FASTING AS A TOOL FOR SELF-AWARENESS

 


It is said in Ayurveda that you should take food as medicine, otherwise you are perforce take medicine as food.

In my childhood days, my mother put us on fasting every Monday in Kartik maas (November - as per Indian calendar ) and myself and sisters used to take circles around the kitchen during those hungry hours  when sumptuous food is served after evening puja.  To endure the pangs of hunger, she used to  advise us to immerse in our  regular activity rather  thinking  food every moment. It is a tradition laced with potential health benefits.

Now after three decades, I am  back to fasting with rekindled enthusiasm after I was  convinced enough of  its immense health benefits.  

In fact, fasting is a cleansing process which takes out the toxic substances from your body. Spiritual luminary Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says Once in every 11 to 14 days, you may not feel like eating. On that day, you should not eat. You know, even dogs and cats have this awareness?  At least every 14 days, you could go without food. If you are unable to go without food, if your activity levels are such and you don’t have the necessary sadhana to support you, then you could go on a fruit diet. Just observe your own system, and you may notice that on certain days, you do not really need to eat. Forcing food on those days is not a good thing to do.

Fitness guru Rujuta Diwekar in her best seller " Don't lose your mind, Lose your weight' says Fasting is a powerful tool as a spiritual practice, but nowadays it is used mainly as a weight loss tool by 'experts'. 

All most all religions have fasting  embedded in their cultures. If you remain on fasting,  your decision-making  faculties would excel  and it  helps you gain more self-control. 

1 comment:

  1. I have no words for praise your Lines it's very simply explain the meaning of FASTING & it's relation & why it's relation with religion

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