Making Space (Part 1 of 2)

I have a Tibetan singing bowl that I enjoy playing sometimes. For those that haven't heard one, it creates a hypnotic, almost magical tone that can be useful in meditation or healing.

The frequency it creates is considered to be sacred so I sometimes place items inside it while playing if I think they need a charge.

However, if I overfill the bowl it can no longer produce it's beautiful notes. There's not enough space for all the elements to vibrate in harmony with each other.

We are all very much the same.

Crammed Full

Almost all of creation is empty space, yet we feel compelled to stuff ourselves and our lives as fully as possible. But why?

When we overstuff our minds with news or television, there's no room for higher level thoughts to percolate. Most people are so addicted to consuming information that the idea of being alone with their thoughts ranks somewhere between tedious and terrifying.

When we constantly fill our bodies with food, there's no room for higher level energies to build. Food is clearly necessary for energy in the body, but most people sabotage this cycle by eating too much, too often, or both.

Growing up, I would regularly eat until I couldn't fit in another bite. I thought that eating until I was stuffed full was normal, and I didn't think twice about the lethargy and sluggishness that came with it. It was all I knew.

My eating habits improved dramatically as I got older but I was still drawn to the sensation of being "full". Although the quality of my snacks improved, I still liked the feeling of always having something in my belly and going without food was liable to make me surly and short tempered.

More recently, I would take time each morning to read the news and internalize all the clickbait headlines and provocative content. It seemed harmless. I was just keeping myself informed and getting some entertainment in the process.

Then I began to notice my mind constantly drifting back to those stories. They infiltrated my thoughts whenever I had a quiet moment, whether in bed or while meditating. 

Instead of harmless fun, they were reprogramming my subconscious to make me more reactive and less at ease.

In short, I was always full. Full of food, full of thoughts. Just full. And I realized it didn't feel good.

I needed to make some space.

Clearing Out

Nearly every religion and esoteric tradition includes fasting as a core practice, and there are very good reasons for it.

Physiologically, fasting gives our bodies a chance to repair and recover. Digesting food takes an enormous amount of energy and always having food in the body means there's no chance for the digestive system to take a break.

Mentally, the "need" to eat constantly is a crutch. Most people think they will starve if they miss a meal, to say nothing of going a day or longer without food. We're accustomed to having food on demand and eating is a convenient way to satiate and distract ourselves at the same time.

The same applies to mindless consumption of news and social media. It makes us feel good because we're doing something, even if the end result is a net negative to our well-being.

In truth, almost everyone is physically and mentally capable of fasting. The trick is becoming comfortable with being hungry.

Fasting Practice

Fasting has become an important pillar of my life and in my next article I'll go into more detail on my practices.  On the physical level, this includes fasts of sixteen hours to six days. I'll tell you what I did, what I'm doing, and what the experiences have been like.

Mentally, I've been experimenting with various forms of digital detox with promising results. Small changes to my daily routine have freed up a surprising amount of time and mental space, with very little effort.

In both cases, I've experienced a profound feeling of "lightness" along with a much deeper understanding of myself and my behaviors. Most of our consumption happens on auto-pilot and I was amazed to discover how much of my day revolved around consuming food and trivial information.

For now, take some time to think about your typical day and how intertwined it is with food and other consumption. What would your life be like if you didn't feel the compulsive need to check social media as soon as you woke up, or to eat every few hours?

Fasting isn't about suffering or self-denial. I still eat all the food I want, and consume all the content I desire. I just do it with more awareness. 

And that ensures that what I'm absorbing is helping, and not hindering me.

We have far more control over our minds and bodies than we give ourselves credit for. Give yourself space to discover yourself, and prepare to be amazed at what you find.

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Thank you all for reading and I'll be back in a couple weeks.

Ryan Larson

www.iamwhat.com