Re: Fasting (& Vegetarism)

["antiloop1111" <jasoncorell@...>]

Hello Pierre,

I read your article below and I wanted to mention that the effects 
you mentioned from fasting are not experienced universally by all 
those who fast. I believe this is so because of various factors. 

The first factor being how the fasting is done. Your 
statement: "fasting is definitely good for health", is like 
saying "diets are definitely good for health". Yes, they can be, but 
it depends on the diet and how long you do it for. And likewise, 
fasts can provide positive benefits, but depending on what is 
consumed during the fast and how often and how long you fast for. In 
the same way that the wrong diet can cause a person much suffering 
and health problems. Fasting that is done too severely (i.e. 
consuming almost nothing at all.. ie. only water for example), could 
be very harmful for you if you do it for too many days. So 
recommending a 5 day fast without explaining how it is to be done, 
could be easily misinterpreted by somebody who wants to try it for 
the first time.

The second factor that comes into play are the human variables such 
as the person's health before they start the fast, their energy 
level, if they are relatively healthy and not ill when they start the 
fast. Weaker people (physically/health-wise) speaking, will not be 
able to last as long. And by physically I don't necessarily mean 
somebody who is more muscular will last longer. I mean somebody who 
has strong internal organs and is well balanced in general - somebody 
who contains a more balanced energy body.

I consider myself to be a fairly healthy young person. I havent' as 
much as had a cold in almost 2 years now and I am physically active 
and I eat almost only healthy food. I once not too long ago, fasted 
for nearly 72 hours. Drinking only water with lemon and honey. I did 
this along with a few other people. Most of them seemed to make it 
through without too many problems. I found it very difficult at the 
end of the second day and the third day. By the third day I had slept 
12 hours because I was so weak and I barely had energy to do 
anything. After being awake for only 1 or 2 hours I just wanted to go 
back to bed and rest more. I could not even think very clearly as I 
was indeed so weak. I longed for the fast to be over, because it was 
affecting my ability to function. 

Interestingly enough, I was not hungry at all past the morning of the 
second day. I did find this part of the experience quite fascinating 
and for that alone I thought the experience was worthwhile doing. In 
my current present, when I am very hungry, instead of obeying my 
instinct and going to some fast food or less than healthy restaurant 
on the way home from work, I just smile to myself and think "You have 
survived 3 days eating almost nothing, surely you can wait 2 more 
hours to eat, and this will help you gain more will power if you do 
so". 

Part of the intent of my entering this fast was to feel lighter and 
to feel more connected to the Universe, as you nicely put... for 
spiritual reasons. I can tell you there was no such result at all. 
Instead I felt very weak and unable to take advantage of my 
feeling "lighter" for this purpose. I had less ability to concentrate 
on anything because I hungry during the first day and physically and 
mentally exhausted the days after.

The other interesting experience from this fast is that after it was 
all finally over and I could eat normally again, I was very aware 
that there was no way I could just sit down and have a regular 
meal... even one most of us consider healthy. I was aware my stomach 
could not handle the shock of processing such complex foods 
immediately nor the regular quantities of food I normally eat, and 
that I had to get back to normal progressively and slowly. Therefore 
my first meal consisted of a very small portion of flavourless 
organic yoghurt and a few pieces of simple bread. Had I sat down for 
a big mac and large fries with coke, I am sure I would have been in 
the hospital in less than 30 minutes! ;-)

I would still recommend people do a fast if they've never done one in 
their lives, but be careful on how drastic the fast is, and with that 
in mind, how long you strain your body for. If you start to feel VERY 
weak, then you know you can not extend this too much longer. What 
others are capable of is not necessarily a reflection of what you can 
do at the moment, so yes push your will to the limits, but don't 
sacrifice your health for this.

Take good care,
antiloop1111


> Fasting is definitely good for health. In fact only the 1st- 
> beginning 2nd day are a bit difficult, the weakness just passed 
> after.
> 
> And then, you feel good, you feel light. The connection to your 
> inner being is easier. If done as an attempt to connect to the 
Universe, to 
> feel the Cosmic Harmony within you; it is worth doing. 
> 
> Fasting 5 days is far enought (especailly at the start), even more 
up 
> to 9 days is no danger for a person in normal health. 
> 
> After it, you will feel energetic and joyfull.
> 
> Fastenning has obvious effect on the Earth Element, and some 
> explanation given are precise and accurate.
> Possibly, if you are able to master the element within you, you 
don't 
> need to fasten to feel this effect. But the Effect on the Earth 
> element is not the only one of fastenning. What is key is why you 
are 
> doing it. Fastenning in itself change the way you relate to the 
> Universe, it bears by itself a Spiritual Purpose. And This Purpose 
is 
> there while fastenning whether one belongs or not to a spiritual 
> path, believes or not. 
> 
> Therefore, if fastenning is done for a spiritual reason, the 
> dedication of these days cannot be remplaced and will help to 
connect 
> to Higher Realm. The Person's Ego will benefit from it and, 
> fastenning by itself helps to refine the element within the body.
> 
> From a personal standpoint, fastenning for a few days some years 
ago 
> has had long term very beneficial effect on my life. 
> 
> After these days, I could not eat any meat. I have not since then. 
> A few months after, I start to eat Organnic Food. From this point, 
my 
> health starts slowly improving, and has continuously improved since 
> then. It is not only what you eat but, foremost your state of mind 
> while eating. 
> 
> Meditation and praying through once own understanding of the Divine 
> can be more beneficial than any ritual. At these time, I did not 
feel 
> concerned by Vegetarism, and I did not know it will help me. I 
never 
> through it was an option for me. It has proved to be a very 
valuable 
> one.
> 
> Best wishes, 
> 
> Pierre Mikael