.

214red said:

i personally cant fast for medical reasons, and i dont think i would recomend fasting to anyone. However if you feel like you need to then do, but you dont need that to develope your spirituality in anyway, there are tons of ways to do that which doesnt involve potentially harming your body. you can try going into a trance state using CDs etc, i do this for my mediumship and it works, or meditating, even dancing can get you into an altered state

fasting isnt compatible with modern life, working etc , perhaps you should try it simply for the weekends and not working days.

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Fasting certainly is difficult in modern life but I can see that it is possible and perhaps next time I will be better prepared. I had to smile at the trance/meditation comment. This I do on a very regular basis, my website explains why but fasting is a very different way to connect.

Fateslady said:

My husband did a two week fast before Samhain last year. It was pretty intense, and when he invoked the God for ritual afterward, it was very strong and very amazing to experience.

Best of luck, dear. Fasting and working at the same time are HARD (he did it, too).

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That is wonderful to hear and really encouraging too. I plan to start again tomorrow even though I failed today. I have learned so much so far and even though I stumbled today, I want to try again.

I mentioned earlier about the cleansing aspect, the rubbish and issues that have been cropping up, faced and worked through. Perhaps today's difficulties were part of that and I simply found my tipping point???

I think you have done so well Milfoil, given that you have been living a normal life and fasting. Incredibly difficult for you.

I did wonder if you could wait until you have a week's holiday where you haven't planned to go away or anything, and fast then? You would be free to spend more of your days on trance and contemplation. You would also be away from the mundane considerations of work. If you more or less isolated yourself for that week of fasting and contemplation - who knows what might result.

I did for a moment think about how the prisoners who are in solitary confinement, and who subsequently go on hunger strike, cope. Do they find they grow closer to Spirit, or come to understand themselves more? Possibly the spiritual result depends entirely on the intent?

I am glad you have found it valuable. I think it is a good spiritual practice for those drawn to it (and medically able to deal with it).

What gave you the initial idea?

Thank you for the encouragement WendyWu.

The initial urge came some months ago but I kept thinking that I must have time aside to do this in quietness so it never happened. Then the messages started to pile up, I would read about it somewhere completely unrelated then someone would tell me that they had just done this then another nudge etc so I knew it was something I needed to do.

One thing I was given just this morning is that where meditation or altered states take one on an inner journey and good acts (ie doing charitable work or healing) takes on on the outer journey, fasting with intent can pull both journeys together.

I feel as though I have, touched but the tip of the iceburg. Having only ever done 24hr complete fasts before (ie no food or water) this was a new experience for me.

You've broken down the barrier by doing.

One way is to eat for 2 days fast for 1. Recouring.

For as long as you can.

After a while joy returns, seriousness slips away.

Enjoy your challenges.

I do hope you are ok. You know, we need water. We're like a plant. No water and our roots start to dry out and our limbs wane.


I am thinking about you during the day and towards evenings I get worried.

Its ok Briar Rose, I never stopped taking water.

I had been thinking about doing a fast recently- not really sure why, I have just been feeling physically cruddy and bogged down, and was really attracted to fasting as a solution.

I started what I *hope* is an 8 day juice fast today.

*fingers crossed*

Any tips, from those of you that have gone before? I've never done anything like this before, and I know that I need to drink a lot of water and that when I start eating again I need to take it slow, but that's all I've got.

Wendywu said:

It is so interesting hearing about it and I do wonder if there is some other route not involving fasting by which I could try and achieve something along similar lines.

I am grateful to this thread though - it has made me think a great deal about hunger, the food I eat and the fact that I actually eat a great deal too much these days.

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Has any doctor said your earlier low food intake may be a trigger for your diabetes? Just curious, because type 2 can be self driven by too much food.

Speaking for myself because I've been on a limited food intake for 3 years...when I think where my time is spent I think a full month unhooked from any type of technology would be really good for my soul. Far better than no food. We don't even know ourselves anymore, every minute seems to be hooked to something outside ourselves, much to our physical, mental and spiritual determent.

Food and water are such basic requirements of life that to limit them helps us to know that our body does not control our mind. Bodies are, by the understanding of most belief systems, the temples or vessels of the spirit (not the spirit whole itself). To allow food to dictate or rule our minds is rather like allowing the car to drive itself!

I'm Type 1 - my pancreas was surgically removed to take care of a pre-cancerous tumour. (Thankfully noticed when they removed the cancerous bits of other organs) so my food intake had little to do with my diabetes.

The days when I did fast are some 30 years ago now and until my surgery I lead one of the healthiest lifestyles I've come across. We exercised (moor walking, karate and the gym), we don't smoke or drink alcohol, we eat incredibly healthily .....


I'm larger than I should be because of my personal downfall - chocolate, together with just general overeating. Thankfully I came to my senses about three months ago and now I'm slimming down nicely. I don't bother with the chocolate and have learned the gentle art of portion control.