It is not about weight loss.
Inyou have ever researched about improving your health, you have most likely come across the term “intermittent fasting.” In recent times, this trend has spread around the globe, and people from all walks of life are adopting it. Even scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of this type of fasting for our physical and mental health. Many spiritual people are particularly fond of intermittent fasting as it helps them progress swiftly on their spiritual journey.
But what exactly is intermittent fasting? Well, it is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It usually involves breaking down your week in such a way that there are blocks of time where you eat, and then there are blocks of time where you don’t eat at all or eat very little. So, the focus is not exactly on the food but the timing of its consumption.
While typically, people have been following intermittent fasting for its health benefits, these days people are adopting it due to its spiritual relevance. There is a growing awareness that this type of fasting can be highly beneficial for a person’s spiritual development. To that end, let’s take a look at the spiritual benefits of intermittent fasting.
1. It Helps Connect With Eternal Consciousness
Intermittent fasting essentially cleanses the human body. In doing so, it clears any obstacles for energy to move around in your system. The divine energy that we all have within us can then traverse the chakras freely. This, in turn, ensures that all your chakras are activated and in harmony with each other. Once that happens, connecting with the eternal consciousness becomes much easier. This can be looked at in another way too. It is only obvious that a cleansed body is a better vessel for divine consciousness to pour in!
2. Intermittent Fasting Makes You More Disciplined
We live in a world where the concept of discipline is becoming more and more foreign. People consume whatever they like and whenever they may like it. Gone are the days where restraint was practiced. Well, we all know what has come out of this lifestyle; declining health, finances, and satisfaction in life. A simple practice of intermittent fasting can go a long way in helping you bring back discipline in your life. This is because you can consciously say “no” to your body’s cravings for food.
So, how is this helpful spiritually? Well, the spiritual path requires dedication. There are many ups and downs on the path to the divine consciousness and you can wade through it only if you have great resolve. So, by practicing fasting, you prepare your body, mind, and spirit to smoothly complete your spiritual journey.
3. It Makes You More Humble
Let’s admit it. Technology has progressed to a point where we are no different from magicians (well, sort of). Today, you can talk to anyone on the planet at any time, view hours of movies on demand, have anything delivered to your doorstep, and even get some of the most dangerous diseases cured. While this is all great, it has also made us a little arrogant and egotistical.
This is where intermittent fasting comes in. When you don’t have food for a prolonged time, it instils a sense of humility in you. No longer do you feel full of yourself and you gain a deeper appreciation for life and everything you have. This humility takes you one step closer to the divine. This is because you become less identified with your body and mind, which frees you up to realize that you are a part of everything in existence.
4. Gives You Mental Clarity
Intermittent fasting has a ton of benefits for your brain. It can enhance your memory, promote the growth of new nerve cells, increase your mental clarity, and prevent age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s. This helps tremendously towards your spiritual progress. As we all know, a clear mind can achieve a lot more than a confused one.
When you meditate, for instance, you can experience deeper states of reality with a clearer mind. When you are doing yoga, if you are balanced within yourself, you can pay keen attention to the different poses and how they can connect you with the divine. Similarly, intermittent fasting acts as a catalyst in your spiritual journey.
5. It Helps You Be Calm And Composed
Let’s face it. We consume more than we need. A part of the reason is that our diets generally include high-calorie food. This ensures that we have more energy than we need. While it can be useful for our physical work, it also has a major drawback. It makes us restless. And as you may already know, a restless soul can’t make progress on the spiritual path.
Intermittent fasting helps you feel calm and composed. It balances out the energy in your body and makes you feel centered. As such, you are able to do your spiritual practices and rituals with more grace and involvement. This leads to better results and faster progress on your spiritual journey.
How To Practice Intermittent Fasting
The great thing about intermittent fasting is that there are no hard and fast rules about how you should practice it. People have formed their own custom ways of practising intermittent fasting. However, there are 3 main methods that you can follow to get started.
1. The 5:2 Method
This is perhaps the easiest method. In it, you don’t completely stop eating, but reduce your calorie intake. It includes consuming 500–600 calories on two nonconsecutive days of the week. On the other days, you can continue to eat normally. Even this small reduction over a week can go a long way. If nothing else, it can at least be your introduction to intermittent fasting.
2. The 16–8 Method
Another and maybe the most popular method of intermittent fasting. You might have done this several times without even realizing it. It involves skipping your breakfast every day and keeping your food-consuming hours between 1 and 9 pm. So, from 9 pm at night to 1 pm the next day, you spend 16 hours without any intake whatsoever. It gives your body ample time to cleanse itself.
3. Eat-Stop-Eat
This is more in line with the traditional fasting that people used to do. It involves fasting for 24 hours straight. You can do this once or twice a week. Perhaps the best way to do it is to eat dinner on one day and then directly have dinner on the next. This way, you don’t completely go hungry on any of the days.
Final Thoughts
It is only natural that intermittent fasting is being adopted by more and more people around the globe. In addition to the health benefits, there are a plethora of spiritual benefits for you to enjoy. If you are serious about experiencing oneness with divine energy and enhancing your perception beyond the limitations of your five senses, this is a practice that you can instil into your daily routine. It will greatly enhance your spiritual journey and you will wade through life much more pleasantly.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have before undertaking a new health care regimen.
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