What I like about fasting is that after the initial discipline there comes days when it just feels natural not to eat. It is another trap we fall into; Something we have to do. But there is a spiritual freedom about not being bound by anything. Ofcourse we may not be a Saint Theresa Newman this life and eat nothing. But we can feel some of the freedom and craving free attributes such people have had.
And definitely when we are sick 🤒 🤢 it is often our body telling us we need to fast and rid ourselves of toxins.
It’s amazing to me - how greedy these bodies we have are for sensory stimulation. But we can begin to witness and observe such behavior. I think more than not, we have to treat these bodies as restless children needing some observation and discipline.
Yes; on the other side, why no to throw the dog a bone, as Sri Yukteswar said to the disciple who was fasting too much? Raja Yoga is the path of moderation and balance.
The body must be disciplined but the body also needs a little stimulus to go on plodding and doing its duty.
Just like your little added view about a ‘stimulus to go on plodding and doing its duty’. Sometimes it can indeed be this way in the middle of a fast until the body finally resigns itself to the will of it’s inhabitant and then a sort of freedom ensues that is recognized from the bodies constant outer complaints about not having been given due recourse. A bit like a spoiled brat. The best thing for me to do is not engage in too many ‘duties’ during the fast but find relaxing past times and some tasty fruit juices to avoid dehydration.
