A 6 day fasting for lent and for good health.

A 6 day fasting for spring, lent, and good health

Friday. 

I am on day one of my fasting and 16 hours into no food. I am feeling fine except it is now lunch time and I have the habitual craving for food.  I will make some Ginger tea and stay hydrated. 

20 hours into the fast: I am in good spirit and not tired. I got through the noon time hunger and don’t feel hungry at all right now. Only unusual observation is that I seem to get cold more easily because the body is not burning food. I have had a small glass of chicken broth, some water and a glass of tomato juice. It is my hope that the fast will take away the inflammation in my hands as well as my shoulder. I am also hoping on better overall feeling if I manage to hold the fast for 10 days. 

Saturday: 2nd day of fasting

I want to eat everything in sight. I know that the 2nd day is the hardest. I know that I can do this on water and juice and I will be victorious. I noticed that my sense of smell was slightly up and the pain in my hand from arthritis seems less. 

Sunday 3 day of fasting

Woke up in a depressed mood focusing on how old I am and how many aches and pains in my body. Left index finger clicking!!!! What's up with that? As the day went by my mood improved. Even watched cooking shows with my wife at night. 

Monday: day 4 of fasting

I wake up with a lot of energy and in a great mood. No hunger and a great appetite for life. My body feels great and smelling sense improved. Cold fingers though. 

Wednesday: Day 5 of fasting

I feel a bit tired today and I have noticed that it is hard to keep my hands warm when not eating. I gave yoga a rest today. Getting tired of eating soup broth for lunch and dinner and longing for real food again. My body feels great though and I have lost 4 pounds since I started. 

Thursday: Day 6 of fasting

Today I gave up fasting as my hands began to tremble in the morning and I felt dizzy. My body was telling me that it was time to stop. I could have gone longer if I had rested more I think but fasting has like everything else a learning curb. I stopped my fast and felt a lot better. I have to say that all through my fasting days I felt more energized than I have felt for a long time. The beginning was hard, but after day 3 it was just amazing how I had energy and positive spirit for everything. This is something I will come back to soon. Overall, a great experience. 

Saint Francis and the Sow

Saint Francis and the Sow
BY GALWAY KINNELL
The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don’t flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; 
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing; 
as Saint Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch 
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow 
began remembering all down her thick length, 
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail, 
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine 
down through the great broken heart
to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering 
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing beneath them:
the long, perfect loveliness of sow.