Brown Rice Fast : Day 7

Another morning, another bowl of brown rice.  Yes, I’m still at it. This has been a very interesting week, in a number of respects. First, I’ve simply never attempted any serious long-term cleanse or fast. Second, this diet is supposedly very solarizing compared to a typical western diet (increasing masculine and emissive energies). And probably most interesting for me is observing another theory that has been passed down from the ancient Yogis: that the food we eat is only our second major source of energy. The first being the universal energies, cosmic and telluric that we can access through our pranic bodies.

The diet itself hasn’t been all that bad. I haven’t cheated once, allowing myself only the brown rice and a small serving of Gomasio (sea salt and sesame seeds) on top for each meal. I am supposed to have a limited amount of water and the only things I can drink are plain water or tea with cinnamon or mint. Surprisingly I’ve been eating very little rice and feeling quite well during the day.

…The Yogic tradition advises us to eat only if we are really hungry, while we usually eat when we have time or it is meal time. When the hunger settles down(don’t mistake hunger with appetite, which is only the desire to eat), the simplest food becomes savory, the taste refines itself, while the intricate meals loose their attraction. You will become a refined taster, in the genuine meaning of the word. A glutton doesn’t feel a real pleasure not even in the most refined culinary preparations. The yogis say: ‘Cease eating from the first signs of satiation, do not attain overcharging.’ The advise us to expel any other concerns, worries and talks during our meals…

In some ways, I’m relearning how to eat. One specific part of this brown rice diet is learning how to really chew food.  What is most important is what you assimilate from the food you eat, not what you swallow. The next time you take a bite of bread, rice, or something else, really attempt to chew it 30, 40 even more times before swallowing it. You’ll notice that there is actually a change of taste at some point, often with the brown rice I notice a slight sweetness. When you eventually decide to swallow, the food should be mostly liquid.  Now your food is more than half-way digested and places much less burden on the stomach and intestines, a source of trouble for so many individuals

I attempt to just eat, avoiding reading, talking or other distractions. This is not always possible unfortunately. However I’ve observed that when eating rice mindfully, versus when I’m in a hurry or otherwise distracted, I do assimilate more energy from the equivalent quantity of food.

Next, my energy level. Outside of the third day when I felt very lethargic ( I think it was mostly psychological withdrawal from food and kicking caffeine), my energy has been incredibly high and remarkably stable. My regiment has included a good nights sleep, daily Yoga practice, along with mindful practices such swimming, walking barefoot and sun salutations to the late afternoon sun. I fully believe these aspects have been a major contributor to my increased energy. I’m also carefully observing of my relationships and general mindset during the day: Am I open to receiving gifts from others and the universe (infinite capacity), or am I closed and working only with what I have in this physical body (very finite capacity)?

3 and a half days to go!