The body needs only so much for sustenance and the stomach can hold only so much, but the senses continue to crave and we continue to feed those cravings. Fasting helps the body break out of a pattern, says Vastushastri Khushdeep Bansal
Did you know that fasting gives your body and mind a chance to break out of a pattern and give it a new directionIJ It is a gift to an overburdened body and an overindulged mind. Fasting is indeed a denial of the physical needs of the body and the emotional cravings of the mind. The tendency of the human mind is to draw patterns and get stuck to it. While following a pattern is a sign of self-discipline, it has its downside too. When it involves food and eating, it often makes us forget that we ought to be eating to live and not the other way around. The body needs only so much for sustenance and the stomach can hold only so much, but the senses continue to crave, and we continue to feed those cravings. Hence, fasting gives a chance to the body and mind to break out of a pattern and give it a new direction.
Why Fast during NavratrasIJ
This is the most important question that needs to be answered logically and scientifically. The general idea is for the fulfillment of all desires and a way to appease the Goddess. In the Hindu religion and culture, it is also considered to be a part of the religious rituals. For example, those who wish for a child, beget a child; those who wish for wealth get wealth. Those who wish for education get education. Those who are sick, get rid of their diseases, etc. It is also believed by many that fasting during Navratras makes a person free from all bondages. Devotees fasting during Navratras believe that all their sins would get washed and they would become free from worries, as a blessing from the Goddess, making their lives peaceful, happier and prosperous.
Fasting the Ayurvedic Way
Ayurveda favours regular and short-term fasting, depending on individual constitutions and cleansing requirements. The ancient science of Ayurveda has spoken elaborately of the merits of fasting. According to this ancient discipline, fasting is an effective way to kindle the digestive fire and burn away accumulated toxins from the body and mind. It also eliminates gas, lightens the body, improves mental clarity, provides a clean tongue and fresh breath, and preserves overall health. However, it also does not recommend infrequent and long-term fasting that could deplete bodily tissues and create imbalance in the constitution. It favours regular and short-term fasting, which could be on the same day each week, or setting aside a few days each month, all depending on individual constitutions and cleansing requirements.
There is an increasing support for fasting by the scientific community and those who are health-conscious. This is because there is an overconsumption of salt in our diets today than the normal requirements of the body. This can be seen in the increased incidence of water retention in the body, a major factor for hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Fasting helps the body ‘desalt’.
Fasting, if done properly, has another major advantage. It is a kind of ritual that can purify the body and mind and develop the pure qualities of detachment and equanimity. Whether it is done as a part of a religious sacrament or a part of a penance, or as a mark of worship, fasting can only give benefits. Fasting helps create an atonement with the Absolute by establishing a harmonious relationship between the body and the soul. It nourishes the physical and spiritual demands necessary for overall health.
Norms to Observe Fasts
Fasting has to be done with an enormous sense of responsibility. There are norms as to who should and should not be observing fast. The very young, the old and infirm, pregnant and nursing mothers should be extremely cautious when it comes to choosing to fast. Besides these norms, it is also important how fasting should be observed so that we are able to make the most of this practice.
Tips for First-timers
Just as there is a yogic way of eating, there is a yogic way of fasting. For many, fasting is a new and, hence, a very challenging exercise. It is best that the new initiates start with a single-day fasting just to test the waters. If they are used to three meals a day, they could start with one meal of grains and vegetables during lunch and then just restrict themselves to water and juices during the rest of the day. It’s also important that those who want to fast choose the kind of fast — it could be a water fast, a fruit juice fast or a vegetable juice fast. But to avoid dehydration, one should consume at least seven to eight glasses of fluids every day. A cardinal rule, to absorb all the ‘prana’ (life-force energy) from the foods, is to drink fluids very slowly.
Fruits and nuts are ideal for the system during long fasting periods. Juices that are fresh and sugar free along with plenty of water is extremely important to prevent dehydration and constipation. This will keep the mind light and easy and enable better quality of prayer or worship. For instance, after 21 days of fasting, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of our Nation called this “21 days of uninterrupted prayer”. He said, “There is no prayer without fasting.”
Yoga, Meditation during Fasts
For many, fasting brings about a psychological tiredness and reluctance to engage in any form of exercise. This is not a desirable attitude. Mild exercise is crucial during fasting. Gentle, flowing, meditative and ballet-like movements of yoga are ideal during fasting. Hence to contemplate peacefully and worship Goddess Durga, the epitome of strength, power and goodness, especially during Navratras, let’s observe fasting the right way with correct awareness, joy and incorporate light exercise, yoga and meditation every day to enjoy its merits.
The writer is a Delhi-based vastu expert