Re: vata and science

Hi, I am predominantly Vata, vata-kapha, or was last time I checked, and have water fasted for 29 and 21 days, respectively... and some shorter ones. Like 3, 7, 11. I think I started with 3 days,
and felt good--had to break it for an unusual social thing it would have been wrong not to participate in. And then i jumped into 29 days. I doubt I could have done it had I not gone to a ten day vipassana retreat first.

The retreat really slowed me down, showed me what's possible, with the mind, and shifted my mind to believing in becoming younger, healthier, etc. Secondly, I doubt I could have done it if it hadn't been July-August and quite hot. I tend to get cold hands quickly, if it's at all cold, and I really hate that feeling-- and I was just perfectly comfortable, when others were wilting.

The downside was, it's ALSO the perfect time to eat raw mostly fruit and veg. which is what I'd really like to do all the time, but am not able to sustain, living in Canada, where it's cold some (often a lot) of the year.

As it was, I did a fair amount of food research during the fast- (becoming very interested, all of a sudden, in artisan bread-making, lol. etc.) Also, I had lots of raw, vegan ideas for food. This is not unusual for me, since I am/was a cook. I continued to prepare meals for my partner too-- which was quite enjoyable--most days, although I recall having to, for example, lie down and rest after hand-grating a large carrot.

If it's cold, I tend to want to eating warming things. My fave. spice combination lately is cumin and coriander and black pepper, (and dried powdered cranberry, which is a lot like sumac ) although if i were to cook black pepper it would make me feel lousy.

I don't now if that answered anything for you... It took me several weeks to get my energy back after the long fasts. That's a very delicate time, imv. I'm almost thinking sometimes, maybe it'd be easier to continue on, retraining the body to live on light/prana.

I get more and more interested in all that--there are a number of good interviews on "Supreme Master TV" that are inspiring. I LOVED the highs I experienced on the water fasts, when my energy was up. Now I eat one meal a day, because actually, I feel better not eating, as much as I do enjoy food, and certain warming things can be just heavenly.

I'm thinking we actually need far less of everything than we have dreamt of, (so nutritional RDAs and calorie counting will soon be seen to be very primitive...), and I'm almost certain that even doshas were always, intended to be transcended. But while we are part of this vibration - and sharing in the collective frequencies of people who eat, they serve us well, in terms of general guidelines. I have a sense the imbalances can probably be addressed often through 'fixing' the psychological/emotional/'mental components :-) and that that too is far easier than we think--not requiring years of talk therapy and affirmations, etc.

It all depends where we put our attention, right? ask and it is given seems to me to reveal itself as the most profound teaching. It doesn't 'work' until you get to where what you ask for has a certain level of universal benefit at its core. Brilliant!

best wishes

Chiron