03/10/2024
*A very Happy Navratri to one and all.*
Its the time when most of us observe Fasts for 9 days.
*Fasting* has been used for millennia by the rishis, saints and sages in order to purify their bodies, minds and souls and to bring every cell of their bodies into connection with the divine.
Are we really Fastinggg ???
*A True Fast*
A true fast, undertaken with understanding and discipline has the power to cure most ailments of the body, mind and spirit. For the body, a fast restores all systems of the body – the nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems are all regenerated. The toxins and impurities in our blood and tissues are eliminated and our system becomes rejuvenated. It is rarely heard a man who dies from under-eating; however, the majority of all today’s terminal illnesses are rooted in over-consumption. Rethink...
Fast is one of the best ways of controlling our mind and senses. Fasts have been used for millennia to subdue passion, anger and lust. They allow us to withdraw our senses from the outside world and become refocused on our own divine nature and our connection to God.
Unfortunately today, every community seems to have forgotten much of the purpose of a fast. Today, you will see people with plates overflowing with puris and pakoras who say they are fasting. There are phalhari chapatis, samosa, saboodana chops, khichari and so many other hearty foods that we barely even notice it is a fast.
However, it is crucial to pause and reflect on what we are calling a “fast,” is it really fast.
*Upvas*
In Sanskrit, the word for fast is Upvas. This literally means, “sitting near to…” Sitting near to whom? Near to God.
Fasting is a time in which our bodies are light, a time in which our vital energy is not being dissipated through the process of consumption and digestion, a time in which we are free from the heaviness and lethargy resulting from overindulgence.
During a fast we should also try to quiet our mind as much as possible. So much of our energy is drained each day in our ceaseless, incessant thought process. And where do most of our thoughts lead? Either nowhere or to our own frustration. Rarely do we actually solve anything or find peace through our own pondering. Usually it leads only to more confusion and more questions. Therefore, as we give our bodies a rest from digesting food in our stomachs, as we give our ears a rest from digesting impure thoughts, and as we give our eyes a rest from digesting over-stimulating or sensual sights, let us also give our minds a rest from having to digest our thousands upon thousands of thoughts each day.
I pray that this Navratri we all refrain and fast from not just *food* ( refined, fried, grains, sugary, salty, and food coming from animals) but also from negative thoughts, emotions and all those things that does not serve us physically emotionally mentally and spiritually.
May we also *fast* and refrain from using all those things that come from other kingdoms of nature by harming them and creating an imbalance on Earth and that doesn't serve Mother Nature.
