Fasting

One of my inspirational teachers, Dan Mcdonald, talking with a doctor at probably the best fasting retreat in North America.


Today should be day 14 on my papaya mono diet, but after the 12th day I began a water fast. It was my intention to fast for only one day, but as soon as I began I knew that I wanted to fast for longer. My body was responding very well and I knew that now was the right time for this. I have known since I got to Hawaii that I would be fasting, but I was waiting for the right time, not even sure what I was waiting for, but this is it.

To be honest, one of the biggest things stopping me from fasting was the concerns and judgements of other people, especially family and people I'm close to. There aren't many people who know and believe in the benefits of fasting, and most everyone just figured that I wanted to starve myself to death. In the past I did fast for reasons other than health. I wanted to deny my physical body, wanted it to go away, wanted to hurt myself, but my experience now is the opposite. I am doing this because I'm ready to truly heal, to respect and listen to my body. I have studied health and nutrition very intensely for about five years now, and I will continue to learn all my life, but what I know is that the body is a better teacher than any book. There is so much conflicting information out there, and it is easy to become confused and dicouraged, but if you look within at your body and how it reacts, and if you listen to your heart, you will always do what is right for you.

Fasting is something I believe in without a doubt. I know it has the ability to heal people from anything that can be healed. I believe in the body's ability to heal itself. It's not about superfoods, pills, and potions. It's not about eating as much good food as you can. It's about allowing the body to do what it was designed to do.

I know there will be people who will disagree, and I am very open to that. I remember when I too believed that the sick should eat as much food as they could, to keep up their strength and heal. People are just sticking to their old belief systems, afraid of change, afraid of seeing that life isn't always black and white. I can accept that everyone takes care of themselves in their own way, because we're all on a different path. Some people do nothing but sit on the couch, eating hamburgers and pizza, and for them that is right, until it isn't. Everyone is doing what is best for themselves, all the time, even if it doesn't appear that way.

I don't know how long I will fast for. I am going to listen to my body and watch for the signs that it is right to start eating again. I am living at a place that is quite perfect for this healing. I have a community of people to help me if I need it, and I have my own space to rest and relax. Nature is all around me, and I have books to read, music to listen to, clean water to drink. What more could I need?