Intermittent Fasting
“A moderate diet is the most important of the Yamas” Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Fasting is becoming widely accepted and practiced by many people.
When we fast, we allow our body to rest. Instead of spending energy on digestion of the food, our intelligent body regenerates itself.
Basically, fasting slows down aging! Who doesn’t like to feel and look younger?
There are some other benefits that I experienced for myself;
A clear mind, more energy, better digestion, appreciation for food, self discipline, and control over my desires.
I also include fasting in my yoga practice. Some of the best yoga practices I’ve had were while I was completely empty. I notice that I am more sensitive to the subtle energy flows in my body during my yoga practice while in a state of fasting.
It is important that fasting is done correctly physically and most importantly mentally. My advice is to start preparing your body and mind a few days before the actual day of fasting.
-Our mind likes to be prepared, this is why its good to pick one day a week when you can fast 12-18-24-36 hr. Mentally you will be thinking about the day of fasting and you will be much more prepared to go through it.
-Talk to your family about it so they know and support you.
-If you are the main cook in your family, then you can prepare all the food for your loved ones in advance. If you are just starting to implement fasting into your routine, your mind can easily give up to go though the whole day of fasting if you have to be in the kitchen. When we observe fasting regularly our mind becomes stronger. I have been fasting regularly now at least a couple times a month, I can cook on the same day and completely detach myself from all the food and continue my fast just drinking warm water.
Based on my own experience I want to share with you some of my insights and helpful tips that I learned by practicing fasting regularly for a few years now.
To prepare your body physically I would suggest a few steps;
- Normalizing your bowel movement by adding extra fiber such as psyllium husk, and ground flax/chia seeds. You have to make sure you have good bowel movement every morning upon rising.
-Avoid drinking alcohol in any quantities. Make it easier for your liver to detox and to clean debris that are already present in your body.
-Eat as simple as possible. Don’t mix carbohydrates with proteins, doesn’t matter plant or animal based. Try to avoid sugars and processed foods.
-Make a good quality vegetable broth the day before fasting. You may need it if you get very uncomfortable during the fast and you can have it on the next day to come out of the fast.
As I am approaching fasting day here are the steps I take:
1. On the day before I have my last meal no later then 6pm.
2. I take a coffee enemas. One in the morning on the day of fasting and one more on the following day in the morning as I come out of the fasting.
The purpose of coffee enemas is to stimulate the liver to increase its detoxification of the blood and decrease the toxic load on the liver. This includes removing a variety of toxins and free radicals from the bloodstream.Colonics in general, when we are going through any cleanse help to flush toxins out of our body making the whole process of fasting more tolerable.
3. I drink a lot of hot water since the body temperature drops, hot water helps to keep my body warm especially during the cooler months of the year.
4. As I wake up in the morning next day after fasting, I take a coffee enema followed by a glass of water mixed with Bamboo Charcoal to trap toxins. Wait 30 min and go on with my day.
5. I like to drink fresh squeezed juice on this day to replenish electrolytes.
5. Practicing asanas helps me a lot to calm my hunger ghosts. Usually, after a couple hours of asana/pranayama practice, I don’t feel hungry. Try, and see if it will help you as well.
It is very important to break the fast correctly, this is why it is important to prepare yourself mentally and physically first.
Perhaps the best food to break a fast with is a fresh papaya. You can also make a veggie juice with a little bit of ginger. I would recommend to delete juice with warm water. You can break your fast with warm soft food like vegetable soups with a little bit of ghee butter, herbal teas, or baked apples with cinnamon. Try to avoid cold drinks.
Notes from Anastasiya:
-Very important that after you read this article, you do your own research on fasting. Gather as much information as you need to feel comfortable before you make a decision to fast.
-If you are not comfortable with enemas, you can go without. Just make sure you have a bowel movement. You can buy suppositories that will help to soften stool and promote good bowel movement, reducing inflammation at the same time.
- If you are new to fasting you can comfort yourself with a cup of tea or veggie broth and see how you feel. Usually it helps me a lot to finish fasting.
-If you are vata dosa and you get cold and irritable very easy, you may want to take salt/baking soda enema instead of coffee enema. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a half gallon of warm water. If you decide to go for coffee enema, I suggest to buy made specifically for colonics medium roast therapeutic coffee beans before you can move on to Green Therapeutic Coffee. Medium roast coffee can be tolerated by most people.
A few Health Benefits of Fresh Papaya that I want to point out and why I think Papaya is so good after Fasting.
1.RELIEVES CONSTIPATION
The presence of folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E in papayas producing a tonic effect in the stomach and in the intestines. The fiber obtained from the fruit helps to increase bowel movements and improved bowel movements reduces the effects of constipation.
2.ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing of the linings in our intestine. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C and beta-carotene, are very good at reducing inflammation.
Information from Hatha Yoga Pradipika .
“The Hatha Yogi should eat regular meals and not make a habit of fasting to often. However fasting can be used to stimulate the digestive system, to eliminate toxins and to help bring the senses and mind under control. In sickness it stimulates the body to produce the necessary antibodies to fight disease and rebalance the body structure.”
Though fasting has a lot to offer and many people advocate it, one who devotes many hours to hatha yoga sadhana should not strain the body in such a way. Any actions which are strenuous and create pain or extreme conditions in the body should not be undertaken by the yogi.”
“Without being fanatical, one should take proper care of the body and avoid any unnecessary strain or injury, as the body is the vehicle to higher consciousness”
“Fasting is also not recommended over the winter months (especially in colder climates) as the body will go into storage mode as it becomes cold.”
Note: Here, they mean a yogi who purified his/her body and is practicing Hatha yoga 3-4 hours a day consistently for a long time.
Contraindications and precautions
Always discuss with your doctor if You can undergo Fast.