How Fasting Can Increase Your Awareness
In recent years, medical experts have begun to understand the seemingly intangible relationship between physical and mental health. Good health, as we know is more than a disease-free body. Good health, is a stress-free frame of mind and vibrant energy. When one cleanses, toxic waste is removed and disease is removed. The process also causes feelings of toxicity and a range of negative emotions, as if the emotions are stored with the waste. When you cleanse, a total sense of well-bring can be created for your system.
Fasting is an ancient tradition practiced by most cultures for thousands of years, used for spiritual purposes, for physical purification before performing a ritual act or rite of passage, and self-discipline, or asceticism. Among some Native American tribes, fasting is the primary means to stimulate ecstatic experiences on a vision quest.
In today’s world, many are partaking in fasting in order to lose weight. It seems that most Westerners come about the idea to fast when they reach an awareness that it is time to clean, renew, and perhaps kick-start the body into a new state of wellness. They come into the idea from the position of wanting to look and feel better, and with time and experience, as well as the combined practices of yoga and meditation accompanying the fast, they can quickly learn about the other benefits.
Watch this episode of Healing Matrix called Fasting for Self-Healing with Dr. Edward Group
Some of the best yoga practices in your life can happen while being completely empty. You may be able to actually feel your internal organs, twist deeper and get into the meditative quality of the practice while on a fast. You needn’t feel like you don’t have enough energy for the practice; it’s nice to do something gentle, but if the body is used to yoga, it feels good to move into spaces you don’t normally have, especially in twists.
Meditations can also go deeper while fasting. It is interesting to feel one’s mind settle more quickly when going in, like a switch turning on. It can take at least thirty minutes of an hour-long silent meditation at times to get into the flow when one is more connected to the grounding experiences when taking food. When the body is empty, experiencing the higher chakras in meditative states is easy, and bringing about the sense of “no mind” that meditators and yogis are able to achieve with as much practice and stillness is also possible.
When the body is allowed to rest internally, with no energy being spent on the digestion of food, a deeper clean can happen which allows for the regeneration of cells. It is highly recommended to use colonics when cleansing, assisting in drawing out toxins through the colon. When waste is disposed of in this way, it is like the reset button has been pressed internally. Vitamins and minerals are absorbed better through the internal organs, allowing the body space for less food to have to be taken in order to get the same health benefits and feeling of fullness. Glands and tissues also benefit from this time of rest; clearer eyes, skin and appearing younger can result.
Breaking the fast is as important as doing it, as eating things too hard on the body all at once can be damaging, causing bloating, yeast infections in women or indigestion. Those who have not been careful with sugar intake (even in fruits) or have not incorporated enough probiotic content that needs to be replaced once the body is emptied have also been known to cause the very problems they were trying to eliminate after the fast. Be sure to eat wisely upon completion. It is a nice idea to eat a bowl of cucumber to break it, or a bowl of fruit if there is no worry about candida or sugars and how they affect the body.
About the Author
Kitchari: Basic, Savory and Sweet
This recipe makes enough for 5 meals. It feeds me for a day plus one more breakfast. I like to make this basic recipe, cool it and store it in the fridge. From that, I take what I need for a meal and add different spices and vegetables to it.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (brown or white) or try millet
- 3/4 cups mung beans
- 8 cups water (more for millet)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pinch asafoetida (a spice also called hing- available at Indian and Chinese grocers)
Directions:
- Soak rice and beans separately overnight in plenty of water.
- The next day rinse the rice and beans and put into a heavy bottomed pot.
- Add water, turmeric and asafoetida.
- Cook over medium heat (or in a rice cooker) until the water is mostly absorbed (about 45 minutes)
Variations:
Breakfast bowl
In a pot, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil with 2 cracked cardamom pods, ¼ cup unsweetened coconut and a pinch of cumin seeds.
Cook over medium heat until fragrant.
Add 1 ½ cups cooked kitchari mixture, a little water (more of you like it soup-y), a dash of cinnamon and some ground cloves. Season with salt.
Cover and heat gently for a few minutes, until water is absorbed.
Savory Kitchari
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tsp. Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp. Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp. Ground Fennel
- 1 inch ginger, grated or minced
- Optional: onion, garlic, vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, squash, green vegetables of your choice.
Directions:
- Sauté seeds until the pop in a bit of coconut or olive oil. Add onions, ginger, garlic, or hard vegetables such as carrots or squash to the spices and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Then add 1 1/2 –2 cups of cooked kitchari mixture, a little water and any soft vegetables like greens, zucchini, or broccoli. Put a lid on it and cook gently until the water is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked. Season with salt.
