Dear Yogis and Yoginis,
I know that diet is a distant second concern here, but I was wondering if anyone here has good results with fasting? It’s something I used to do on and off, and haven’t recently but it seems to be coming to mind for me these days.
Yours,
Yoda
Yes I have very good results with fasting. I drink only water. It’s very healthy and strengthens the immune system. It’s good to do one (24 hour) day every week, but I usually don’t have that much will power. I’m fasting right now because I was starting to feel sick yesterday, and it knocks out disease quicker than drugs, and without the side effects.
I used to fast once a week… no food or water for the entire day… just one meal after sun set. Cannot tell you if it really helped me… it was hard to do, esp. in the hot Indian weather. Of course I was going through a phase where I wanted to hurt myself so I could get God’s attention. 
I don’t think it worked… because I thought of food and water all day. Now I do one day in a week of light vegetarian diet. I think this does help me. It also puts me in a track for eating better for the rest of the week. (weekends are another thing). So if you can fast and not be tormented by it, I think it is a good thing to do, if however you keep thinking of food all the time you are fasting… well maybe it is not worth it then!!!
When I was younger, I would fast for two or three days at a time, but I would drink water, water with lemon and honey, herb tea and some watered down juice. It felt wonderful, very cleansing.
I don’t think I could manage it now. I’m getting older (49) and don’t feel good at all if I don’t have regular meals/snacks…
Light and Love,
Kathy
Hari Om
Hello folks,
I could do a much better job fasting… I used to fast once a week and need to start again. I enjoyed the lightness, but more then that
I enjoyed the control I had over my senses…I need to re-esptablish this. That said, there are days that support fasts better then others Moksada Ekadasi, Utpanna Ekadasi, etc. (Ekadasai = 1 + 10 or the 11th day of the moon cycle); Here’s a list of all of the Ekadasi fast dates http://www.acbspn.com/ekadashis/ekadashis.htm
More for those that Vishnava’s- but a sattvic appoach is good for all.
As Sri Krsna talks to Arjuna about this, “The merit one attains by fasting on Ekadasi is greater than that achieved by observing any other kind of fast or by going to a place of pilgrimage, and even greater than that achieved by giving charity to brahmanas. I tell you most emphatically that this is true.”
If you care to read a bit about this, http://www.acbspn.com/ekadashis/utpanna.htm
agnir satyam rtam brhat Frank in San-Diego
Shanti, fasting could be very helpful sometimes. But there’s really no point in fasting with no water. That is harmful for you, although one day should not harm you much.
Well, I should mention may be one benefit: to train your will power. But it is a torturous way of training. And you can train it with other harmless ways, like sustaining a balancing asanas for a long time, eradicating bad habits,…
I’ve tried once. Fasting really helped me. But not during the fasting period, which I felt tired. As I’m now rather busy, I don’t have the chance to fast anymore.
Frank in SD, A guy can’t have a great time in Vegas with that info, but it’s fun to read. Here’s a link that has the 2006 dates:
http://www.audarya-fellowship.com/forums/hinduism/27315-hindu-calendar-2006-a.html
I’m in the middle of a 2 day fast and it looks like I lucked onto a date mentioned on the above link, so that’s nice.
The article mentioned sungazing as a way to purify the Vegas experience, I’ve had some experience with sungazing and I don’t think it’s up to the job, but it is a banner practice.
Thanks all for the comments.
I just reread Yogananda’s “Man’s Eternal Quest” on fasting and read the Bragg book “Miracle of Fasting” and looked up all the impressive primate and rat research on fasting/calorie restriction and longevity, and I’m wrapping up a 2 day fast, so I’m sort of pumped up on the subject at the moment.
It feels a lot like an all day pranayama practice. That makes sense, since both sort of restrict a major fuel source and the Taoists say that the body tries to outsource for energy through the nadis when you do that. Not that you find enough energy through those little guys, but it is a purifying experience. Knowing that too much pranayama and too little meditation isn’t a smooth move, it might be a good idea to fast on easy going days with time to do extra meditation. Possibly.
The calorie restriction/longevity folks on the internet look too skinny–way too ascetic and not healthy. The fasting crowd seems more robust. Like Mr Bragg who died at age 95 while surfboarding and he carried some muscle on him too. Bragg proposes skipping breakfast, and fasting once a week amongst other things. The dude is way unscientific and blusters about a fair bit, but he tells impressive anecdotes.
cool link:
http://www.anti-aging-guide.com/
Yoda said
>> know that diet is a distant second concern here
Hello Yoda, AYP is nonspecific about diet, but that doesn’t mean it is not important. Rather, it is seen that dietary needs vary a lot from person to person, and also from time to time for a person. AYP is nonspecific about diet because it is recognized that it cannot be specific.
During a yogic purification process, dietary needs may arise. Usually the practicioner can muddle their way to an appropriate diet for them through a combination of improving body instinct, and good information.
Sometimes during a person’s sadhana, it may become very clear to them that fasting ( a form of dietary activity) is very appropriate for them. They may be drawn to it and the good effects obvious.
I’ve never been drawn to fasting myself, but it could happen any time. Now, where’s that apple I am half-way through…
David,
Good clarification!
Any apple leftover? I’m starving!
-Yoda
Hari OM
Hello Yoda,
There are some great days during the year to do fast. I am of the opinion if you do them, doesn’t hurt to rack up some extra cosmic-credits along the way, eh? The site I suggested was more about how the fasts came to be and some of the lineage behind it. I always find it rewarding ( delightful really) to read.
Happy to hear you knocked out 2 days in a row. I have not done that for a while. For me, after day one, the hunger thing subsides and I do not have the desire for food. Yet being the avg. householder, it time to eat again, but not driven by want. I do like the control of the senses… its not often I win over them, so its kinda nice to win but not bully them, they will be back. There’s a saying, if you can control the tongue, you can gain control over all the senses. Those rascal taste buds!
agnir satyam rtam brhat Frank in San-Diego
Hi all,
I did a 40 day fruit, nuts and veg fast some years back when I was training with a particular yoga school. It had a bad effect on my health partly because I need some carbohydrates in my body, and partly because I was working and didn’t make sure I was eating properly within it. I found it very harsh on the body and would not force myself in that way again. I think it needs to be done properly and when you have free time and not busy with work…Having said that it is possible to find yourself naturally fasting, following your body’s needs as opposed to a more mortification type. I have found myself recently doing this, as I went off food and naturally didn’t want to eat. This seems much gentler than my previous experience!!
Om Shanti,
V
Hi Vicki,
I have seen that too… I do tend to naturally fast certain days without being uncomfortable. My diet has changed too… I don’t feel like eating high fat and heavy foods… and if I am forced to (like at a party)… I eat very little of it…
Lesson# 30 makes sense now…
There are 2 things that made it easier for me to fast.
One is giving up caffeine.
The other is knowing that it is good for rats and presumably for monkeys (the primate longevity research won’t be in until 2020–not enough monkeys have died yet, sadly. 
) and I’m betting on for humans too.
Since I have this thought in my mind, when I experience a flicker of discomfort I associate it with cleansing, health, longevity, and better meditation sessions and maybe even some cosmic brownie points as Frank suggests. So it makes me happy.
It’s mostly slight headaches that precede regular prana waves throught the medula oblongata that I experience. I’ve heard that headaches are common and I’d imagine just taking asprin would open up the nadis to help the extra energy come in if it became genuinely painful.
I seem to remember that headaches tend to go away as one gets used to the practice.
Yoda said:
The other is knowing that it is good for rats and presumably for monkeys (the primate longevity research won’t be in until 2020–not enough monkeys have died yet, sadly.) and I’m betting on for humans too.
I’ve heard that seems to be almost universal in mammals, and maybe even animals in general, that caloric restriction leads to increased longevity. It will be a big, big surprise if it is not true for humans too.
I’d agree… but not for flies. Plenty of them have died in the lab, completely impervious to peer pressure on this one.
What does everyone thing about things such as colon cleansing during fasting? I’ve seen some photos and read stories of people who experience dramatic changes after going through fasts with the cleanse. Some of the health books I’ve been reading seem to indicate its necessary to do cleansing along with a fast, especially if you are coming from a previous diet that was not as healthy. That merely changing diet will not necessarily get rid of the gunk that has built up over the years.
Some of the reports of people whose conditions have improved after cleaning out their insides are pretty amazing. Skin conditions, all sorts of ailments.
I know my diet was pretty bad for years and am on the road to health but feel I still have to deal with all that stuff in there.
Has anyone gone through the process during a fast?
Welcome Decon. Glad to have you with us. We have a lot of people who can help you with this topic…
If you go to the following thread you will find a lot stuff that might interest you…
Yamas & Niyamas - Restraints & Observances / Shatkarma
I am sorry I don’t know how to add a link… maybe somebody else could do this for me…
Thanks.
Hi Shanti and Decon, and welcome too, Decon.
The easiest way to add a link in a post is to go to that topic in another window, then copy the URL from the address bar of the browser, then go back to where you write your post and paste the link in there. There is a slightly more involved way to do it fancy too with code which is shown in the FAQ section.
So, here is the link to Shatkarma:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=668
Thanks Weaver…