WHAT’S IT LIKE TO FAST?

I’ve just gotten off of a three day Fast and wanted to share my experience with whomever wants to listen. I wish I shared more of my experiences and hope to one day be unabashed. They will help someone out there, even if just one person. Having a gazillion half written posts, I will begin here and get this story out before I bog myself down in editing it to literal, or literary, death.

So, why did I decide to fast? I’ve had a lot going on, planning a relocation, finding an apartment, wanting to build a new house, then getting caught up in the “how am I going to make this all work” rabbit hole. Without seeing a successful outcome, any project is bound to fail. If we forget the Divine has got our backs, any endeavor becomes a lonely and difficult struggle. If we further compare ourselves to others who have made their dreams come true, and believe we’re somehow missing the mark, it makes it a more debilitating struggle. I was falling asleep during my meditations. I had lost my joy and excitement. My body and my old programming of lack and limitation, were taking over and I was becoming more powerless. In my anxiety, I kept wanting food as a relief from my self-inflicted suffering. I had to put an end to it.  I wanted to strengthen my connection to the Divine, and I wanted my power and happiness back. I knew Fasting would help snap me back into shape. Here’s my Fasting adventure!

So, what happens during a Fast? There are many types of Fasting. It can be a total Fast with receiving only water, or it can be just fasting from something you crave. There are different methods of intermittent fasting and I found that eating one meal a day, usually around 2 – 3:00 works well for me. Either way, it’s a means of overcoming.  Total one day fasts are pretty easy to get through. You get a little hungry, but your body will move through it easily. It helps if you tell yourself you’ll have food tomorrow and then find something to keep you busy. Appreciate that you don’t have to focus your attention on meal preparation and can just focus on things you want to do without that interruption in your life. If you think about it, we spend a lot of time hunting, gathering and preparing our meals each day. The Fast gives you some freedom!

The first day was a piece of cake. I drank plenty of water with lemon, and I allowed myself tea, and coffee with creamer and a little dab of agave nectar. I was still trying to get out of my funk, but I didn’t worry so much about food unless I reminded myself, I had two more days left. I wanted so much to connect with Source. I know it’s me. I just have to get over beating myself up knowing I’m the cause of the disconnect. I know I need spiritual study, so I read. My mind wanders, so I watch video streams of my favorite teachers. Each of my evenings ends with a meditation and since I’m really focused on getting better, I pull out one of the longer guided meditations. I’m a practitioner of Joe Dispenza meditations. Some are gentle, and others are more intense, focusing on breathing, pulling the mind out of the body, and sending healing energy to the seven/eight energy centers. I do this practice every night but had been lazily opting for the shorter, easier versions. I’m remembering my dreams more and I am also seeing my late sister more often there. I believe she is helping me.

The second day of the fast was also pretty easy, food-wise. I wasn’t really hungry and when I did think about food I’d remind my body that we would eat on Saturday. I remembered that to feel more connected I need to have fun, feel joy, love, and do things that bring these feelings to me. I was searching for things to do without much luck. Nothing seemed to strike the right chord. I would have loved to go walk in the woods; however, it was about 95 degrees outside. The heat didn’t bother me years ago. These days, if I can avoid sweating I’m much happier. I read, listened to an audio of The Life And Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, which I must say is a wonderful series of 6 volumes that I highly recommend to anyone on a spiritual path. I tried to sleep but managed mostly to enter in and out of the Delta state for a short time. Fighting the mind can be hard work. Letting go is much easier. I wasn’t quite letting go yet.

The third day felt almost like the last day of a retreat. You know there’s more work to do and you hope that after it’s all done you don’t slip back into your old habits. I wanted to make the most out of my last day and get as much study done as I could. I really wanted to feel that shift in my consciousness. So far, I wasn’t getting it. I read part of a book on the Essenes, which included some purported teachings of Jesus. It didn’t resonate with me that it was pure teachings of Jesus. It felt a bit edited. I went back the other book and watched documentaries on Near Death Experiences, Source, It’s Within You, and a movie about a little girl who received the power to heal. Stuff like this usually hits me in the heart, and it did a little. I was thinking often that a Subway sub would be really amazing! Finally, late in the afternoon I was hit with a feeling that it was time to eat. It wasn’t a feeling that I couldn’t take it anymore, and needed food. It was just a feeling that it was time. The body had learned what it needed. As I watched my sandwich being assembled, I couldn’t take my eyes off it!  I felt such love and appreciation for that sub, I almost cried. I guess that was my lesson; be in the moment, appreciate everything, love and accept what is, knowing that more will be given. That sub was the icing on the cake. Not so much a need as a gift. that meal was pure joy!

Today is the fourth day, the day that I planned to come off my Fast. It’s in this moment that I sit down to write about my experience that I grasped the full nature of it. I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate this morning, but I’m no longer craving food. That can wait. What will I do with myself today? I will be happy in the moment, seeking only joy today. That’s all we need to do to make a huge shift in our lives. I can listen to Source a little better now. I can see more clearly.  My husband used to say there’s freedom in discipline. I don’t know where he got that from, but I have to agree. The body, with it’s old bad habits, will take over if you let it. Every improvement is a victory.

Was the Fast worth it? Absolutely!  For now, I’ll be aware of my food intake and the purpose of it; to nourish the body, rather than to fill a void. I recommend Fasting to anyone being controlled by negative feelings or habits, even if it’s just a one day Fast. Spend that time in nature (if it’s not too hot outside!) or filling the mind with things that make your heart sing. Take a nap, notice and appreciate the people and animals around you, try something that you’ve never done before. Remind your body, you can eat tomorrow. It’s all about you feeling better, being better, taking back your power!

If you want more information on Dr Joe’s Meditation techniques, and the amazing books I’ve read, I’ll provide links below.

Dr Joe Dispenza

https://sourcethefilm.org/  This documentary about Dr Joe’s work and the healing power of meditation is available for free thru Sunday, June 23^rd, 2024.

The Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East on Amazon

Thanks for letting me share! 😀

Judy Dearmon