I started off 2020 with the idea to fast on every full moon that comes this year. Not really sure why this happened, but if you have been following my journey you would have likely seen that I like to do all sorts of challenges on myself. I basically am an experiment, that’s how I learn. That’s how my book was created and this whole Be Human, Not a Zombie thing came to be as well.
This year was “special”. Nope, not because the world is in chaos, but because there are 13 full moons this year. Usually there are 12. Yay! this means an extra fast to my surprise. Not a big deal though because if you really want to observe things, you have to put in an effort.
My Experiment:
The night before the full moon I usually ate at the latest around 8pm, and then didn’t eat again until the morning after the full moon fast day (That’s around 30hrs of not eating). I did drink some water, but that’s it.
Why:
I choose the full moon day to fast because it’s just simple to remember and also, because I’ve always loved the energy that comes with connecting with the full moon.
Effects:
On the body
-as you already probably suspected there is some movement in the stomach that occurs especially the longer you go without eating
-emptiness feeling
-cravings can occur, especially when you see food or smell it
-sleep can be effected
-feeling some drainage of energy in the body
On the mind
-a lot of the mental dialogue that occurs is now related to eating (if consumed in it, energy will deplete faster)
-fantasies of food can start to come in the forms of words or images
-may be overtaken by many fears of what not eating can do to you and the effects on your body
-not living in the present (for most this is just normal so no change there)
-internal fighting may occur
What I learned
-Food is a major distraction. It doesn’t have to be obviously, but most people are so consumed in this basic survival need that it takes away from learning deeper truths about yourself and life.
-The experience of eating has been hijacked by your mind. It dictates the foods you are willing to try, the amount you eat, when you eat, how fast you eat, etc.
-We in the First World are uncomfortable to have an empty stomach.
-It’s okay to feel hungry.
-The body is intelligent and knows what it needs, you just need to be conscious.
-You can connect to anything in this world, as you and everything are ultimately one thing.
-It’s very beneficial to take the time and observe life how it is and not how you think it should be.
This post isn’t here to get you to do full moon fasts. It’s just to show you that you can learn from anything, you just have to be willing to break out of your comforts and from society’s norms. Your direct experience with life is just as valid of a way to understand this world as any “expert’s” scientific findings, so don’t sell yourself short and think that what you observe doesn’t matter. You just have to be very alert and not fall victim to the trickery of your own mind.