Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Where the river flows - WATER FASTING SUPPORT

MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

This begins my 10 day water fast. I am doing it for spiritual reasons and for cleansing. If anyone is interested in water fasting, maybe we could help support one another. :-)

My goals:

I will not break this fast today I will not break this fast on a bad day

I will break this fast with diluted raw juice

I got a new Sigg canteen for the occasion and a bunch of distilled water. I have the next few days off work and am ready to rock.

I know El-bo’s starting a fast soon – anyone else?

2»

Comments

  • sh*t…now i’ve gotta do it :o)

    i’ve managed the 4 – day mark, twice now…on both occasions i broke through little voices telling me i shouldn’t go on without supervision…i neither felt ill or hungry….

    we’ll see what happens this time

    i really want to make a big effort to ‘re-feed’ properly if i go longer….to really ease back into eating…..i will be off to a retreat and i’d like for my digestion to be in good shape, not damaged

    here’s to day 1 :o)

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Much love, dude…WE CAN DO THIS!!! :::thumbsup::::

    I’m so glad I have the next few days off.

    Now I’m just focusing on relaxing, letting my body do its thing. Maybe some yoga.

  • greenghostgreenghost Raw Newbie

    Hey—just here to say that I wish you both the best!
    Cheers!

  • :o) thanks

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Yes, I GOT IT! Thanks muchly! I will listen to it tomorrow after waking up…perfect motivation.

    Oh and a question: ICE CUBES. They’re technically water…found in nature. Can I eat some while fasting or should I refrain from ALL oral action until the fast is complete?

  • oral action, huh :o)

    best to go with room temp. water…..to cold can damage our internal flora…..and besides, the body will need to work to bring it to body temperature

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    True…I don’t want to make my body work any more then necessary right now.

    In fact I’m realizing that one of the things I like best about water fasting is that I “give myself permission” (doesn’t happen often, ha) to rest and relax!

    It’s wonderful, actually, to just have space to BE, not worrying or caring about my stomach.

  • o.k…..i’m gonna be offline for a coupe of days…i have to clean, backup and re-install my computer before i go away to the retreat…..i need to do it way ahead of time, so that i can deal with any problems should they arise….

    i will be a year at this retreat without broadband, so i need to make sure all my updates are installed etc

    anyways, i’ll dispense with further geek-speak…

    just wanted to say that i will not be around for 2-3 days…...i’m happy for it to co-incide with the beginning of this fast….with all the music softeare to re-install , it will be quite a distraction from any fasting stress

    so…i’m not backing out on you…..i know you have previous experience, so i fully expect to see you here, on my return…...

    seeing as we both have done well on shorter stretches, i’m guessing we’ll really need more support as it progresses

    good luck and be well

    speak soon

    elliot

    peace x

  • Best to you both!! yes, stay away from chewing action (even of ice or gum) – it starts digestion processes and you want your digestion to ‘shut down’. when your body (the physical you) starts to scream, “I’m dying!!!” just say, “yeah, that’s the point” it’s telling that part of “you” to shut up and bow down. be blessed and at peace you guys. : ) Be free to BE….

    elbo, whats this year retreat you speak of??

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Elbo- I’ll see you on your return! Take care and safe journey…

    Mamamilk – Thanks for your feedback!

    “when your body (the physical you) starts to scream, “I’m dying!!!” just say, “yeah, that’s the point””

    BRILLIANT! Ego-death is something I understand and will utilize. Thank you for reminding me that fasting means SURRENDER! All day I’ve been focused on one thing: JUST BEING! Relaxing as much as possible. Gentle with myself…reading and light yoga. As much water as I want.

    I will bow

    Day one complete, Into day two!

  • so, MOTH….how goes it???

    i ended up starting a day later, so now i’m a day behind…..i’m about 45 hours in…all seems to be going well…bit tired…bit of a headache..all ‘par for the course’ :o)

    mamamilk….i’m going to serve , long-term , at a vipassana meditation centre…..it is quite a new centre in italy and needs quite a bit of renovation work…..i was at a centre in barcelona last year for 5 months…it’s quite an experience :o)

  • ZanzibarrrZanzibarrr Raw Newbie

    interesting, I served for months in Dhamma dipa, dhamma mahi, dhamma dvara, dhamma sumeru and then damma giri etc… so it looks they have the new center in Italy now… anyway, how do you do there, just grab fruits and veggies to make your own food?

  • hey there :o)

    dhamma dipa, eh…as an ex-uk’er, i have sat most of my courses there and served there for a 3-month period a few years back…love the place….would really like to get back there one day…things are gonna be changing very dramatically

    dhamma atala in italy is a newere site…they’ve been there for a year…i think there were big land problems with their former site…...they are running courses, but the place is still being brought up to spec.

    i’m leaving for italy at the beginning of september and just wanna have this little fast to prepare…on arrival i’m gonna sit a course…..

    as far as raw goes, it won’t really be possible…as you know, it is run on dhana, and the kind of calories i would need to maintain are probably a little out of the question :o) i’ll make do with as much raw as i can get and try to keep th cooked food well-combined and vegan

    how did you find your service at dhamma dipa ?? when were you there ?? what about india (am dying to go) ????

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Wow, good luck to you both, and enjoy your new adventure, el-bo!

  • thanks :o)

  • ZanzibarrrZanzibarrr Raw Newbie

    :) Dhamma dipa as you know is changing hard and fast! I was there a couple of months ago, it was a time when I was going a lot, coming and going between London and there. The new kitchen will be there soon now and they have this big sati cmoing soon with SN GOenka live on telly. Dhamma Giri was very strong and huge. I spent most time in another one, in Nagarjunasagar right in the middle of India, at the time they were just beginning the building of it and was giving a hand, probably the most amazing place I have ever been to. I go very little now, unfortunately I have been asked not to sit anymore courses ( I mean long courses) as I do many other things from reiki to yoga and tibetan things. Hope you will have a good time there, I remember they had problems because they never asked for permission to build the dhamma hall from the authorities in Italy lol . It is great that you are so opened, at this point of my life I wouldn’t be able to eat cooked food again.

  • actually, i’m a real raw-newbie and have fallen off again recently (glad to be fasting )....so it’s not a big deal, though i’m sure it will be in the future….the benefits of being there will outweigh the diet compromise….if i’m careful , i can still eat very well

    actually, my first introduction to raw was at dhamma dipa about 5 years ago….i became aware of a guy just eating raw food…of course i couldn’t say anything until day 10 :o)....he told me he’d been raw for 13 months…..he was the picture of good health….that conversation really sowed a seed….it is possible to manage it for the 10-day course, but i’m gonna be in real trouble if i eat so little for a year :o)

    i heard about the live ‘sati’ link-up…..can you imagine how hard it will be to get on that course :o) lol

    re: the land in italy…i thought it had more to do with the lay of the land…that they had real drainage issues….just hearsay, wont know too much till i get there

    it’s a shame that you can’t sit anymore long courses…i thought ‘other’ practices prohibited 10-day also…..i guess it causes many people a real problem…i have spoken with people who lie on the forms (sila demerit -1) just to continue sitting courses…the benefit is so great…..i’m still such a doubter when it comes to some of the theoretical/philosophical side, but i’m about to sit my 10th course and i still appreciate that people are happy to leave me with my doubts…..

    peace :o)

  • ZanzibarrrZanzibarrr Raw Newbie
    Yes, not good for sila! I don’t do that, I try to stay honest. Funnily I have not the slightest doubt about the philosophical side. But problems come from other things, like SN Goenka ranting about pranayama in yoga. The point is simple he says yogis don t understand that prananyama is actually anapana. He is so extremely knowledgeable I think mainly thanks to his own experience that he understands what Yoga really is, anapana and vipassana, and he rants about “these acrobatic exercises”, who could say he is wrong? I have read an article from him about yoga and Patanjali that I found awesome. But the thing is you can also be yourself intelligent and actually practice anapana and vipassna when you do yoga… this is what BKS Iyengar says about pranayama :

    pranayama is to witness and observe the smooth flow of inhalation and exhalation with depth, subtlety and precision” , amazing isn’t it, Iyengar is so advanced in yoga that he has understood too, like Patanjali that pranayama is anapana. But how to explain in a course that, yes I do yoga, but very wisely? sahdu sahdu sadhu :)

  • i undestand the ‘as it is’ philosophy, and how it is rooted in the whole acceptance thing..i just find it very self-limiting to go through life JUST accepting…..i was taught pranayama, many moons ago, when training to be a yoga teacher (british wheel)....we were taught it as a physical technique as one of many prerequisites for meditation…..i always understood goenkas resistance because he felt it was used as another way to reach ‘enlightenment’...also pranayama isn’t just observing (i thought)...it is modification…..we purposely seek to extend or inhibit various aspects of the breathing process to a specific outcome…it is this modification and not mere acceptance that goenka seems to see as contrary to vipassana

    for me, pranayama is still a physical practice…of course it has a much deeper aspect…..i think deep, full, breathing is necessary for good health….pranayama gives us a way to access this….of course it influences us physically and mentally, but is as important a daily practice as eating, drinking and brushing ones teeth…..’as it is’ can only go so far :o)

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    ELBO! So great to see you back. You’ve been in my thoughts.

    I’m so close to day 4 that I can TASTE IT! (and I actually can…my ketosis has started, my tongue is thickly coated!)

    When I saw how white my tongue looked the other day, I was OVERJOYED! I feel so centered in this fast; my motivations for fasting are clear. I am staying in the moment and everytime a round of detox hits I recite mantra’s to myself and tell myself that it’ll pass, and it does! I’ve had periods of FEELING AMAZING, and periods where I’m so low all I can do is just breathe through it…

    I’m soldiering on!

    Best of fortune to you on your journey, El-bo!

  • good stuff, buddy :o) ... you’re doing great

    right at this point, i am INSANELY hungry….lol :o) this didn’t happen the last couple of times…hunger should quieten down once ketosis starts…..and i know it aint ‘TRUE’ hunger , anyways….

    hmmm…..

    i’m not mentally strong enough to stay WITH it right at this point, so i guess i’ll opt for distraction once again….another movie , methinks

    bring on day 3

    :o)

  • Congrats to both of you!!! Im so amazed!

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Thanks, Bubbaw!

    El-bo – yep, all I did for the first 2-3 days was CONSTANTLY distract myself and relax. I was on the internet a lot, ha. I watched a few movies. Started a new book. Took a bubble bath. I’m obsessed with music right now. Around the start of Day 3 I got crazy energy rushes and began cleaning everything in my apartment, did some weightlifting and dancing. Nothing major; took everything very slow.

    Today was the first day of working + fasting. The morning was rough; I was sick, vomited toxic froth into the toilet and had terrible cramps and passed some poo. I work at Whole Foods (floral) next to produce…so I was a little nervous for today, but had faith I would push through any cravings/weakness…

    And today turned out to be the BEST DAY at work I’ve had in ages. What do you know…

    Later tonight I’m gonna go for a nature walk…then crash early. Ever since my fast started I’ve had insomnia bad.

    YOU’RE DOING FREAKING FANTASTIC, DUDE! Keep it up!

  • thanks….

    be careful at work….make sure to breathe deeply before standing or other exaggerated movements…good to get the oxygen and heart moving to counter any faintness….just take things slow….and cool :o)

    yeah…insomnia got me before also…all that energy freed from digesting

    well, i didn’t watch my film…been on the internet, instead….gonna watch something now

    speak soon :o)

  • don’t hate me, but i may be backing out on you…. :o(

    3 days down and i’m feeling terrible :o(.....i don’t know if i want this to continue and ruin my last days in barcelona…...i still have so much to do

    i feel good from having given my digestive system a break, but i’m also conscious of the need to stock up on as much vits and mins before getting to the retreat, as i will only be getting significantly lower raw food quantity

    i’m still not totally sure, but i may quit it soon….

    hope you aren’t too upset with me if i break it…...

  • hope you feel better soon. you could always modify it with a squeeze of lemon and a teeny squirt of agave? or try herbal suntea. Yogi Tea makes a ‘fasting tea’... just some thoughts. When you are working, moving, organizing, etc. you do need a bit of energy for what you are expending. It will be the same and as clean as if you were laying around doing plain water…

    fyi: the Fasting Tea does seem to keep the pipes moving – which may be part of the issue – you may have a little gunk in your colon making you feel cruddy…. even after 40 days, my husband was still passing some sticky stuff….

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    El-bo – of course I don’t hate you, friend! ::::huggles::: I TOTALLY understand. Water fasting is so tough and you need to listen to your body. The great thing about fasting is that you can start or stop a fast at any time. No biggie…you gave your body lots of healing the past few days. Or you could just use the fastig tea; I have used this in the past – or a bit of lemon. Whatever you feel is best for you.

    I’ve woken up every morning since I started the fast, nauseous and vomiting…today the vomit felt awesome; it just poured out of me, all this foul-tasting yellow fluid. I also had a killer bowel movement today – the good news: IT WAS NOT FOOD. Some sort of black disgusting waste was being released.

    My energy is LOW today – maybe I overextended myself yesterday. I’m taking it VERY SLOW AND EASY at work; just kinda puttering along. What kinda bugs me is that people at work are commenting on “how tired” I look; I know that people can see that there is a big change going on inside my body right now; even if they don’t know what it is.

    I’ll push on and try to ignore the peanut gallery. :-)

    I will keep posting this thread; helps keep me focused.

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    DAY FIVE and I just broke my fast on watermelon! LOL I’m glad I broke it. My choice was very firm and purposely. I was getting crazy desires for things that I haven’t eaten in ages and my job has been feverishly demanding. It scared me a little. I just love fruit.

    I LOVE FRUIT. That’s what it is. I’m ready to have my energy back. I want to be STRONG.

    It was a good run though…it’s been ages since I’ve fasted on water for this long.

  • Moth, I’m glad I stumbled across this page, I was on the “new to this” part & am very interested in starting my first water fast, I’m very nervous, and don’t really know what to expect, other than I’m already aware to the caffeine withdrawl headaches, I went thru that once before, but never have fasted for even a day before, any info. you can give me on what to expect would be great, thanks.

  • Thank you for your fasting “blog”! It was helpful to know that other people are human too! LOL! I kind of get mad at myself for breaking a fast too early! Anyway it really seems like you had it rough on this fast! I have read a lot of your posts and you just seem like such a good and honest person! I I am sure that because of some of your former habits you had a lot of detox to go through. Take care!

Sign In or Register to comment.