Reflections on Fasting

"...prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests."

- Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 368

Throughout this period of fasting, I have wondered what it means to fast spiritually. Fasting from one’s lower nature seems like the simplest (though still far from easy) definition of a spiritual fast. Despite not wanting to develop expectations about this experience, I may have had some preconception that a "spiritual fast" ought to involve spiritual epiphany, a sense of increased closeness to and trust in God, some mystical experience of transcendence... and for this reason I felt somewhat concerned that I was not fulfilling the spiritual aspect of the fast.

A friend sent me this quote by Abdu’l-Baha towards the beginning of the fast, but as I read it again today, it takes on new meaning for me. What if spiritual fast implies mindfulness and awakening?

Regarding Tests of the Body. Fasting has certainly awakened me to a deeper sense of the capacities of my body. Firstly, it has become abundantly clear that my body can manage on less food and water than I normally intake. Secondly, I am in awe of how flexible my body has been to adapting to a new daily rhythm--rising earlier, digesting larger quantities of food before sunrise and after sunset, and going 12 hours with no food or water. Of all of these things, and probably much more, my body is capable. What a blessing to know this--I pray that I can keep this awareness with me in the future when I am hungry and must wait a bit to fill my belly.

Regarding Mindfulness. Mindfulness has blossomed in several directions over these past weeks. I am far more in-tune with the rise and fall of the sun, with adapting my own behavior to nature's clock. It’s so lovely to watch the sunrise, and something I so seldom do otherwise. I am aware of the fact that I am eating in the morning when I am not hungry, which makes me reflect on how often I am not mindful of whether or not my body is hungry when I eat. I am mindful that I am more fatigued in the middle of the day and find it harder to focus, but it’s not a permanent state of being – my energy level tends to rise again towards the end of the work day. I am more mindful of not wasting food, and of the bounty of having enough to eat.

Regarding Awakening. This period has awakened in me periods of creativity, productivity and opportunity. The first week of the fast I was incredibly productive at work. New opportunities are opening at work. I am actually cooking myself well-balance meals again, whereas busy weeknights have oft kept me from cooking in recent months. I felt inspired to do a little bit of composing, of setting a prayer I love to music, and it has been years and years since I actually composed something – this has been a wonderful experience because it’s been the first time I’ve tried to compose something in partnership with someone. I have been reading and blogging more (further, I have been feeling detached from whether or not people comment on my posts).

In sum, perhaps spiritual fasting is not necessarily a mystical feeling of transcendence, but rather also comes in the heightened consciousness from learning to appreciate so many of the things in life we otherwise take for granted.