Fasting in Ramadan | Get In Touch With Your Mind & Soul
“We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires we rediscover all that is alive around us, and reconcile ourselves with our environment.” — Tariq Ramadan
Some believe that we need 21 days to break a habit and develop a practice. When it comes to fasting, Ramadan is a 30 days’ practice. So, for those who fast during this month, what are you doing about your bad or unhealthy habits and what do you really think fasting is all about?
I grew up in a moderately religious home. I was regularly taught to stay away from extreme views. I take pride in this upbringing because moderation helped me have an open mind and led me to listen to and respect others’ views no matter what. After all, religion exists to facilitate our life not to complicate it. Hence, fasting to me carries deep meanings, which always better my life and lifestyle.
Many people misinterpret the reasons behind fasting. I am sharing my experience, so that I give you a better idea of what I know about it and how it affects me personally.
The modern world is going on about intermittent fasting and its benefits. They’re only discovering this fact now when reality is, fasting has been required for centuries and not many people took it seriously or tapped into its significant rewards before.
The main goal of fasting nowadays is to look after your health. A point which is valid. But fasting has a lot more to offer you on all levels — it nourishes your mind, body, and soul.
For those who are not aware and would like to know, I am confident the below clarification will resonate with you.
Does fasting only mean cutting food and liquids or does it entail other patterns?
Let’s start with your body…
I’ve forever been fascinated with some individuals during the month of Ramadan who refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk yet, fill their dining tables with feasts every night. The amount of food these people have is ridiculous and unhealthy that it may affect their health at some point.
One trick is to change your mindset and stop thinking about food all day so that you don’t end up instinctively devouring unhealthy food all night. Use the month of Ramadan as an excuse to cleanse your system and detox your body instead. When you don’t eat and drink during the day your digestive system will be detoxified. So, it’s wise to watch out what you eat when breaking your fast and focus on healthy food for your system and consuming more liquids to keep your body hydrated.
Besides, one reason fasting is imposed on Muslims is to serve as a reminder of the struggles the disadvantaged people go through when it comes to the scarcity of food. It’s a reminder to feel their struggle and to be kind to them, not for you to eat like crazy until you can’t breathe.
Aside from eating and drinking, fasting has more profound benefits. Fasting is a form of spirituality, a time for spiritual reflection that connects and affects the mind and soul. You can consider it a commitment to cleanse and purify your spirit.
So, what else does fasting do to you?
1- Boosts your brain
A study found that “The mental focus attained during the month of Ramadan boosts the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which causes the body to produce more brain cells, hence, improving brain function. During the fasting process, blood in the human body is filled with more endorphins, which gives you a feeling of well-being and good mental health.”
The overall effect of fasting impacts the brain the same way a physical exercise would.
2- Helps you ditch bad habits
Since you’re fasting through the day, Ramadan is the perfect period to rid yourself of bad habits such as smoking or eating unhealthy food. Within 30 days, you can develop a practice of cutting or reducing the bad habits and eventually you’ll gradually get used to living without them.
3- Gives you inner peace
It’s a month of mercy, kindness, and prayers — If you believe that and adopt this mindset, everything becomes peaceful.
Fasting boosts your mood and gives you inner peace. It is a form of meditation. People who take Ramadan seriously, spend most of their free time, or free their time, to work on their acts of worship and aim to purify their souls and connect with the Divine. I can’t find any better way to get inner peace.
4- Makes you more grateful
When you pray and feel the inner peace, when you eat nutritious food and feel light and healthy, when you remember the disadvantaged and take care of them, donate to them, and be kind to them, you’ll be more aware of your blessings and will feel more and more grateful each day for what you have been granted.
5- Teaches you patience and self-control
No one claims that refraining from eating and drinking all day is easy, although it gets better with time and you feel yourself more energetic during the month. Ramadan is a time when you learn how to wait and be patient. It helps reduce your anxiety.
When you focus on establishing self-control and relearn positive changing habits, you acquire patience, strong will, and discipline.
6- Improves your moral character
Many feel edgy all day when they are fasting and in turn are not kind to others.
During the month of Ramadan, you “deliberately” refrain from negative vices and habits such as lustful or shameful thoughts, quarreling with other, angry reactions, speaking harshly to others, or hurting others.
Abstaining from such negative behavior can be defined as “the fasting of the senses” — when your tongue doesn’t utter bad words, your ears don’t listen to negativity, and your eyes don’t see the wrong.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is a form of spirituality, whether you do it for religious reasons or not. Ramadan does develop your spiritual, social, and moral values. Yes, it is a 30 days’ practice and an obligation which Muslims should strictly follow but it is not restricted to Muslims. Fasting teaches us to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus inspires actions of generosity and compulsory charity.
If you are keen on elevating the benefits related to your body, mind, and soul, then this practice is definitely for you.
On a final note, one must remember that the act of kindness towards one’s self and to others should be an ongoing practice all year long. Ramadan is just a reminder to develop such positive habits or reinvent new ones. It is your commitment and discipline that count and ensure you continue doing good with or without a reminder.
Peace and light.
