Beginning tomorrow i.e Wednesday, i will be starting with maintaining noble silence(मौन उपवास) and fasting(उपवास) once every week. I have specifically chosen Wednesday’s because in my memory, it doesn’t have any religious significance and thus, will not add any such flavor to my act. I am starting with the fasting because i want to understand first hand what hunger is, i want to know what its like to sleep on a hungry stomach, what’s it like to have things to eat all around and still not be able to eat them. I recently saw a picture shared by a friend of a poor women cooking up rats to eat while her naked hungry kid sat waiting for food. This picture has rattled me to the core and made me challenge some of my very basic fundamental beliefs. I want to fully understand the importance and significance of having the choice of eating whatever i want whenever i want. The only way of developing such understanding is by experiencing the other extreme. Thus, the one day a week fast.
Regarding, the noble silence: I feel that living in the city with so much noise all around at times gets to me and i kinda stop listening to my own voice. I start flowing with the flow of the noise rather than remaining naturally in my own. I believe maintaining silence for a day would help me recuperate and also, keep that connection with my inner self very much alive. It will be a day for me to simply be with myself, a day of self-cleansing. 🙂
The reason behind this post is to seek other people’s understanding on the same. I won’t be picking up any calls on Wednesday. In case of an emergency, please drop me a text and i will surely get back to you BUT only if its an emergency. For all other purposes, i would request you to drop me a mail and i will get back to you on Thursday. Please please bear with me on this and wish me luck, trust me i really need loads of it to keep up with this as maintaining this is going to take all the self-control i can muster. 🙂
P.S: Please share your views on the same and also, if you any suggestions that would help me do this better. I have never been good with fasting as i love eating. Also, though i have been quiet for 10 days in Vipassana, this will be the first time i will be silent while being in a normal environment, so am a bit nervous. 🙂
Just A Crazy Dreamer 
good wishes …
Glad you are doing this! My good wishes are always with you! 🙂
Great decision – best wishes. I also fast for 24 hours every week, allowing myself only water and green tea. Some suggestions are (1 – Try to arrange your fasting day so that you can deviate from your normal routine. Habits are very powerful and can disrupt the best of intentions. (2- Acupressure and EFT have been very effective in reducing the feeling of hunger for me. Visit Gary Craig’s website to get the latest good start on practicing EFT. As for acupressure, just Google it. (3- Try to keep your activity light, allow yourself to nap and read. I’ve also found that writing is easy when I fast, the words just seeming to flow. Again best wishes!
Thank you Jim, Just realized i had forgotten to reply to your comment. I have succeeded only twice so far(in around 5 weeks), i am able to control the silence part as that’s something i rather enjoy, its the hunger part which is really tough for me, for i simply love eating. Am working on it though, hopefully would breakfree from the craving for food soon. 🙂
As my ‘Fasting Manifesto’ has yet to be released I cannot give detailed information, however I highly recommend that you investigate acupressure. There are ways to keep the feelings of hunger minimal that are very natural.