The concept of Ayurvedic fasting is extremely relevant in today’s times because of our erratic and unhealthy consumption patterns. Ayurveda has a two-pronged approach to fasting, one wherein you must deprive the body of harmful food and the second is to provide it with food that cleans the body. The principle that Ayurvedic fasting is based is called ‘Pratyahara’, a Sanskrit word which when broken down translates to mean against (Prati) food(Ahara). Fasting is an important tool and practice in Ayurveda for regaining and maintaining our health. Unlike the modern fad diets Ayurveda doesn’t support long and harsh fasts. Ayurvedic fasting is not about starving our bodies but is about cleansing our bodies by consuming a lighter diet.
Why Do We Need To Fast
We often overfeed ourselves with processed foods, foods that contain preservatives, refined foods and even foods that have been treated with pesticides/ fungicides and in this process, we are left undernourished most of the time. Prolonged consumption of such foods leads to undernourishment of our bodies. Our body’s digestive energy (Agni) tries to digest the foods that we eat but if the Agni is low, it leads to an accumulation of the food in the gut leading to the creation of toxins (amas) in our bodies. Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on appropriate digestion of food and the body’s inability to digest the food, leads to diseases. Primary symptoms of consuming harmful foods can be felt through feelings of lethargy, feelings of fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, body odour and gastro problems. The undigested food then goes on to create severe bodily problems by getting circulated in our bodies. The amas or toxins start moving into weaker tissues of the body, exposing our bodies to severe health conditions. It is very important for us to eliminate these toxins from our bodies before they create severe health conditions for us.
Ayurvedic Fasting According To Our Body Types
A very popular concept in Ayurveda is fasting according to our body compositions of the three doshas namely, the Pitta dosha, the Vata dosha and the Kapha Dosha.
People with a dominant Pitta dosha have a tendency to eat a lot and are not fussy eaters. If their meal times are disrupted, people with this dosha type become very irritable. Pitta dominant people are good speakers, perfectionists, aggressive, easily irritable and are more prone to getting skin rashes and even inflammation.
Individuals who have a Vata dosha type body have lighter body weight, a lighter bone structure and consume meals irregularly. Those with a dominant Vata dosha body composition prefer warmer temperatures as they feel very cold easily. Personality characteristics of Vata dosha persons are that they are very energetic, imaginative and talkative people.
Those with a Kapha dosha dominance have muscular and strong bodies with an inherent tendency to put on weight. Blessed with good immunity, the Kapha dosha type rarely falls sick, have good stamina levels which enable them to benefit from work and exercise. Kapha Dosha persons are usually patient and gentle.
When following an Ayurvedic fast, it is important to keep in mind our Dosha compositions. As the Kapha Dosha has a tendency to put on weight, fasting is suitable to them but on the other end, those with a Vata Dosha or Pitta Dosha composition should avoid fasting as they don’t have any extra physical matter that they can get rid of. People with a dominant Vata or Pitta composition have problems gaining weight back if they lose too much weight during the fasting period.
A very important part about Ayurvedic fasting is that we must avoid mental stress as much as possible and detoxify our bodies of all the negative elements that bring imbalance to our minds.
Benefits Of Fasting:
– Fasting allows our digestive tracts to rest, leaving the body with more energy to heal itself.
– This increased energy is used by our bodies to strengthen the Agni (digestive energy) which helps in the elimination of our bodily toxins leading to a stronger immune system.
– Fasting gives the body a chance to heal itself by providing it with nourishing foods.
– Clearing up of the Amas leads to a release of energy in the body which helps us in living our lives.
– Fasting allows the body to eliminate the removal of fat tissues and metabolic residue that gets collected in our bodies from the winter months.
Some of the practices that Ayurvedic fasting recommends is to keep sipping warm water throughout the day (with added ginger, depending on your dosha constitution) and consuming only liquids for at least one day in a week which includes lassis, buttermilk, soup and water. One may feel light headed or bit tired during the fasting period. This is normal if you are new to Ayurvedic fasting and is a sign that your body is removing toxins from your body. But if you continue to feel so longer then you may discontinue the fast – In Ayurveda it is important that you aren’t too hard on your body.