How To Fast The Right Way
Let’s talk about how to fast and how to do it right. Frequently asked questions about fasting are:
- Is there a right way to fast?
- Can I drink water while fasting?
- How long should I fast?
- What are fasting mistakes?
- Is fasting good or bad for your health?
Just google these questions and you will get different answers on every page you find. The answer to all of the questions is: There is no right or wrong way.
What if you can make no mistakes when fasting? What if the way to do it is unique for each and every one of us? What if the way you get closer to God is for (you and) God to decide and not other people’s judgement on how you do something? If the whole point is to get closer to God and to strengthen your relationship with Him and the entire Universe, why don’t you use this time to learn how to receive this assignment?
Food Is Mind Control
Today, I am on Day 9 of my 40 Days Fast and the experience is already showing me things about how the absence of food is allowing me to see the abundance of it and of many other things. Eating food is mind control and I have never had the experience to be controlled by food. I have always been able to stop when I am full. I’ve never been an emotional eater and I’ve always been able to eat what I want and there never seemed to be any issues around food. Don’t cheer too soon! I’ve had my share of issues in life (LOL).
Even though I have never had the experience to be controlled by food, I have noticed that there is a form of mind control. On the third day my body stopped asking for food. In other words, I wasn’t really hungry anymore. And yet, it seemed like there was this automatic pilot that reached for food or gave me the urge to go and get food from the supermarket or from a restaurant. It has become a habit, a pattern. Something that you really don’t have to do, but your movement seems like an autoresponse to something we think we need.
More Than Enough Energy
Another element is your energy. If you don’t eat (I only drink water, juice or tea), how do you keep your energy level up? Before I started my 40 Day Fast, I have been doing intermitted fasting for over two years. When you are used to a form of fasting, you realise the body actually doesn’t need that much food while still maintaining high energy levels. What I have also been practicing for a few years is asking my body what it desires. Not just with food, but with everything, but if we keep it on the subject of food, I would always ask if it wants food at all when I feel a sense of hunger. Sometimes we think we are hungry, but the body just requires water. Or we think we are hungry, but we pick up on other people’s thoughts and it turns out the thought of being hungry is not mine.
Another way of getting energy for the body is by simply asking for energy. The Universe has an infinite supply of energy and the body can just attract energy from the Universe instead of food. Food is not the only energy source for the body, did you know that? How do you pull energy from the Universe? Just ask. Universe, can I get some energy to fill up my body? And just pull it in. Keep pulling, let it fill up your entire space and let it flow until you’ve had enough. Or just let it flow as you go along.
Seeing The Abundance
God might take you to a certain place when you do your fast. You could fast while doing your daily things, but when I chose to fast I was about to go away for a week and take some quiet time (like He already knew). While I am away, food or the whole experience of picking restaurants is a whole thing. Food is very often one of the greatest experiences when I am abroad. Another culture, finding good food to eat, tasting new things. But not this time. This time, I did not have to worry about which restaurant to go to. The question “Where shall I go for diner or lunch?” never has to come up.
Like I mentioned before, my 40 day fast does include water, juice and tea. So, I do go to the restaurant in the morning for breakfast. I just don’t eat breakfast. I take my time for juice and tea. It became interesting the the Spirit showed me the abundance in everything. when you start to see you always have more than you need, you get a sense of ease in your world. I could have liquids all day and it was offered everywhere. At breakfast, in my room, at the spa… And when I looked at the surroundings, I could see there was so much space on site, I could sit anywhere. I could go for a walk, stay in my room, go to the lake, go to the pool, go to the city. Infinite choice was available. Another form of abundance was my room upgrade. Because of my membership, I got a room upgrade and they provided me with a luxury suite with a separate room and living room. So much space just for me! There was more than enough space. There was space for at least 3 more people to sleep.
Not needing things can show you how much you have available. Not needing things allow you to appreciate the simple things in life. You don’t get to distract yourself with food. You don’t have to take time to pick out a restaurant and passing time for a couple of hours a day. you suddenly have more space to do something else than eat and you start to see the abundance in options. And then you realise you don’t even want to do anything. Being silent and sitting in peace was the only thing I wanted to do for some parts of the day.
Does The Testing Get Easier?
Does the testing get easier? A part of me wants to say yes, but for now I will have to say no. It gets easier because the hunger actually does disappear. It is not like you walk around with a constant hunger or lack of energy. But it is like the devil is lurking around every corner to tell you: “Oh, come on, you can have a quick bite here. Just eat something. God won’t mind.”
Until now, I hear that voice every day. And it is not a reaction to being hungry, but it seems more like it is coming from boredom. What else should you do if you are not eating. You can keep yourself busy with other distractions, but that is not the intention of fasting by any means. So, you get to do nothing an be in stillness. It has become so normal for us to spend time on eating and getting food. Not just the act of eating, but everything we do around it in order to eat takes up big parts of our daily lives. And instead of using that time for food and spending it in silence, gives me a lot of peace. And the next layer of that challenge is to be comfortable with the stillness and the peace…
Let The Stillness In
If you are really open to be comfortable with the stillness, you got to let the stillness in. When you start to get bored, let the stillness in. When you start feeling restless, let the stillness in. If going for a walk helps you to let the stillness in, go for a walk. I found that the best way of doing this is not to do too many things. Keep an open space. Allow your day to be empty an allow it to be filled with and by the Holy Spirit. He will teach you so much in the little things. Things you’ve never been able to see before. You suddenly see them in a different light.
So, now I ask: What else can I receive that I’ve never been willing to receive before? I am very grateful for what has shown up in my life and to be able to enjoy this amazing place where God has me experiencing a part of my fast. And in that gratitude I see that He is sharing His paradise with me. The earth that He created, the magic that is around us. It is right here at your feet. Will you enjoy it?
With Love,
