In our sleep we slay dragons, meet lovers and sometimes even fly, all at a whim. Another accomplishment of dreams is that we are able to execute all these feats to perfection effortlessly, negating stubborn time with all its frustrating and prolonged tasks that lead us to these magical scenes. However, it is precisely through time, and through endurance, that we are sometimes able to transcend reality, to a plane so far beyond what we are able to comprehend, and eventually see without using our eyes.

One way to look at fasting is to think of it as a journey of discovery that will trigger new emotions within you. To truly experience this, you must begin without any preconceptions. You must acknowledge the fact that you will experience something new and therefore you cannot fully comprehend the outcome now. You must be open in your heart and in your mind. Your disposition is essential.

In our daily lives we react to what our body needs impulsively. For the most part we get what we need, we are thirsty we drink, we are hungry we eat, we are tired, we sleep. Just as these instinctive needs have a very clear and specific effect, we can safely say that the act of restraining these actions will have just as much of an effect. The question is what that effect may be? Unfortunately, there is no single universal outcome. The feelings we may experience through restraint are diverse and unique to each individual. Another shortcoming is that it would be difficult to capture and translate the true essence of that outcome into words. This is one of those things you’ve got to try for yourself to understand.

What we can attempt to put into words are some of the attributes you have to tap into on this journey if you choose to take it. Some of these are discipline, patience, perseverance, consciousness and focus.

Discipline is deployed through the act of will. We choose to refrain from something, although our senses are pleading with us to act. This is the exercise of thoughtfulness; we confront our choices, take a decision, commit to it and then act. As straight forward as it may sound, we rarely actually do this in our daily lives. Doing this can be empowering and can offer many insights into our won potential.

Laziness and boredom can be very strong adversaries and this is when patience and perseverance work closely together to stop you from faltering. The best example to give is probably running. If you’ve ever gone for a run, then you probably know how loud the voices inside our heads can get when they begin screaming into us to stop. Every part of you feels like it can’t go on even one step further. But the truth is that you usually can. And when you do, it’s exhilarating. And when you keep going even further, it sometimes feels like you could go on forever. Now the miraculous thing here is that this is all you, its all coming from inside, and yet you just didn’t know you had it in you. The same thing applies to fasting, if you’re patient, and you persevere, there are likely to be rewards and discoveries waiting to be reaped.

It’s generally a good idea to try to be conscious and focused when you’re doing anything. If you do this while you’re having a meal for example, you’re likely to enjoy the meal a lot more. Think about where the food came from, the number of miracles that took place, the flavor, the texture, the colors, these are all details that can be celebrated, if you take deep breaths, savor every bite, and take your time. The same can apply to not having a meal. If you’re conscious of what you are doing, present, and calm, then you’re more likely to appreciate something unique. Something no one else will ever know. Fasting is one of those acts that you really need to pay attention to if want to have an honest experience.

There’s obviously a lot more to fasting than we could possibly cover in a short article. The mere fact that almost every religion in the world includes some form of fasting ritual within its dogma is a testimony to the relevance and vastness of this act. And yet more and more people have become weary of this ritual. And if you were to look at it from the context of this fast paced, fast food, fast talking culture we’re all living in, it does seem to be absurd. However, we must remember that the pace we live in today is a choice. And we all have the choice to slow down, and try to change our perspective a little bit from time to time. Fasting is at the very least, one of those things that can help us do that. An important thing to remember is that its personnel and the way you choose to go about your fasting should you choose to try it out is up to you, precisely like the reward that you might get in return, which will be exclusively yours to experience.