3 difficulties I didn't expect during my fasting cure
Anyone can fast for 7 days, but it's not for everyone. Sound confusing? We clarify what we mean by that: Fasting requires courage. It's a step into the unknown. The step out of the comfort zone. The beginning is usually hard, but the gain is all the greater. In this report, Saskia, yoga teacher & coach, shares her experience with the Body & Mind Fasting Cure and the difficulties she encountered along the way.
My body & mind fasting experience
As a yoga teacher & coach, I have already had experience of fasting and yet it is always a special time. I don't want to hide the fact that fasting for 7 days wasn't always easy. The fasting experience was characterized by ups and downs. But as so often in life, it pays to prioritize long-term goals over short-term pleasure. In the end I not only experienced my fasting high, but also strengthened my self-discipline and learned to be more careful with food and with myself.
I firmly believe that I grow with every challenge and every mistake. For this reason I would like to share with you the following three difficulties during the Body & Mind fasting journey.
1. The need for more rest
My everyday life is usually fast-moving and my appointment calendar is full. Do you know that? Job, friends, family, household and then finding time for sports and all the beautiful things in life. Sometimes there is little time for me; for rest and reflection. So the fasting came in handy for me. I had deliberately reduced my schedule a bit in advance. But only during the fasting cure did I really let off the gas and slowed down. I felt how body and mind need this rest period. My limits were automatically shown to me and I was able to slow down. After an initial rebel phase where I thought I needed to keep being super active, I was finally able to let go and enjoy the quiet to the fullest.
2. Quitting the mind game sooner
I confess: there was always the thought of simply stopping the fasting cure a little earlier. Whenever it became uncomfortable for a short time, I thought to myself, "Oh, fasting for 5 days is good too". On the other hand, there were high phases in which I toyed with the idea of adding a few days of juice fasting to the end. That showed me how much a fasting phase is a mindset thing. You plan to do something, you know your intention and you know why you are getting involved in the experiment. But something in you keeps trying to throw you off your path. At the end of the day, it's all about coming back to the motivation and why, and staying on the path. It helped me enormously at the beginning of the fasting cure to write down my motivation and to read it through in difficult phases and reflect on it. The journal of the Body & Mind fasting cure was my perfect companion for this.
3. Willpower at social events when everyone else is eating
Admittedly, I consciously stayed away from social events and group events a little more during my Lent. Of course, I still met a few friends and simply informed them about my fasting experiment beforehand. They all took it with understanding or even admiration. Instead of putting food at the center of a meeting, as is so often done, we just went for a leisurely stroll or had a cup of tea. For me, it was all about strengthening my willpower , drawing healthy boundaries and communicating openly with those around me. Even if it wasn't always easy (at least when my friends ate pizza next to me), I can say that it was an enriching experience and that I was able to inspire friends and family and sometimes even encourage them to try it myself.
Conclusion
In short: Lent like this is easy – but not easy. There are always temptations lurking along the way and the weaker self sometimes has completely different ideas than "simply not eating". It's not always easy to persevere and discipline yourself. But I have learned how sacrifice can turn into gain and I don't want to miss this physical and mental experience. That's why I think anyone can fast (provided there are no previous health conditions), but you simply have to make a conscious decision to do so and take your time. So it's up to you whether you give a fasting experience like the Body & Mind Fasting a serious try.
About Saskia
Saskia is a yoga teacher and holistic health coach. Her vision is to support people on their very personal path and to accompany them in the transformation towards a healthier and happier life. Find out more about Saskia in our I·DO short interview , which gives you a little insight into her personal life as a yoga teacher and coach.
