Unveiling the Power of Fasting: Your Journey to Inner Transformation

Quote - "The discipline of fasting breaks down the barriers to our soul's greatest treasures. What a treasure fasting is!" - Wesley L. Duewel

Growing up on campus of an engineering school where my father was a professor, I witnessed a strange annual practice. The school management would lock the "entrance" gate for a day. Apparently a little annoying, since both entering and exiting vehicles were forced to pass through the "exit" gate. As a youngster, I found this practice amusing and perplexing, unable to understand its aim. But when I asked my father about the reasoning for this strange tradition, his response struck me like a riddle cloaked in mystery. "To exercise its rights over the campus property," he said. The school's yearly gate lock exercise was a signal to the world that this campus was really their territory, and they had the right to open and close its gates at will. It represented control and ownership over the wide range of knowledge and invention within its walls.

Interestingly, this realization prompted me to draw comparisons with the self-discipline known as 'fasts.' Like the university gates, our brains may be occupied by both helpful and unhelpful thoughts, ideas, and emotions. However, by observing 'fasts,' we establish ownership over our intellectual property - the mind.

We gain heightened self-awareness as we participate in these 'fasts,' exposing the metaphorical robbers who have secretly seized hold of the gateways to our consciousness. Thus, 'fasts' helping us to break free from old patterns and stimulating profound alteration within.

An often-repeated phrase in ancient Indian wisdom literature is "Tapas"- it is your freedom to deny yourself; your freedom 'Not To'! This is how you put a stop to past pattern cycles and gradually reclaim the power over your thoughts.

Here is how you can get started with your first Fast-

“Shut up” – when you are in a conversation, and have nothing productive to say… when you feel you have lost control of your emotions i.e. weakened by anger or anxiety.. just “Shut Up”.

Over time, you will grow in awareness on what past pattern is driving those emotions. And, with that awareness, you will steadily regain control of your thought and speech!

Try this and share with me what happened!

In our September edition where I will share 5 more fasting techniques. So, stay tuned.