My Nine days’ fasting journey | Navratra

The Best of all medicines are Resting and Fasting – Benjamin Franklin

Last year was my first attempt at dieting! I had amazing takeaways from my Whole 30 diet journey that basically resulted in me adding some healthy items and reducing and completely eliminating some unhealthy stuff. After a few months, I came across something unique again and I plunged into it ~~ The Navratra – The nine-day fasting ~~

So, it’s not like I have never fasted before, I have, for a day every week for a couple of years and I have been fasting on several occasions once in two months but here we are talking about NINE days! One has to be very careful about their health but if done properly, fasting has numerous benefits.

Here, I will discuss, 

• Why did I fast?
• What all I consumed during this journey?
• What else did I do while my Navratri fasting?
• How did it affect me?

Dec’19 (Uttarakhand, India): Spirituality comes from within!

Why did I Fast?

Spirituality comes from within!

Growing up I believed that spirituality comes from going to temples, attending spiritual events, fasting, etc. My family’s move from cities to cities and my shift to the United States made me realize that it doesn’t matter if you’re following a religion or not, you can still be spiritual. Spirituality can be chanting, fasting, dancing, meditating anything you want! This doesn’t mean that I have stopped following my religion, it’s just that if I stop doing these specific things, I can still be spiritual. Every now and then, I experiment with new options or suggestions given to me to understand what is it that I like the best for me, spiritually. And hence, the fasting mode of spirituality was worth giving a try!

Relishing those Childhood memories

Again, while growing up, my mom used to do these fasts for nine days in an organized fashion. She had a proper routine and my siblings and I were a part of it too. We used to help her with different things like sitting beside her while she is reading the Durga Saptshati, guiding the nine-day Diya, inviting little girls for the ninth day prashad, etc. All of that was fun! I reminisce about those memories of me being invited to my friend’s house for that feast and vice-a-versa.

I did try convincing my mother to let me fast with her but I never succeeded in that because according to her, I was still a kid, a kid who needs nutrition or a student who requires food for studying and then a professional who needs the energy for work. But this time, I declared that I survived the thirty days of dieting so I will survive this as well and it worked!

Friend’s motivation

All of this wouldn’t have happened at all if my roommate, Rashmi, had not shared her plans with me. Rashmi told me that she fasts every year and shared her experience and what all we can cook and eat during that time. We planned that we will cook together and follow all the required rituals. Hurray! The plan was set.

Oct’19: Fasting buddies | Rashmi (my roommate) and I relishing the Tea-time

Health goals

One of the main reasons for my fasting were the numerous health benefits that I noticed during and after. Some of the benefits of fasting are: 

1. Helps in weight loss
2. Increases positivity
3. Detoxes the body
4. Improves hunger
5. Improves your eating patterns
6. Improves your brain function
7. Improves your immune system
8. Contributes to self-enlightenment
9. Clears the skin and prevents acne
10. Enhances digestion

 

What all did I consumed during this journey?

Breakfast

For breakfast, I used to keep it light yet heavy. I used to have a fruit smoothie, mainly, a banana-berries smoothie with milk or yogurt.

Lunch

Lunch was again fruits but different from what I used to consume in the morning. Mainly apples, grapes, oranges, etc.

Snacks

Few things which actually helped me a lot were these in-between snacks like dry fruits, peanuts, roasted makhanas (fox-nuts).

Roasted Makhana | Light Snack for Navratra

Dinner

Ah! Those delicious dinner meals! My dinner was generally heavy which I know is against the rules but it was easier and convenient to cook calmly and happily after work. 

We cooked Sabud Dana Tikki/Sabud Dana Khichdi with Imli Chutney and Green Chutney. A classic Indian Tea was always a part of this dinner.

Sabudana Tikki for Navratras

For dessert, we had Makhana Kheer every now and then.

I used to wait for dinner time as I was trying and especially cooking these things for the first time. The complete experience was just fun!

What else did I do while my Navratri fasting?

Visited Temple the first day and the last day

My roommate and I visited the Shivalaya temple on the first day of Navratra to attend the Durga Pooja, Archana, and Aarti. The experience was really mesmerizing especially if you do it after a long time.

Then, we visited the temple on the ninth day for the Ganesh Pooja, Durga Abhishekam and Aarti. Luckily because few of us were fasting all nine days, we were asked to sit in the Yajna. I loved this festive season because it brings everyone together irrespective of who you are. We were helping each other in the temple for food, distributing prashad, with the aartis and what not! We also distributed prashad and gifts to the kids. The whole experience was amazing and it reminded me of my childhood days. 

Pūjā and meditation every day

Meditation was easy as I do it every day, so I tried adding a Puja routine to chant and pray and light diya and incense. 

Makhana Kheer | Navratra fasting friendly Dessert

How did it affect me?

Change in routine

You will notice that fasting will change your routine. Starting from lighter meals, hence less time in the kitchen or not waiting for online orders to be delivered to the routine meditations, you will feel lighter, strong and energetic as the days progress. 

Limited food items? I was not bored!

Because there are only a few items that one can consume during Navratras, I was a little nervous. Surviving those nine days was a challenge but I accomplished it! I not only survived but I loved trying out those new recipes!

Skipping bread/carbs once in a while can be healthy

I did not consume bread/carbs for nine days and noticed those withdrawal symptoms. In the beginning, my body indicated by hunger pangs and fatigue, but slowly I recovered and gained energy to notice that my stomach bloating has reduced.

Spirituality every now and then keeps you in touch with your routes and it’s really good for mind, body, and soul 🙂

I realized that with Navratri fasting I reconnected with what I did during my childhood days. The whole feeling of fasting was touching and refreshing at the same time. I was calm and eternally happy during those days and after. 

This was a lifetime experience as it was an impromptu decision that turned out to be a great memory to share with friends and family. I survived those nine days! 

So, if you are planning to fast, keep in mind why you are fasting, what all you can consume and abstain from your current diet, how it can affect your health and how it actually affected you post fasting.

When fasting, keep in mind why you are fasting, what all can you consume and abstain from your current diet, how it can affect your health and how it actually affected you post fasting.