Fasting has long been associated with asthma, although not always in a curative way. The ancient practice of Ayurveda contends that excessive fasting can cause asthma, particularly in conjunction with other habits, such as over-eating and consuming cold foods. Ayurveda also recommends water-only fasting as a treatment for asthma, but in intervals of three days […]
David Blaine’s 44-Day Fast
On September 5, 2003, magician David Blaine underwent a 44-day public water-only fast as a magic stunt. Blaine was encased in a clear 3 foot by 3 foot by 7 foot Plexiglas box and suspended 30 feet in the air on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The case had an internal […]
Fasting in Religions
Transpersonal psychotherapy has been called a blending of spiritual traditions and modern psychology. Fasting has used in major religions for spiritual, physiological or psychological purposes. Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity utilized fasting for purification, health, penitence, mourning, in preparation for marriage and initiations, and to develop magical powers. The following are examples of fasting practices […]
Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites
According to author Lynne M. Baab, we live in hungry times. Ours is a consumer culture, predisposed to quickly fill the cravings of body and mind. The idea of fasting–the voluntary denial of something for a specific time, for a spiritual purpose–sets us immediately on edge. But Lynne Baab makes the case that can fast. […]