0 day water-only fast completed
04-08-2018, 11:05 AM
Just finished a two day water fast as I was sick and now I feel much better. That was more a case that I was nauseous and didn't want to eat though.
Longest I've done is five full days with a half day either side -so six if you want to get technical. That was in a meditation hut on a retreat in a Buddhist monastery.
Fasting and partial fasting in Buddhism has a long history but is far more about the effect on the mind than any possible physical health benefits, though there is some overlap of the two.
For that reason treating a fast as some kind of endurance test or struggle would be counter-productive and not worth it from a Buddhist point of view.
But then I accept that to non-Buddhists that view wouldn't necessarily be seen as important.
In terms of good advice and building up to things I would recommend the book "the tao of health sex and longevity" for reading on the subject.
"https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Health-Sex-Longevity-Practical/dp/067164811X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523202066&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+of+health+sex+and+longevity"
He recommends juice fasts which I see as equally valid and discusses the different benefits from a health point of view as well as technical issues.
Personally I think fasting is at the borders of a positive and healthy lifestyle, something that is nice-to-have but not a must-have - but that which is a very positive practice if done periodically or even as a stand alone.
Of course how we go about eating well and exercising well on the daily is ultimately far more important in terms of health and happiness than the question of whether or not to fast periodically.
Longest I've done is five full days with a half day either side -so six if you want to get technical. That was in a meditation hut on a retreat in a Buddhist monastery.
Fasting and partial fasting in Buddhism has a long history but is far more about the effect on the mind than any possible physical health benefits, though there is some overlap of the two.
For that reason treating a fast as some kind of endurance test or struggle would be counter-productive and not worth it from a Buddhist point of view.
But then I accept that to non-Buddhists that view wouldn't necessarily be seen as important.
In terms of good advice and building up to things I would recommend the book "the tao of health sex and longevity" for reading on the subject.
"https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Health-Sex-Longevity-Practical/dp/067164811X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523202066&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+of+health+sex+and+longevity"
He recommends juice fasts which I see as equally valid and discusses the different benefits from a health point of view as well as technical issues.
Personally I think fasting is at the borders of a positive and healthy lifestyle, something that is nice-to-have but not a must-have - but that which is a very positive practice if done periodically or even as a stand alone.
Of course how we go about eating well and exercising well on the daily is ultimately far more important in terms of health and happiness than the question of whether or not to fast periodically.