Fasting: An Excellent Aid To the Contemplative Life

[Intuition]

It has been my experience that fasting is an excellent aid to a contemplative life (not to mention, it has great health benefits). I have practiced intermittent fasting for the past 3 years, and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Personally, my fasting schedule is a 36 hour fast every Monday, and then I do not eat until 3:00 PM on all the other days of the week.

Benefits:
- You will be more 'aware' and 'conscious': This seems to make self-awareness and alertness easier, and provides much alertness with less effort on your part. Aka, it makes mindfulness much easier, and it almost gives you "free" mindfulness.
- Reduction in thoughts : I notice a drastic reduction in the amount of thoughtforms which arise when I am fasting. At times, none occur at all, and I am left with a silent mind, just from fasting.
- Increased energy : If you suffer from fatigue, chronic fatigue, or chronic low energy, then for the love of god, Try fasting. It could fix your problem right then and there. In addition to fasting, I suggest for someone suffering from chronic low energy to just eat less in general (and fasting will make you automatically do this).

[Jhanananda]

I found fasting beneficial for my health and contemplative life starting in 1974.  I fasted 10 days on water every year while camping in the wilderness until a few years, when I discovered fasting causes my blood sugar to rise significantly.  So, being diabetic, I have not fasted for the last few years, and do not plan on returning to the practice. 

It seems wise advice to monitor one's vitals during a fast, especially blood sugar, to insure that fasting is not causing adverse effects upon one's health.

[bodhimind]

That's quite strange that blood sugar rose after fasting. I believe it was because of the body switching to fat stores (ketosis: burning fat fuel into sugars).

A nephrologist has been quite successful at reversing type 2 diabetes in many of his diabetic patients with water fasting protocols: https://www.thehealthy.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/dr-fung-reverse-diabetes/ His premise is that type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused by eating processed-foods that end up with fat storage and insulin resistance. His theory is hence to reverse insulin resistance by not providing the stimulus for insulin production (eating calories).

In the Kitagiri Sutta (MN70), Buddha said:

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a tour of Kasi with a large community of monks. There he addressed the monks: "I abstain from the night-time meal.[1] As I am abstaining from the night-time meal, I sense next-to-no illness, next-to-no affliction, lightness, strength, & a comfortable abiding. Come now. You too abstain from the night-time meal. As you are abstaining from the night-time meal, you, too, will sense next-to-no illness, next-to-no affliction, lightness, strength, & a comfortable abiding."

So he does support intermittent fasting (eating only in the day/specifically at noon), but no mention of prolonged fasts.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, bodhimind, for posting something on fasting.  After 10 years of close observation it turns out that my blood sugar rises due to the allergy response, thus fasting may not work for me at all; whereas, taking antihistamines, and breathing purified air, seem to work quite well; however, they are not a complete solution, so I am continuing to experiment.

Please note: I moved this thread into "health, healing and fitness," where it can be found easier.