Fasting
Fasting - a way to get closer to yourself
The definition of fasting may vary. Some say eating vegan (strictly vegetable based) food is fasting. Other say it is living on liquids alone. For some it means water only. And for others it means consuming nothing. But what ever definition, fasting means to give up your food for a while to gain perspective. Others fast for its purifying and strengthening qualities. Then there are those who simply lose their appetite and feel like fasting.
For breatharian purposes, fasting is an excellent way of getting a glimpse of what living on light may be like. It also prepares your body for the transition as the body gets the chance to heal and become perceptive of the light which will nourish you.
Back to breatharianism
Read about water - its importance during a fast
What is the difference between fasting and starving? The main difference is that a starving person is anxious, hungry and uncomfortable. A fasting person is comfortable, feels great and has no hunger.
When is the best time to fast? When it feels right, and ONLY when it feels right. Don't set up a date just because it's a good day according to your calendar! When it is right, you will feel your body telling you so.
For how long should I fast? For as long as your body wants it. During this time you should also be comfortable, feel happy, stomach will not grumble, and you aren't thinking about food. A fast can last a short while, an hour, half a day, a day, two days, a week, month... or longer. It's all up to your body.
When should I not fast? When you are doing it "just because". When the thought of fasting feels wrong in any way.
Are there any risks? Yes! If you stop eating for a while, it is either fasting or food deprivation/starvation. The difference is that it either works or it doesn't, it is either right at that time or it isn't. Food deprivation leads to starvation and it can get dangerous.
Detoxification
As you fast, your body is no longer occupied with the digestion and work dealing with food. It gets a chance to rest and do other important things. Detoxification takes place. If you have been eating the typical Western foods for years, be prepared for serious detox symptoms if you fast the wrong way! Detox is when toxins and waste material are released from your tissues into the bloodstream to be gotten rid of. You may experience headaches, aggression, anxiety, nausea, muscle pains and other similar symptoms. This can be avoided:
If you have been eating typical Western foods for years, you are filled with toxins that your body will want to get rid of as soon as it gets the chance. It is appropriate to fast on vegan food or vegan raw food for several weeks before doing a liquid or water fast. Dry fast is not for you yet. Nor is breatharianism, yet.
If you make it a gradual process, and keep your fasting not too far away from your ordinary eating habits, it will be a more pleasant and effective experience. If you are aiming to become a breatharian, after each fast change your eating into resembling a little bit more the fasting food/drink. Let it be a gradual process, this way it becomes SAFE, educational, and both you and your body keep up.
How do I behave during a fast?
It is recommended to fast during spare time, in order to be perceptive of how the body reacts and getting the most of the fasting. Although, a person EXPERIENCED in fasting can manage working and other things during a fast, and this only if they are perceptive enough of themselves so that nothing cuts off their 'communication' to themselves. And later on for an aspiring breatharian, the 'fasting' becomes an everyday part of one's life, and of course he or she is able to live an ordinary life!
When is it fasting and when is it breatharianism?
Fasting is meant as a temporary thing, whereas breatharianism is for life. During a fast one needs to listen to any reactions the body has and notice any changes that occur, and will return to eating/drinking after the fast. A breatharian is 'ready' and doesn't need to stay alert for any potential sudden changes and does not plan on eating again.
The warning signals!
When to cancel a fast:
*You feel very tired. (Fasting that works would make you refreshed and energized!)
*You become cold and get shivers. (Hurry up and eat a sweet warm liquid or eat soup! You are starving! Fasting that works makes you warm and comfy.)
*Your thoughts become slow. (A successful fast makes you alert, charismatic and very conscious.)
*All you think about is food. (You are hungry! A successful fast makes you think about all the other things there are besides food.)
*Stomach grumbles. (Your fast is definitely a failure. Go back to food/drink, but if you want change your everyday eating habits a step closer to the way your fasting is.)
*Depression. (Fasting makes you happier than ever before! Don't comfort yourself with food, but do eat, knowing that you give yourself everything you need.)
Fasting is not a way to lose any weight. Fasting is not a way to punish yourself. Fasting is not the same as 'not eating'.
Fasting is what brings your focus away from food and back to yourself.
My fasting experiences
My 5-day fast
One morning I didn't feel like having breakfast. I haven't felt like having breakfast for weeks now, and it had come to the point where I now decided to skip it. During noontime, I didn't feel like lunch. So I skipped it too. I was going to bed when I noticed that I hadn't eaten ANYTHING all day! And I felt great anyway! I did drink some bottled mineral water, and that was all.
Day two went, I was not hungry then either. All I had was moderate amounts of mineral water. Day three, four, and day five I noticed to my horror that I hadn't eaten for FIVE DAYS! Scared, knowing that it is said that people die after three weeks without eating, I forced myself to eat again.
During the fast, I slept for less hours than I usually do. I woke up in the mornings feeling more refreshed than ever before, and it no longer took me about half an hour up to an hour to fall asleep in the evenings. I was constantly smiling and felt happy like never before. Those five days were the best days of my life.
During the fast, my stomach never grumbled, food never came to mind, I was energetic and happy. This is how a successful fast may be. And the fun part is that I have pictures of myself on day 5. I'll get them scanned so that everyone can see for themselves that one doesn't have to be starving after five days of ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD AT ALL.
My failed fast
One Sunday I decided that I want to fast, but don't have the time during weekdays. This day was right according to the calendar, and I started my fast "just because". After only a few hours, I was shivering, had palpitations and felt very anxious. All I could think about was food, warm food. So I immediately prepared some hot soup and ended the fast. It was a good experience of when fasting doesn't work, and what could cause it to fail.
No one is starving after a few hours without eating. But if a person wants to keep eating regularly, the mere thought of not going to have food makes the body panic, like mine did.
The difference between these two fasts is that it is either right and will work, or it's not right and will fail. Fast only when you feel like it. Never "just because".
