Last Friday, for the first time in my life, I fasted. There are many reasons for this. The most immediate is that my wife decided to fast, and asked me if I wanted to join her. But a deeper reason is that I had never done it before in my life. It was only a 24 hour fast, but it felt good. It was surprisingly easy. I felt very good afterwards.
For me, a fast (at least for now) means “no solid food.” I still drink coffee, and I’ve been drinking lots of water, some fruit juice, and broth.
Those who know me will know that I have a complex relationship with food. Indeed, this is one of the prime areas of my own spiritual work over the past few years. I have undone some very bad habits I picked up growing up. But it is a constant struggle for me.
Furthermore, I think fasting will have some good political benefits. It is not difficult for me to imagine a time when food will not be nearly as plentiful for us as it is now. So if I get used to going without food now, it could help down the road. Who knows. I don’t want to get all apocalyptic, much less feed that energy pattern, but fasting for me is a way to attune to those who suffer under the imbalances of capitalist food distribution in the world.
Anyway, this week I decided to extend my fast for 48 hours. So no solid food until tomorrow morning. This is a personal challenge. I’ve never known hunger in my life. This will be the longest I’ve ever gone without food.