Make Room For Breakthrough - The Wonderful Discipline of Fasting

Incorporating the discipline of fasting into your daily life is key to transformation, joy, and true freedom. Fasting is a great tool because the mental, physical, and spiritual impact are almost immediate. It’s important to know you can fast from almost anything: food, drink, cursing, negative comments, going to bed late, TV, isolation, busyness, adrenaline, exercise, laziness, doing the dishes, not doing the dishes, driving fast, being late, fear, anxiety, arrogance…you can increase the list ad infinitum. The point is we all have activities from which we can and should fast.

We’ve had the pleasure of hosting a dear family friend the last few days. When I first saw her, it was apparent she’s been intentional about improving her health, she looks great. She gave kudos to her intermittent fasting routine. We talked about some shorter and longer-term goals and a few tools she can apply to continue her health walk and meet her goals.

My final question was, “Has the fasting impacted you spiritually?” Her response, “Funny you should ask. I’ve had intense moments of clarity and my daily focus has improved. I’ve started reflecting on my past, present, and future in a new light. I can feel I’m entering a new season. I’m excited and scared.”

Oh, what joy! What a wonderful revelation! What realness and vulnerability! My friends, just like I told her, this is what fasting can do. The physical benefits of fasting and the increased mental toughness are great outcomes, but they can only go so far. Critical to transformation, i.e., lasting change, is the interweaving of the soul into our daily thoughts and actions. 

Why is our friend having these revelations? Because she is purposefully denying herself one of life’s core necessities, food. When we purposefully deny ourselves any life essential or any common luxury for that matter, we temporarily conquer “the tyranny of now”. We learn to push aside our immediate desires. We cultivate the classic sign of maturity - we delay gratification. We connect to the eternal.

Connecting to the eternal through fasting reveals our dependencies - those that are good, bad, and unnecessary -  by empowering our soul to take the lead over our mind and body, thus exposing and removing unhealthful dependencies and the excess noise that so easily invade, influence, and clutter our daily lives. Fasting reveals our "auto-pilot" activities - some we should keep, some we should let go. It slows us down. It forces us to assess and reprioritize our “to do list”. We look at ourselves in the mirror. We start to ask ourselves fundamental life questions. We start to get real.

If we want clarity and direction, if we want to drive out fear by removing manufactured complexity, if we want revelations, if we want to scratch that elusive itch that we all have…then we must MAKE SPACE in our lives by cutting off (fasting) those branches (inhibiting and unnecessary dependencies) that block the light of truth because they cast shadows far and wide. 

The light of truth is always shining, it’s our job to let it shine wider and brighter in our lives...thus overflowing to those around us.

Cheers, 

David

Below is focused on a food fast as I believe it’s fundamental to breakthrough. That said, the mental and spiritual benefits can easily be applied to fasting from any of the activities listed above:

1. Physical Benefits:

• Weight Loss: Fasting can lead to a calorie deficit, promoting weight loss. When the body exhausts its glycogen stores, it begins to burn fat for energy.
• Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Fasting may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Cellular Repair: During fasting, the body initiates autophagy, a process that involves the removal of damaged cells and cellular components, promoting cellular repair and renewal.
• Heart Health: Some studies suggest that fasting may contribute to cardiovascular health by reducing risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammation.

2. Mental Benefits:

• Improved Focus and Clarity: Fasting may enhance cognitive function and mental clarity, possibly due to the ketone bodies produced during fasting, which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain.
• Stress Resistance: Fasting may induce cellular stress resistance, potentially making cells more resilient to oxidative stress.
• Mood Enhancement: Some individuals report an improvement in mood and emotional well-being during fasting, although individual responses can vary.

3. Spiritual Benefits:

• Increased Mindfulness: Fasting can provide a period of reflection and increased mindfulness about one's relationship with food, promoting a sense of gratitude and awareness.
• Spiritual Connection: Many religious and spiritual traditions incorporate fasting as a means of self-discipline, purification, and spiritual growth.
• Cultivation of Discipline: Fasting often requires discipline and self-control, which can be seen as a spiritual practice in various belief systems.

Important Considerations:

• Consultation with Healthcare Professionals: Individuals with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant women, and those taking medications should consult healthcare professionals before attempting any form of fasting.
• Variability in Responses: Responses to fasting can vary widely among individuals, and what works well for one person may not be suitable for another.
• Balanced Nutrition: When breaking a fast, it's crucial to reintroduce food gradually and ensure a balanced, nutritious diet to avoid potential adverse effects.

While fasting can offer various benefits, it's essential to approach it with caution and tailor the practice to individual needs and health conditions