Reflections on the 19-Day Baha'í Fast
The followers of the Bahá’i faith fast for 19 days prior to their new year (Naw Ruz). Since I have been studying the faith for the past couple of years I decided to participate in this year’s Fast. Of the many spiritual practices, fasting is one that I have never done. My curiosity about fasting had been aroused when a beloved friend, who introduced me to the faith, said that during the Fast prayers seem to feel especially potent. The Bahá’i manifestation of God, Bahá’u’lláh, noted the spiritual connection between the two practices in the Kitáb-i-Íqán stating that “Fasting is illumination, prayer is light.”.
I’ll admit as the start of the fast approached I was a little nervous. After all, for 19 days between sunrise and sunset, a person does not eat or drink. Would I be hungry? I’m fortunate enough I’ve never really had to go hungry for any significant length of time. Won’t I get terribly thirsty with nothing to drink all day? Not being able to drink during the day was probably my biggest concern, as well as how my temperament would hold up as the day progressed with no fuel for my body. Fortunately, a few of my Bahá’i friends offered some tips, like don’t drink any coffee or caffeinated tea in the morning, because it will just make you thirstier during the day. And to make sure to eat in the morning before the Fast starts.
The first few days were the most challenging. My body needed to get accustomed to not eating or drinking during the day. Plus, I was foggy from not having my usual morning coffee. The biggest surprise for me was how long the day was without intermittent breaks to put something in my mouth. During the Fast, I observe how frequently I use food and beverages throughout my workday to motivate me to sit down to work. After that habitual response surfaced it was like a tiny thorn pricking me regularly throughout the day. Since I couldn’t satisfy the urge, instead I started talking with God and praying for God to work through me to complete the task at hand.
The biggest ongoing challenge throughout the fast was focusing, which became increasingly difficult as the day went on. By midafternoon I was light-headed and feeling a little high from not fueling my body. At the same time, my body didn’t have a lot of energy and there was a decreased capacity to “make” it do anything remotely strenuous. As well as, little tolerance for any trivialities that someone might be trying to inflate into something significant, things that I generally find patience for. Since I have a job with tasks that need to be completed by specific deadlines, I quickly realized I needed to shift my routine to completing things that required more thought during the first part of my day and the less demanding tasks toward the latter part of the afternoon.
One of the pleasant surprises of the Fast was it gave me the opportunity to get in tune with the cycles of Nature. Every day I was careful to set my alarm for the times of the sunrise and sunset. It was a good reminder of how gradually, day by day the length of the day and night shift. I made accommodations in my morning schedule to fuel my body before the sunrise and needless to say, looked forward to the moment of the sunset, so I could enjoy breaking the Fast.
There were moments when 19-days seemed like a long time, the afternoon would drag, my stomach rumbled to be fed and my mouth felt dry but I was surprised how my body and mind adapted. Yes, it was good for my body, but even more so for my mind and soul. I got to experience my daily habits from a different perspective, become conscious of hidden urges and enjoy the power that comes with self-discipline. And I found more time throughout the day to pray, and connect with the God of my understanding. Fasting is a powerful spiritual practice. Participating in the Fast took me out of daily life experience and gave me an opportunity to connect with Life from a different vantage point. And yes, as my friend had said my prayers had a heart-centered potency that I have not experienced before.
