Fasting and Rejuvenation

लंघनं परम् औषधं – “Langhanam Param Aushadham”

means “Fasting is the best and supreme medicine” – a statement from Ayurveda, which comprises the ancient and traditional healing arts and medical sciences from India, and it was this sentence which prompted me to try fasting myself.

Today I’m on the last day of my annual 7 day water based fast which I typically do the first week of the year. I started this practice 5 years ago and have never looked back. If you’re new to the idea of fasting, the following documentary is well worth buying and covers a lot of ground:

There are many different types of fasting, for a variety of purposes. My personal objectives are for health and mental well-being, specifically for the rejuvenation of the body by activating one’s own stem cells after autophagy occurs, a process in which old parts of your cells are broken down and recycled.

I have chosen a one week water only fast which I find one of the simplest, clearest and most effective forms of fasting to follow. This type of fast can have especially powerful effects on the body, as it allows the digestive system to rest for a prolonged period and the body to focus on other processes, such as detoxification and repair.