Today is May 14th 2020 at 10:03pm and I’m 11 minutes into day 1 of what I expect to be a 7 day fast.
current feelings: I’m slightly apprehensive considering I’ve never completed a 7 day fast, and all previous attempts at such a length of fast have failed because I’ve made an excuse to stop short.
Strategy: My strategy is slightly different this time around, because I will be reminding myself at each point along the way to stay present and mindful of my feelings and thoughts. I believe that present moment mindfulness and awareness of actual physical sensations and their impermanence is key to surviving a long fast. I want to approach this from an almost Zen perspective and ride the hunger similar to how one might let thoughts pass during meditation. I want to detach from my body’s sensations and only appease it with the essentials of water and salt. I want to share no quarters with desire or impulse, frivolous decision-making, or temptation. I really want to embrace the serenity of an almost ascetic existence, similar to that of a Catholic monk. I will try to pray and meditate when hungry, reminding myself that “this too shall pass”.