Good Morning!
I have been meaning to write on fasting for quite a long time...today's the day!
First, I choose to say that if and when you ever get bogged down, or "disconnected" spiritually, or just in a state of malaise, fasting will definitely spring you out of it. When you cease ingesting food, the energy digestion takes, and all the workings of the body processes and organs that go along with it, begins to interiorize. Just as one does in Kriya, or to a lesser extent in regular meditation practice, your energy is pulled in and gathered in the spine.
How does this effect your perception? You begin to feel more "other worldly" because you are simply less "material". You are not focused on the actions related to feeding yourself...which is surely one of the most basic, materially-oriented, of our daily activities. You become more sensitive and aware of yourself as a spiritual being. This shows up sometimes in direct flows of energy spontaneously charging you; a heightened awareness of your spiritual eye and/or medulla regions; a state of inner calm and peace; spontaneous joy; an easier time Remembering.
When you do sit to meditate it is generally much easier to get and stay Connected. The strong beam of your energy is being turned from the outside to the inside and this really is a tangible thing.
The above effects are surely main motivators for the long periods of fasting which we have read about related to Jesus and other Great Ones of God. If one chooses to shut-out the material world and feel more strongly the Inner Light and Graces, surely fasting is a great first step.
Of course, I am writing this today because of my fresh experience of yesterday's fast. My awakening this morning in the Current was SO different than my awakening yesterday with the jolt and fear of Separateness. The Affirmation repetition tumbled effortlessly through my mind the first hour of this day. I felt in the very lap of the Divine. Ah....fasting. Such a gift!
Yogananda recommends fasting one day weekly or three consecutive days each month. Not being able to choose, I do both, haha. I will begin my Darkness Retreat next week with 3 days for October.
I have read that research at UCLA has confirmed the incredible health benefits of fasting. They have found that ones doing either of the above routines live 25% longer. I always chuckle when I say to Source participants, "That might not matter to you now, but it sure will the last 25% of your lifetime!"
Fasting allows one to really detox the accumulated negatives. Without food clogging up the system, the body can get down to those stored and embedded toxins! To facilitate this, it is wise to take a laxative the night before a fast, and each night of the fast as well. I use Smooth Move tea and it does the trick nicely! It is also important to drink plenty of water to keep flushing the system and moving along those unwelcome guests which have come to stay too long.
I usually take only tea and water on my one-day fasts. I use Healthy Fasting tea and Detox Tea and then the nightcap of Smooth Move. I endeavor to drink at least a couple of cups of the specialized during the day. The Fasting Tea tends to curb the "appetite" as well. Good enough!
On a three-day fast, I take the aforementioned teas the initial day, fresh-squeezed orange juice the 2nd day, and a combination of orange juice and fresh ground almonds the 3rd day. The OJ/ground almond combo is recommended by Yogananda. It definitely provides good energy and is delicious to boot! I use about 17 almonds per 2 cup drink.
I could go more into the beneficial health effects of fasting...and you can find tons of info on that on the Internet yourself!
Hopefully what you did gain today is Spiritual Motivation to fast! It feels SO GOOD to have an intense upleveling in your Spiritual Connection. Fasting can give you that every week! It also assists in creating some perspective about the role food and eating is occupying in your life. You can't hide from that A-Ha when fasting. It's put right square in your face. You will also notice you are more discriminate about what you put into your body after you have just cleaned it out. ALWAYS a good thing!
HAPPY FASTING!
Loving you always, k
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