Fasting and Spirituality – Finding Balance and Clarity

It may seem unlikely that a week without solid food in the desert could transform your life, but at We Care Spa, it does.

Hundreds of guests have discovered for themselves why fasting and spirituality have been irrevocably linked in every major religion. Whether you’re a religious person or not, a fasting cleanse at We Care Spa will transform you into the person you were meant to be. 

What is the Connection Between Fasting and Spirituality?

Fasting and spiritual growth have gone hand-in-hand since 1500 BC. Nearly every world religion, from Buddhism, Hinduism, and early Christianity to modern Islam and multiple Native American religions, have used fasting as a way to attain greater spiritual connection.

Even done secularly, fasting allows people to hone their focus into their internal world. When combined with meditation, purposeful fasting has purportedly helped people transform their minds and find greater connection within themselves. 

If you’re a little skeptical about the powers of fasting, that’s normal. Many first-time guests at We Care Spa carry the same questions that you currently hold. This article is meant for people like you! We’ll be discussing what fasting can do, how to prepare for a fast, and the different types of fasts in this article. Read on to have all your questions answered!

How Does Fasting Transform the Body, Mind, and Spirit?

The body and the mind are irrevocably linked in ways that science hasn’t fully been able to understand. Anyone who has started their journey of mindful healing can probably attest to how healthy and youthful your body feels after meditating or how clear your thoughts are when you eat a healthy diet. 

How Fasting Affects the Body

When you eat normally, your body stores glucose in adipose tissue to be used for energy later on. When your body enters a fasted state, it will begin to burn that adipose tissue to use the glucose for fuel. If you fast for an extended period of time, the body will begin to oxidize and decompose stored protein into energy; this changes the formulation of amino acids in the blood. 

Physical benefits of fasting: 

• Increases insulin sensitivity, which helps with blood sugar management and reduces risk of developing diabetes
• Reduces inflammation that worsens chronic conditions like arthritis
• Improves heart health by lowering cholesterol
• Aids in weight loss and weight management for people of all sizes and body types
• By increasing levels of human growth hormone, fasting speeds up the metabolism
• For cancer patients, fasting may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and other proven cancer treatments
• Early studies suggest that fasting may help people live longer

Fasting and Spirituality Benefits: Mental Clarity and Emotional Shifts

The human brain normally runs on glucose; however, fasting cuts off that primary power source. During a fast, your brain will begin to use ketone bodies for fuel. This shift increases the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); since this protein is crucial for learning, memory, and neuroplasticity, having more of it improves your memory, focus, and ability to think differently.

When you are fasting, you may notice that you have more mental clarity than usual; this is because fasting triggers your brain to clear away damaged cells in a process called autophagy. At the same time, fasting reduces inflammation in the body, which can improve the brain’s resistance to stress.

In practical terms, this means that people who fast often report:

• Getting stressed less easily
• Better long and short-term memory
• Increased ability to learn new information
• Better emotional regulation in the face of stress
• Reduced symptoms of pre-Alzheimers and Parkinson’s in people with family history of the conditions
• Overall calmer attitude, even when faced with challenging situations
• The ability to be more thoughtful and contemplative

Unlocking Spiritual Insight Through Surrender

The most profound impact of fasting that many We Care Spa guests see is their spirituality. This shift has occurred for people of all different faiths and beliefs, even people who don’t normally characterize themselves as spiritual people. When you fast with purpose for any length of time, you are engaging in a type of surrender; you are allowing yourself to not be ruled by food, outside influences, or the toxicity of your environment. When you surrender fully, your mind is both quieted and opened to the truths you need to understand. 

People who set out for fasting and spirituality awakening often notice the following benefits:

• Increased gratitude and ability to handle barriers to success
• Personal revelations about their path and what they can do to achieve it
• A stronger connection to your faith, your spirit, or whatever higher power you believe in
• Improved self-control when it comes to temptation

The Different Types of Fasts and Their Spiritual Intentions

The type of fasting that you most often hear about is the kind where you don’t eat any solid food for a pre-planned amount of time. In terms of fasting and spirituality, this is the most common way to quiet your mind and find your surrender. However, there are 3 different types of fasts that involve various amounts of food, timelines, and habits:

1. Non-Food Fasts

The term “fast” usually refers to not eating, but the word can also mean abstaining from a non-food habit for a set period of time. At We Care Spa, guests often use the desert environment to complete media and noise fasts. You also may fast from a specific bad habit, such as negative thoughts or checking your phone constantly. The spiritual effect of this type of fasting can be as profound as a food fast; by detoxing from negativity, noise, and media, you are surrendering yourself and finding an inner quiet. 

2. Time-Based Fasting

This kind of fasting involves food and is becoming a little more mainstream as more and more people turn to intermittent fasting for weight control, mental clarity, and environmental impact. 

When you do this style of fasting, you set a length of time for which you plan to abstain from food. For example, in intermittent fasting you may plan to observe a 16-hour fasting window followed by an 8-hour eating window. Some people may do alternating fasting days and eating days. Another approach is to eat normally for the most part, then do a longer fast for 24-48 hours over a weekend.

3. Full vs Partial Fasting

This type of fasting is not governed by timing but rather by what foods and drinks you choose not to consume. For partial fasting, you may eat some foods but not others. For example, you may choose to consume only fruits and veggies for the duration of your fast while staying away from meat, sugar, caffeine, dairy, and processed foods. 

Alternatively, you may choose to do a full fast in which you don’t consume any solid food. There is some debate in health and wellness spaces as to what constitutes a full vs partial fast. Some practitioners say that you can do a full fast while still drinking wholesome liquids like smoothies, fresh juice, tea, and water. However, other health gurus believe that a full fast requires that nothing – including water and juice – passes your lips, and if any liquids are consumed, that constitutes a partial fast. 

Choosing the Right Style of Fasting For You

At the end of the day, what really matters is that you choose the type of fast that best aligns with your goals. Fasting and spirituality growth is a very personal journey during which it is important that you quiet your mind and tune out outside influences. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a type of fast: 

1. Physical Goals

Fasting is ideal for weight loss; however, if you want to gain muscle mass, fasting for an extended period of time will not help you achieve your goals. Athletes typically engage in day/night or 16/8 intermittent fasting schedule in order to still be energized for exercise and reach protein targets. 

2. Your Daily Schedule

Food is so central to our connections with other humans and how we build community. The spiritual purpose of fasting is to bring you more in tune with yourself rather than distance you from other people. When you begin, choose a form of fasting that won’t cause you to miss social events. For some people, this may be intermittent fasting that aligns with their social schedule or doing the occasional 24 hour fast when you don’t have any pre-arranged plans. 

3. Experience Level

Beginners are advised to start with shorter, less restrictive fasting plans then move on to stricter, longer fasts as they gain experience. This is for both health and safety reasons as well as a vital aspect of attaining the mental and spiritual benefits. 

4. Analyze and Adapt if Needed

After you do your first fast, you should reflect on your energy levels, hunger cues, and mood. If you noticed yourself becoming irritable or unfocused, that is a sign from your body to choose a different type of fast in the future. Some people’s bodies respond better to partial or juice fasts than to complete fasts.

How to Prepare For Your Fasting and Spirituality Awakening

When you embark on your journey, it is important to be prepared. When you visit We Care Spa, the healers will guide you as you do our signature juice fast. Guests to the spa are provided with a list of ways to prepare for their visit; once you arrive, there are classes and group meditation sessions to help you on your journey. If you are fasting on your own or between spa visits, you will need to handle your own preparation. 

The most important thing to do before beginning a fast is to set your spiritual intention. This will provide you with a clear focus and guide you towards what type of fast will be best for your goals. 

After you consider your intention, you’ll need to prepare yourself mentally and physically. This looks different for different people. The most common ways to mentally prepare yourself are by doing yoga, meditating, mentally detoxing from media and negativity, connecting with your support systems, and processing your feelings with a close friend. To physically prepare yourself you may detox ahead of time from sugar and processed food, stop drinking alcohol, switch to lower impact exercise, or get a massage to detox your skin. 

Being Prepared for Challenges

Fasting is not without its challenges. Before you begin your fast, you need to be aware of the common challenges and have a plan for how you are going to overcome them. Fasting at We Care Spa is far easier and more fulfilling than fasting on your own due to the supportive environment and the liquid nutrition that keeps you feeling energized.

If you fast on your own between visits, you may experience barriers like: 

• Cravings for solid food
• Physical discomfort
• Emotional resistance
• Spiritual dryness
• Social pressure that stems from others not understanding

When you encounter these barriers, the key to overcome them is to practice mindfulness and to find comfort in the quiet of your mind. When you turn your attention inwards, you will slowly stop noticing physical sensations. This will also help you connect with your spirituality to overcome hesitation and dryness. 

The Liquid Cleanse: We Care Spa’s Approach to Mind-Body-Spirit Balance

The kind of fasting and spirituality model that you will do at We Care Spa does not fit into a box. At the core of our plan is the idea that fasting should nourish, detoxify, replenish, and purify your body. This is why our fasts have you abstaining from solid food while consuming 14 different, customized soups, juices, teas, and shakes.

This nutrition model gives your body everything it needs while freeing up energy that your body can now use to release toxins. When combined with the healing power of colon cleanses and guided meditation, you will leave the desert feeling balanced and spiritually complete. 

Are you ready to start your detoxifying healing journey? Book your stay today!