Tomorrow morning officially begins the month of Ramadan, well here in the far east . This came to mind because one of my friends in the massage class is a Muslim from the Philippines. I don’t know much about this holiest of holidays in the Muslim calendar so I did some research and discovered that it involves not eating during daylight hours for not one or two, but 30 days. So since I started yoga I’ve realized the helpful benefits of fasting. Actually, you should go one full day every week without eating any whole foods in order to aid your body in relaxing its work load and just promote general health. It has traditionally been done in India, as many other things, for a couple thousand years.
So I’ve decided to take up this challenge and sustain from not only eating, but also committing any type of sin and also being more compassionate to my compatriots, during daylight hours, well, only for the former and for thirty days starting on the first. It is supposed to bring you closer to God (even though he is everywhere), but symbolical anyway and Ramadan translates as a scorching, I suppose of all impurities. Buddhist monks only eat two meals a day, one at dawn, the other before noon. Only beverages I believe are taken in the heat of the day. I don’t think we westerners fast enough, we are always too preoccupied with eating. And abstaining from our favourite activity is another way of gaining self control, which helps in every aspect of our progress up. Anyway, I do see some points where it may become difficult already. For example, when I’m working on an organic farm next week. Also, when I’m studying one of a variety of eastern arts. But, it is an experiment, even if it doesn’t work out, life is about gaining experiences right, why else would our omnipotent consciousnesses choose to enter an earthly body in the first place?
Jesus assumed that all of his followers would fast. On the mount, he advises us on the method:
“When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:17-18.
Yes, I will have a nice Indian head massage and a herbal sauna and body scrub from my favorite sauna, Wild Rose. I’m still not convinced this will get me through the month, though.
