Physical Side
Two medium cantaloupes juiced; two glasses of veggie juice; one glass of pasteurized orange juice, and one large glass of Welsh’s grape juice. Woke up with a coated tongue and brain-fog. Looks like I’m in for a detox day, so I have increased my juice intake. I will stay away from the sight and smell of food.
Spiritual Side
Other than the last few years I have been an outdoor fanatic, cycling, winter camping, solo canoeing in the Canadian north. My whole world would stop while I examined an interesting bug or bird. Staying overnight at a family or friend’s house, I was the weird guy pitching my ultra-light tent in the backyard. In fact I always kept my tent, mommy sleeping bag, groundsheet, self-inflating underlay and headlamp in the trunk of the car. Give me a 4 by 7 foot piece of ground and I’m good to go.
But then three years ago after my wife and I separated, I drove four hours north and went camping alone expecting to find peace and healing—instead, the dishevelment of Canadian Shield rock, shorelines and boreal forests that once held such joy, turned into a depressing, desolate prison of regret and loneliness. I drove home in dismay and never went back. Wilderness had turned into a brooding place to avoid, only venturing in with the company of friends. Last year I finally packed my camping gear up and put it into storage. Those who knew me could hardly believe the change.
A therapist once told me, time heals. There is hope in that statement. It means things get better, pain is not permanent. It means that damaged child-like faith and trust can return, that the sleeper can awaken. Six days into this fast my love for wilderness has awoken, and with it an important connection to God has been restored. I am writing this while sitting alone in a forest. There is a profound feeling of connection and peace.
I wonder how many important things are lost and then forgotten? I had forgotten how vital this is. My love for nature has served to balance the desire for productivity. Without this I digress into chaotic busyness, half alive. Wilderness is the medicine that helps maintain a spiritual homeostasis. If this awakening is the only benefit from this fast, then the 25 day investment will be worth it.
Related Article: Fasting: Day 7 – Growing Lists and Diminishing Fat