What Fasting, Being Hungry, and Thirsty is Teaching Me

So many people associate fasting with being hungry. The hunger pangs, the feeling of your stomach turning. Dry mouth. Low energy. Irritability. These are all feelings that are synonymous with being hungry.

Usually, when we display these symptoms, it's common to hear things like “have something to eat”, or “drink some electrolytes. “Slow down.” Take it easy.”

One I heard that made me think was “listen to your body”.

So I have been listening and watching my body for over a week now. I mentioned in an earlier blog how Fasting gives you back time. Time to be productive, time to be spiritual. Time away from preparing, consuming and digesting food. Time that would be spent on the ritual of eating, is mine to do with what I want.

I’ve found myself going back to journaling about how I feel and what I am learning, and wanted to share some of my most telling findings.

When I am hungry and thirsty, I speak less and do more.

I think this is one of the implicit benefits of fasting. I become quiet, and still. Less engaged with others during the daytime hours and wholly focused on how to be my most productive self. Whether this productivity is spiritual, professional, physical, or mental. I am more pronounced about setting boundaries with people, places and things that can influence my fast.

I find myself being much more particular about who I spend my time with, why I spend time in certain places and what I choose to do with my time. Fasting has implicitly made me rely on setting more effective boundaries and this practice is healthy during and outside of Ramadhan, no doubt. When I am hungry and thirsty, and after some practice :) , I react differently and less often.

I learned that reacting costs me energy and my energy is at a premium. Fasting has taught me to be very prescriptive about who and what I react to. The consequence is I feel more in control of how I feel, which is actually so empowering. These are just my top three learnings. I’ll talk more about what I am learning on my live’s and YouTube videos.

But the theme is pretty pronounced: From fasting, I am empowered to be much more judicious about what I spend my energy on. And this means that the people, places and things in my life are there by my choice, and to serve a purpose for me. I am growing so much every day.

With each fast, I am falling in love with how my mind and body are connecting more deeply. I started this Ramadhan with the intention to fast through the paradigm of being a challenge. I am slowly learning that it’s actually a gift.

Ramadhan Kareem.

With love, always.

Heba.