In this post, I will pass along more information about the benefits of fasting and the way that your brain and gut work together to produce amazing results.
Understanding the Enteric Nervous System
One of the main divisions of your body’s nervous system, the enteric nervous system (ENS), lies in your gut. It has a mesh-like system of neurons that govern the function of the gastrointestinal system. The ENS predates the brain in your head in terms of evolutionary development, which is why the Chinese call it “the first brain.” The ENS is the very brain that gives you your gut instincts. It is intuitive and alert, constantly communicating with your body’s central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS).
The brain in your head and the brain in your gut are intrinsically connected through the vagus nerve. If you are thinking negative thoughts, dealing with emotional stress or are mentally overworked, your vagus nerve can become stimulated and it can disrupt the homeostasis of your body, directly affecting your gut. Your brain sends signals to your gut via the vagus nerve. Those signals can cause many stomach problems, nausea, IBS, heart palpitations and poor digestion.
If your gut is feeling off and you’re experiencing symptoms such as butterflies, nausea, anxiety or sensing danger, the vagus nerve send signals to the brain. It tells you to listen to your gut instincts. You aren’t even aware that this has been happening until you feel the emotional reactions. Your gut picks up signals through its neural network and communicates through the vagus nerve, which is communicating with the brain in your head. The brain in your head circles back to the brain in your gut and you feel an instinct in your belly.
Nature built in this alarm system, and we have access to the code if we just pay attention to what we think, and feel. When you become aware, you can transform, change your life dramatically, and live the life you love.
Mentally Preparing Oneself for a Fast
Before I begin to do any kind of fasting or healing work, I mentally prepare myself. I am subconsciously aware of things that I know I must release. I surrender to this process of letting go, willingly welcoming the healing experience.
In the months prior to this particular fast, I had been diligently paying attention to every thought that went through my mind. I paid special attention to my self- talk and the feelings that it generated. “Don’t believe everything you think,” I said to myself. “Allowing moments of tripping and falling is fine, but get back up. That’s what counts. Have the courage to face your fear and do it anyway.” I was trying to force my way out of my daily comatose state, the state that causes us to repeat the same patterns and keep getting the same results.
Five Day Fast
Set among the strikingly beautiful red rocks of the high Arizona desert, I participated in a five-day fast in the magical Sedona desert. My mentor and friend, Tom, had invited a shaman to facilitate three evening drumming meditations, as rhythmic drumming can release healing vibrations. Tom taught us that research indicated that drumming can accelerate physical healing, boost the immune system and help release blockages from emotions stored within us. It also helps to create a phenomenal trance state.
Tom had us scheduled for three evenings of four hours each of drumming meditation. We sat on blankets on the large deck overlooking Oak Creek while our shaman drummed softly. The vibrations guided us to sink more deeply into becoming nothing and no one.
The first evening of drumming, I felt an energetic tickle below my navel, as if a message was trying to communicate with me. I tried to listen, but nothing came forward. I kept trying to quiet my mind, but my mind kept focusing on the energy in my gut. Instead of letting go, I was struggling to figure out what was going on in my gut. As I realized that struggling with this wasn’t going to help me, I relaxed and instead, began to observe the energy.
I sensed that my gut had stored an old memory. Throughout the entire meditation, I felt a little butterfly fluttering in my belly. I noted this, and finished the meditation lying down. I quietly went back to my room, and realized that I just needed to be patient with myself. The answers would eventually surface.
The next morning, I woke up and went into the bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror, and said, “I am so bummed.” This stopped me dead in my tracks. I said back to that voice, “I’m not bummed!” and wondered, “what the heck was that?” In my gut, I was feeling an old anxiety of not getting what I wanted in life. I had associated this thought with feeling bummed.
Suddenly I realized that this was the tickle I had felt in my gut during the meditation the night before! A picture of myself at age 14 flashed across my mind. This was definitely a message from my younger self. I took note of that message, and it kept arising again and again over the next hour. Whenever this thought came up, I would immediately stop it and instead, affirm, “I feel great, my life is great, I am loved.” At the same time, I was fascinated that this little voice was showing me messages I had stored from long ago. I wrote in my journal about my experience before meeting with the others in group.
Tom had instructed us not to talk to each other. We were to observe our thoughts and emotions in silence. The shaman guided us on a lazy walk, taking us to a birthing rock where Native American women used to give birth. It was absolutely beautiful. The hieroglyphics whispered their stories of life and death. I thought of the irony that we were allowing our old selves to die and giving birth to our new selves through our fasting ritual, almost like shedding a snakeskin.
As I pondered this, my gut drew me back into myself again. I heard my old mantra, “I am so bummed,” but this time my body launched into a release of chemical reactions to my brain. I stopped and redirected myself more firmly. “This is not who I am. This is an old tape reliving the old outdated messages.” I recognized the energy patterns of this old message, which I had played repeatedly for myself in my youth. It was directly related to me thinking that I “couldn’t have” something; in this case, a boyfriend.
Once I knew what I was subconsciously repeating to myself, I knew that I could change it. But it wasn’t that simple. I wanted to tell Tom, but I had agreed not to speak. Frustration set in, then anger. I heard myself saying and feeling, “I am so f***ing pissed!” It felt like I was pissed off about everything. Then this thought and feeling quieted. I listened to nature whisper to me as the wind blew through the leaves.
During our third drumming meditation, I carefully examined the place where I felt the stored the memory. Relief came when I acknowledged and released the memory.
Creating Change
To create lasting change, we have to go deep, traverse the chasm of our mind and have the courage to face ourselves. My mentor, Tom, taught me that I had to “face myself up and down.” It took me years to figure out what this meant. Tom told me that our path is never carved for us; rather, we have to carve our own paths. When I began the journey to really dig deeply and crack open the nut, I found the meat of what was inside. Once you begin to search deeply for what is inside you, you realize that this is a never-ending, fabulous journey.
Fasting can impact your brain function, your mood and your behavior. Fasting is a personal journey and a commitment that we make to ourselves. Some people say we’re depriving ourselves. I disagree, and say we’re thriving. I hadn’t been eating food for two and a half to three days when my gut finally started to talk to me. I was uncomfortable and didn’t want to listen at first.
Listening to my gut led me lead to a deeper understanding of why I unknowingly repeated the same patterns over and over again and got the same results. It was all wrapped up and stored in my subconscious mind. Once I understood my own self-talk, I was able to change the very foundation of the beliefs I held about relationships. Now, if the old feelings resurface, I know exactly what they are and what I have to do to change them.
When we put our focus on achieving results, your body, mind and spirit will respond. The energy field around you will bring you the answers that you need. Listen carefully because the messages from our gut can reveal the secrets of our soul.
Remember to always check with your doctor before performing any sort of a fast. I highly recommend you fast with someone who is practiced. The results that I have achieved even by eating just one meal a day can be astonishing. You can even achieve results simply by keeping your meals light, eating fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, protein, and a lot of water.
