When you fast, and are successful, you begin to see nuances in your self and responses to the external world you never noticed before. Water fasts are the most extreme, and also the most intense, and most rewarding, in my experience. When you water fast for a prolonged period, (I have completed one 12 day and one 21 day), you get to see parts of yourself that you never noticed before. Much like what vipassana does to your layers, fasting helps remove the layers and layers of onion peels we are covered with.
I read an update on facebook today about wanting to stop using emoticons. I did this emoticon fast last year because I felt it deflected from good communication and was essentially making me lazy and passive aggressive. When I stopped using the emoticons, I noticed after time, I abstained for months, I was making better use of my mind to communicate using appropriate words and language rather than reverting to lazy symbols. I want to stop using them again, and to stop using lol so much. It's lazy,at least for me. I want to feel authentic in all aspects of my communicating life. Authentically goofy, authentically serious, authentically loving. Goofy, serious, and loving, me in a nutshell.
When people immediately say "Oh no I can't do that! Too hard!" They are doing themselves such a huge disservice and setting the bar so low. Yes you can, is my motto. No challenge that cannot be overcome. When I met a girl in India in 2009 who was fasting for 30 days, the first thing I thought of was, man, I want to do that. Thirty days! AWESOME! That takes mad balls, YEAH! And I asked her what it took. I love these challenges. I absolutely welcome them with open arms. I like pushing myself, pushing my limits. I want to push till I can't push any more. I want to push myself so hard I burst free. So free all of the universe fits sweetly in the palm of my hands. I get so much out of these experiences. I get to learn so much about my self that is occupying this body, I learn so much about the person I was born to be, about this character that is Malini that was written back when all faces were original.
When you say "no I can't", you sell yourself so low, so short, and you miss out on so much. You really, honesty, truly, do. So, yes. You can. Trust me, you can. Whether it is a fast from eating meat, cheese, dairy, indulging in alcohol, using emoticons, or acronyms, engaging in sex, fasting from social networks, or whatever, from whatever amount of time you choose, a week, two weeks, a month, take the plunge, test your limits, push your boundaries, challenge yourself. You will so pleasantly surprised at what you discover about the person hidden inside the body you wear everyday. Do it. Fasting. It's not about what you are fasting from but what you are fasting to: Yourself.
PHOTO: Hanging out and meditating with the Buddha and the Daila Lama early morning at the Root Institute in Bodhgaya, India.
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