Fasting on Only Water for One Week (Almost)
Day 1: Thursday
Easiest day of my life. No time spent thinking about what to eat. No hunger. Optimal vitality and energy levels. I simply gained more free time to do other things.
I went and practiced an hour of vinyasa yoga. Good vitals, better strength than usual. I attribute this to obtaining optimal/complete digestion of food consumed.
Day 2: Friday
Significantly more difficult. This is the day where I actually felt hunger. It did not take me long to snap out of it however because I realized that the sensation of hunger creating discomfort is purely psychological.
My Perceptive Thought Process
“Hmm, hunger?” What is this feeling? Do I dislike this feeling or do I simply think I dislike it? Nope, it is just like any other feeling. Then the hunger went away.
I practiced an hour of vinyasa flow but was quite slow and turtle-like. Energy levels dropping gradually.
Day 3: Saturday
Easy for the most part other than the morning where I would wake up feeling cold, dizzy, and head-nausea. I would not want to get out of bed because it was cold and that took some will-power. As soon as I would get out of bed and stand up, I would feel a head-rush that made me feel like I wanted to lose balance and tip over. However, the rush was not stronk enough to get the job done ;).
That night I went out dancing and usually dance way more. I stopped earlier than usually because I felt pain near my calves and knees. It is not a sensation I normally feel. I believe these were toxins being flushed/extracted from my body. I slept and it was painful but lying down brought some relief.
Day 4: Sunday
Woke up with the usual grogginess. Went to a park where I was supposed to meet up with a yoga studio for a Sunday morning outdoor practice but instead ran into a group of Buddhist practitioners performing Falun Dafa and decided to keep it spontaneous and jump in. The movement are similarly described as Thai Chi with more emphasis on holding the poses for extended periods of time. The movements are nimble and simple which was perfect for me as vinayasa flow can be grueling and require a lot of energy. Since my energy was low and body still a bit sore I wasn’t really up for any intense yoga, so this worked out great. I met Kathy, who runs the group and she showed me all of the moves and told me more about the culture and persecution they are currently facing in China (as they are seen as a threat to communism). The standing exercises were followed by a seated meditation which was great outdoors. It was a little cold and chilly, but I eventually got used to the feeling and began to enjoy it. My hands and feet are always cold during the fast so the outdoor cold made the rest of my body cold, so in a way it regulated and balanced my body temperature. Cold was no longer isolated to my hands and feet, but now distributed throughout my entire body.
Following that I decided to go to a float spa for an epsom salt water float. Very relaxing and much needed, especially for my sore body. After that I lathered my body in coconut butter and went to relax in the lounge where I met more interesting people :).
Day 5: Monday
The usual difficult morning. I felt really low energy and knew that food was not an option so I opted for another source of energy — Air. I did three rounds of intensive breath-work (Wim Hof style) and after that felt revitalized throughout my entire day. I had been feeling my awareness through my heart throughout the fast but now I felt it in the crown of my head and back of my skull. I felt purified and full of light. An incredible sensation and euphoric feeling. I felt my connection to the divine without all of the distractions of food or desires for sex. The feeling lasted throughout the night where I met with my yoga companions who were also participating in the fast. We formed a circle and shared our feelings, trials, and overall experiences.
The water fast truly cleanses the body and expels toxins. Coupled with breath-work throughout the ritual it is really a rejuvenating and restorative practice. Typically when we eat food, this lowers our awareness to our gut. When we eat food so much without fasting (preventing a full cycle of complete digestion) this further lowers our awareness to the sacral (genital) region, which can make us lustful and have an exaggerated desire for sex. But now when food is out of the equation, the only place to go is up, for there is nothing to weigh you down. It is like jumping in a body of water, if you do not have something tied to you to make you sink, you will eventually float to the surface.
One spends more of their time in their heart center. This is usually a difficult task for me as I am usually always in the lower regions of my body (solar plexus/stomach and sacral region). We first float to the heart then further ascend into the crown where we find peace and, heightened intelligence, mental focus and overall mental clarity.
Day 6: Tuesday
Woke up pretty good actually. A bit groggy but did not feel low energy or like I want to fall over or anything like that. Getting out of bed was not a difficult, but rather moderate task. This day was a day of speculative thought relative to my fast. I was deciding whether I wanted to forgo all the fun possibilities for outings over the upcoming weekend by continuing into a 13-day fast, or if I simply wanted to call it at the one week mark. Either way I felt a sudden urge to go to the grocery store. Long-story short, I broke my fast that night, and as a PSA, it is definitely fun and exciting to go to the grocery while in a fasted state (especially after 6 days), but just remember that you may spend a little more than you have in the past. Below is an attachment of my receipt total! For the record, I have never spent this much at a grocery store!
Post-Fast: How I Broke My Fast (Suggestions)
Start with things that are light on the stomach like natural juice or fruit. I broke my fast with papaya and then gradually ate more fruit from there. Eventually I made my way to having a sweet potato.
The reason for this to me is mainly because your stomach shrinks after fasting for so long and you can have some aches if your stomach is sensitive. If you are looking to stay in ketosis and want to break your diet with fats that is another possibility. However, I do not consider this effective as your metabolism would’ve generally slowed down after the one week and you want some carbohydrates to revamp your digestive system (enter a more catabolic state of metabolism).
One may also consider that if the body is deprived of external sources of fat then it may opt to go for its own stores instead. All possibilities are valid potentialities and can be considered. Ultimately you decide what is best for you by experimenting through trial and error.
Highlighted Benefits
- Releasing attachments (you may shed things that do not belong in your life): Changed up my routine/pattern. Deleted a bunch of time-consuming (useless) apps for my phone. Including limiting time on social media. Eliminated my desire/usage for porn — sacral (sexual life-force energy) alignment.
- Began reading more books.
- Began feeling head clarity and purity of mind and heart
- No longer drawn to anxiety inducing activities such as video games and masturbation.
- Weight and body fat loss. I am already on the slimmer end and lost roughly 12 lbs and 5% body fat (if you have a higher weight/body fat content you will likely lose much more).
- Your interaction with life will change — both expressively and perceptively.
What I Drank During My Fast (If You Decide to Do It)
- Water with added salt and minerals (electrolytes for balancing charge of the body)
- Distilled water (for flushing out/pulling toxins from the body)
- Non-caffeinated minimal herbal tea (no sugar) [hot beverage]— (once in the morning or night)
- Lemon water [hot beverage]— (once in the morning or night)
Closing Remarks
When one fasts for extended periods of time, they give their cells an opportunity to identify ailments and dis-functionalities within the body. This is because the body is not so busy processing foods/nutrients that its energy is able to penetrate deep within the cells throughout the entire body. When we eat constantly without pausing, our body may (potentially) have the nutrients it needs to restore itself, but may be so preoccupied digesting food that it is unable/has difficulty identifying where to send the nutrients. This is where fasting comes of use to allot the body opportunity to reset by assessing its current situation.
We are meant to fast. Fasting for 24 hours or more allows the body to experience a full cycle of digestion. The allotted time allows the body to reach a point where it has consumed all nutrients and is now empty rather than full, reaching stillness from both a digestive and energetic perspective. Even as hunter-gatherers we would have periods where we would feast followed by periods of hunger. It made us gratify our food far more and allowed us to retain an intimate connection with our food source. These days, most of us do not even know where our food comes from, due to being disconnected by third-party intermediaries (i.e. grocery stores). The system has offered us a convenience and yet there is a hefty price to pay for that convenience. It is time we restore our connection to nature and our food source — restoring our appreciation and unity with nature. Blessings to all and for those who choose to fast may it extend your vitality and rekindle your passion for life and the earth.
**If a water-fast is not something that interests you or seems difficult, consider experimenting with alternate-day eating cycles (one day of eating one day off) or intermittent fasting (2–8 hour feeding windows).
