Thus, I at last began to fast. Finally, I decided to go with a water-only fast.My guruji had been adamant that I must fast on Saturdays in order to appease the negative energies of Lord Saturn. At first, I didn’t believe it since I didn’t see how fasting could alleviate the lord’s negative effects (I didn’t think Saturn was a lord). However, I quickly began to understand (although hazily) that every day has a distinct vibration and that a variety of factors affect the human field. Should this not be the case, there would be no accuracy associated with the indications of the sunsigns and starsigns in astrology. This, along with the fact that fasting genuinely improves health, convinced me of the idea and the need for mental fortitude to prepare oneself for fasting. Three days later, I eagerly awaited the next opportunity that presented itself.

Come Saturday and here I am all ready to fast – excited and looking forward to the regimen in hope of a better version of myself. Before then, I had looked over a number of websites as well, and every one of them encouraged me to fast as carefully as possible. When it comes to fasting here in India and especially in certain communities, you find a lot of leeway in fasting. For example, some people are able to eat during a fast, but the meal must be free of salt. Alternatively, some people might fast but only eat once, which would allow them to cheat and eat too much. After then, tea and coffee are sometimes permitted, etc. All of this was like, “Cut the crap,” to me. Your body needs to fast without being thus indulgent; a fast is a fast. I choose to go one step farther and restrict it to just water throughout that period. This idea originated from hearing of a friend’s father who, after fasting on water alone for seven days, felt love and forgiveness. He made calls to those with whom he had strained relationships to beg for their pardon. This resulted from a profound understanding of oneself and the soul that came from deep within. Ultimately, this is the way that spirituality is meant to lead you, is it not? I wondered, “So were spirituality and fasting related?”

For me, going on a one-day water fast was indeed a challenge. I chew things quite a bit, regardless of the quantity. I could definitely feel the acidic beast in my stomach roaring and howling for food by the time Saturday morning arrived at 11 a.m. I took a sip of water and dowsed it. And I dowsed it more each time it increased its voice. I continued with my usual activities and stayed put, even though the fragrance of the street food was tickling my nose and I kept thinking that I should at least drink some juice. I managed to resist the last temptation of having some milk that night, and Sunday finally arrived after a restful night’s sleep, much to my relief. I truly did have a very difficult Saturday, but I managed to get through it. Upon awakening, I noticed a metallic aftertaste in my tongue. I found out that this phenomena occurs when your body runs out of glucose resources and is further forced to use fat as fuel. It is said that the poisons are actually stored in fat. The metallic taste is thought to indicate that your fasting is progressing as intended during this phase, which is known as ketosis. Now, the poisons are being flushed from your body. But the water fasting had just begun, and in order for this ejection to start having a more significant impact, one should preferably keep up the fast for a few days. Not that I lacked the motivation to pursue it further, but I made the decision to give up. I felt that something was not quite right, somehow.

I discovered after doing some additional study and intuitive analysis that you don’t actually need to be that severe on your body. It is evident that your body does not only release toxins during a fast. Fasting is merely an attempt to allow the body more room to work more quickly on this ongoing process. Strict fasting has become more of a trendy concept that stimulates interest rather than delivering significant long-term benefits. In situations where there is extreme urgency — such as when your boss misfires on you or you have to release all of your toxins within ten days — you might wish to confront the situation head-on. If not, you can accept it easily and allow the fasting process to build on gradually.

I believe that there are some good options to follow — the so-called “leeway” that is granted in certain societies and religions — such as a fruit fast or a one-time light meal fast. I now see that thoughtfully planned non-strict fast has its role to play.It’s about bringing your body into balance and progressively acclimating it to these times of starvation. This technique was necessary for our ancestors, who were essentially animal hunters, since their ability to survive depended heavily on their ability to catch food. Recall that agriculture was invented about 12,000 years ago. However, Homo sapiens have been around for more than 2,500 years.There could be days between successful hunts. Furthermore, they could not depend on any whey protein or muscle mass supplements. Their body thus had an opportunity to regain equilibrium through naturally induced fasting. Life is a lot about balance. No matter what you do, you need to maintain a fine balance of it – neither neglect nor overdose. But since we no longer have this chance, we continue to overeat and misuse our digestive systems as a result. Thus, consider it from this angle. Bring about a time of famine in your life. You may choose a day. And make sure you have had the period of fasting which you otherwise wouldn’t have. Even if you begin a one-time diet, say, at twelve o’clock in noon, then eat right away the following morning at eight, you are giving your body the next sixteen hours to correct itself because the food only takes two to three hours to digest. You could still consume basic fruits, which need less energy to digest, if it gets hard. So, while your body still has an opportunity to do its balancing function, you don’t have to contend with intense hunger. Just keep the bigger picture in mind: eat in moderation to give your digestive system a rest. This word “balance” will appear more prominently in your life if you consider every facet of it.

If you look at it from the above point of view, things become less confusing. One of the trickiest and most conflicting subjects is this one. A few academics will label fasting as a myth. Some may refer to it as God’s miracle. There isn’t a truly credible, scientific response to this argument. But if you look at it from the aforementioned point of view, you will obtain a persuasive answer. Recall that every cell in your body has the same level of intelligence as you. If your room is disorganised, what would you do with your leisure time after finishing all the other crucial tasks? You would clean it, right? That’s precisely what your body’s tissues and cells would begin to accomplish. They would tidy up their area. But then, how much? Would you clean the room for several days at a time? Or would you want to have a bite before returning to the cleaning duties? That’s exactly what your cells require too. They won’t be as productive or perform as well to clean up the mess if they aren’t fed. They would even cease their work and turn into zombies. They might resume their work, albeit less productively. Thus, in the long run, it may result in more internal cleansing, but at a cost of annoyance and decreased effectiveness. I would much rather use the intermittent fasting method, which is really effective at cleaning me up and is convenient too on my part. In the end, it comes down to personal taste. Intermittent fasting will nevertheless yield spiritual advantages; a prolonged water-only fast is not necessary. In actuality, if you are eating healthfully, this cleansing already occurs within your body. Your body will function at its finest for a far longer amount of time if you eat sensibly every day and still implement a fasting period on particular days. ‘Balance’ is the final point to consider. Not to add to the confusion, personify, or conjecture.

Also know that different body types react differently to fasting. Similar to Ayurveda, it is recommended to switch to intermittent fasting or juice fasting if your body type is classified as Vatta-Pitta dosha. For these individuals, water-only fasting may result in a severe stress reaction, and producing too much cortisol may be detrimental.

Thus, I’m not particularly sold on the concept of a water-only strict fast. Next Saturday, I’ll be going on a fruit fast. And I suppose I would like to keep doing it on Saturdays going forward as well. I’ll definitely say something if I learn something new.