Thread by @VidyaG88

Next up in the series of #SantanaDharma is a thread on Why do we fast?

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Many Indians fast regularly (Ekadashi/Sankashti ) or on special festive occasions (Navratri/ Angarki )etc. Either the fasting is by having a simple diet or Fal aahar or Nirjala fasting. +

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We fast for many reasons . A personal wish being fulfilled & we are thankful to the Lord / to please the Lord / for personal spiritual beliefs or by force ( family pressure) . But do we know the real significance behind fasting ? Why our ancestors fasted often? +

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In Sanskrit ,fasting is called "Upavaasa" .
Upa = near + vaasa = to stay .
Thereby Upavaasa means staying near the Lord .
Ie - Attaining close mental proximity with the Lord .
But then what connection does Upavaasa have with proximity to the Lord ? +

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In Ayurveda our body is primarily a combination of Vata,Pitta and Kapha doshas. Imbalance of doshas results in various problems and allergies . Our nutrition & diet should be based accordingly to create internal harmony. Certain food makes us dull , certain alert +

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Now a lot of our time & energy is spent procuring items & cooking them on daily basis.Hence on certain days it was decided by ancestors to conserve this energy & focus on internal balance and consciousness . They either used to have simple raw food or nothing at all . +

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The mind is fickle and wavers often .More so when one is hungry or craving for certain food.We tend to become moody . By practising Upavaasa we ensure that we make our mind strong by this self imposed discipline and learn to focus on the Lord. +

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Since it is mostly self imposed we find joy by doing so .This increases our confidence and makes us more alert and efficient. Ayurveda says every system needs a break time to time & an over haul to ensure it is working at peak efficiency. Our body is such a complex system +

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But we never let it get enough rest . Every subsystem needs to relax . This is best achieved by a change of diet, meditation and rest . Ever tried breathing deeply when angry ? In a few minutes we often calm down. We rest our minds when we breathe deeply. +

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Basically the more we indulge our senses ,the more they demand and thus we become addicted to certain food. Fasting helps us keep control of the same.
Few become irritable or moody when they fast .They experience headaches or feel giddy. Why so when fasting is cleansing ? +

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This happens when one randomly fasts with no noble goal or rationale. The mind isn't involved .Merely the body accepts it . So there is no focus & eventually the mind retaliates along with the bodily systems. Hence we must "want to fast" before actually fasting . +

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If we mentally prepare ourselves we can easily fast for the entire day and not feel tired or moody. Infact we become more alert . Science too now promotes intermittent fasting and many westerners are adopting it as a part of their lifestyle.

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The #Bhagavadgita also urges us to eat in right proportion - Yukta Aahaara. Holistic approach for we "eat to live" and "not live to eat" .
धर्मो रक्षति रक्षित‌: ।

Do share it to make everyone aware of our ancient traditions.
#Hinduism
@mariawirth1

@Vivek_Investor

Any thoughts/inputs on the same ,sir ?