They say that every person that you sleep with, is another person you share energy with, but what happens when someone is poison? Should you just allow this toxin to continue to cloud your spirit for the rest of eternity?

No, of course you shouldn’t. I believe that not only does fasting eat all of the bad stuff in your body, that it also eats the bad things in your psyche and in your spirit, that fasting can act as an emotional detoxing system to help flush out bad energy, past traumas, and unpleasant memories. This is not to say that you will forget any of these things, but that your body will use those negative feelings as fuel and discard them, giving you the gifts of acceptance and closure so that your mind and heart can finally be at ease.

Why do I believe this? Besides the vast research I’ve done on fasting, I first began my own journey with fasting after the bad conclusion of a long, romantic relationship. Although I did keep to my vigorous activity schedule (as I was in college at the time and also working a side job), when I was finally alone at the end of each day, I was sad and grieving. And very soon, eating was becoming more of a chore than a pleasure as food turned to chalk as I swallowed, weighed me down, and refused to bring me the comfort I was seeking but could not find in other humans.

So I decided to not eat. As I made this decision, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about fasting, except that Gandhi did it during a protest and Jesus did it for 40 days and nights for some higher religious reason I fail to remember. But are they not also people? I would never compare myself to Jesus or Gandhi, but they both believed in fasting for spiritual and religious regions, so why couldn’t I?

That is how I first came to start a water fast, I will talk more about the physical experience of fasting in another post, but in short, water fasting hurts for someone whose body is full of toxins, for someone who eats a lot of junk food, never exercises (sweating helps detox the body), and does not drink a lot of water. But only can we suffering can we push ourselves to a higher plane, and I was already suffering from the withdrawal symptoms associated with breakups so I a little more pain in the search for emotional healing did not deter me. After that first very rough day of water fasting, I began to fast regularly, with much less harsh juice and tea fasts. After a few weeks I found that I had even more energy and a more upbeat attitude. I added more activities to my schedule because I finally felt like doing things again. Going to my dance rehearsals was exciting and being alone was no longer a quick and sure trip into self-pity and depression. I was alive again.

I believe that anyone who is willing to commit to three days per week of juice and tea fasting (this includes yogurt-free smoothies, any organic juice, dairy-free tea, and water) can experience this same lift in mood, motivation, and energy. All it takes is a little dedication, and honestly, after my body adjusted to fasting and I’d detoxed enough to no longer have the unpleasant side effects from toxins being emptied into my bloodstream, there would be days where I’d wake up and not even crave food. This is possible for anyone who thinks food is their first love. I used to believe that I would possibly die (in my melodramatic fashion) if I skipped too many meals, and now I know that too much food does nothing more but weigh the body down.

I conclude that fasting is about deliverance from suffering, forcing your body to use all of the negative things it contains as sources of energy and then letting them pass through and from you forever.

If any of you have fasted, have you felt the spiritually cleansing effect that fasting holds?