Fasting is an important aspect of coming into alignment with our spirituality. Fasting allows us to come into alignment and to see where our personal power might have been surrendered to situations, things, food, or people. Fasting takes a bit of planning as well. One of the things that I like to do with my fasting is to take a few days to really plan it out. What do I hope to gain? What will I be giving up? How long do I want to fast? Being sure of our reasons for fasting and where we hope to go with it is an important aspect of the entire process.
Fasting also does not have to just be about food. We are constantly facing distractions, and there are a lot of things that deplete us of our energy. Fasting from the internet, cell phones, or even talking for a day can bring us back into alignment with the world around us. Fasting from food can show us where we might be reaching out through our emotions towards foods that might be harming us. Set a spiritual goal for your fasting cycle. Allowing yourself to find a deeper connection with your divine self. Pick a favorite book, some new chants, or even a physical practice like sacred dance/yoga. Set a schedule for your fast, and stick to it. Showing up is one of the hardest things to do in our spiritual practice.
Remember, there is no such thing as failure. I set a time parameter for my fasting cycle, but if I do not reach the entire goal I consider the time I showed up a success. If I didn’t make it to the end, I sit with that and I see where my stumbling stones might have been. I journal a lot during my fasting period. I look at my emotions, I go deeper into my divination practice, and check in with my emotions constantly. If I am removing something from my experience checking in with my emotions it allows me to see what power I might have given away.
Take a few moments and think about how you can deepen your spiritual practice by allowing something in your experience to sit on a shelf for a while. What is something you feel you can’t do without? That is where you start.
M. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT
michael@michaelbrazell.com
Movement + Ritual + Grief Care 