Physical Side
One large cantaloupe juiced; two glasses of veggie juice with added swiss chard. For the first time, I tried bottled black cherry juice I bought from the health store as a replacement for grape juice. Rich-colored and excellent tasting juice with the added bonus of powerful antioxidants in black cherry. Color in food means antioxidants.
Because I run, lift weights, and – ok – am 50, I wake up with a little stiffness and pain most non-fasting mornings. Not bad, just a little here and there: soreness on my right foot from running, an old ankle sprang, tender right shoulder (from benching too much weight when some younger muscle-head was looking), neck pain from a 30 year old car accident. But this morning I woke up with zero pain, just this calm, peaceful energy throughout my whole body. I sprang out of bed, feeling light on my feet, reminding of me when I was a kid, excited to face the day.
Spiritual Side
It’s not until the body is functioning cleanly do you realize how toxic you were; in the same way it’s not until you are fully alive do you realize how dead you were.
My life was owning me instead of me owning my life. Up at 5:45 and race to work for 6:30 for a busy day—off work at 4:00 and straight to the gym for an hour—home at 5:30—make supper, work on Freedomyou while eating—do dishes. By 8 PM I’m exhausted, all I want to do is sink into my chair and watch a little mindless TV. I’m in bed by 9:30, read the bible and pray for around a half an hour, at least that’s the plan, what usually happens is my eyes are dropping after ten minutes. The next day I start the whole thing over again.
Before this fast, the feeling of emptiness was growing to a crisis level. I fear emptiness more than any other. So to compensate, I improved my goals, filled my time with more accomplishments. It didn’t work, life still felt robotic. I began fearing bedtime, going to sleep with a sensation of death and detachment.
This fast has broken that mechanical feeling; my whole daily routine has been turned on its ear. Because of the fast, I require two hours less sleep, so I have been starting the day with bible reading. At work I am quieter, more meditative. I don’t work out while fasting so it’s straight home. Five to ten PM is filled with reading, prayer and spiritual writing at the park until the sun falls behind the trees and the stars above my head peek out through black rolling clouds. The combination of greater sensitivity and spending so much time outdoors has changed me, that mechanical feeling is gone and detachment has been replaced by connection. I have found myself again. Ever-present franticness over my to-do list is faded into peace. My house is messy, laundry is piled up, and I’m ok with it. This is far more important. This is the state where wise choices can be made.
Next Article: Fasting: Day 24 – Ending The Fast The Right Way