On our third day we woke up and went to the third floor of the meditation center where we had our dhamma talk. In the same fashion the monk walked out and in unison we bowed three times. This morning there were many new faces. There were about 10 new people who had checked in. There were also a few who checked out, like the European couple who arrived at the same time Ryan and i did. Many people come to the retreat and find the silence, and the uneventful days to be uncomfortable, so they end up leaving. After the dhamma talk we were dismissed for breakfast. I filled my cup up with water and sat with Ryan as he ate. Before coming to the retreat,I made a goal for myself to do a body and mind cleanse. In deciding this, i did some research on fasting and read about all the wonderful health benefits of doing a fast. Like cleansing, your bowels, your digestive system, your liver, and basically doing a good maintenance from the inside out. It would be an extreme challenge, especially since I love food, but I thought it would be beneficial. After sitting through breakfast I went back to my room to meditate. My session was a little rough since I was distracted by my stomach growling. It had already been twenty one hours since I had last eaten. My mind kept wandering off, and thought of burritos, watermelon, and peanut butter toast were popping in my head. I ignored my thoughts and fought through my rounds of meditation. I could fill my hunger void with drinking lots of water. After meditating Ryan and I met up and went on a nature walk off the beaten path. From here we went to the small temple and meditated together. At 2pm we met with the monk to report to him how our meditation sessions were going. From here I did a little bit more meditating and then went back to my room where i cheated a bit. I read. We weren't suppose to read, but I needed to do something to keep my mind off my stomach, so I began to read Ekhart Tolle's second book "The Power of Now". After meditating Ryan and I found each other on a bench outside. I confessed I cheated by reading, and he confessed he cheated by digging into our bag of peanuts we bought for the island and eating them after 12. At six we headed up to the third floor to do our strange chanting.After the chanting Ryan and I sat outside and looked at the stars and enjoyed our surroundings. Around 8:30, I made my way back to my room. In my room I sat on my bed thinking of how long I had been fasting. It had only been 33hrs since I last ate, and it seemed like forever ago. My thoughts were consumed by food. In my head I kept thinking of different recipes I wanted to make, and yummy food I wanted to eat. In my research on fasting, I read that when you finish a fast your body craves raw food, like fruit and vegetables. This is one of the many reasons why fasting is good, because it can lay a path for healthy eating habits afterwards. From my own experience I would say this is true. I cant seem to get watermelon, bananas, and avocados off my mind. My hunger comes in waves. The majority of the time I'm not too hungry, but there are some moments, my stomach is growling at me like a wild animal. I'm not sure exactly how long I will do the fast, but I know that I will be safe about it, and stop if I find myself feeling sick. From my readings, many suggest doing more than three days because it isnt until the third day that your body reaches the state of ketosis. Through out my fast I have to remember "this too shall pass", and that gives me motivation to stick through it. I will see if tomorrow is another story, for now, goodnight.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Day 47 meditation 2/16/14
2/16/14
On our third day we woke up and went to the third floor of the meditation center where we had our dhamma talk. In the same fashion the monk walked out and in unison we bowed three times. This morning there were many new faces. There were about 10 new people who had checked in. There were also a few who checked out, like the European couple who arrived at the same time Ryan and i did. Many people come to the retreat and find the silence, and the uneventful days to be uncomfortable, so they end up leaving. After the dhamma talk we were dismissed for breakfast. I filled my cup up with water and sat with Ryan as he ate. Before coming to the retreat,I made a goal for myself to do a body and mind cleanse. In deciding this, i did some research on fasting and read about all the wonderful health benefits of doing a fast. Like cleansing, your bowels, your digestive system, your liver, and basically doing a good maintenance from the inside out. It would be an extreme challenge, especially since I love food, but I thought it would be beneficial. After sitting through breakfast I went back to my room to meditate. My session was a little rough since I was distracted by my stomach growling. It had already been twenty one hours since I had last eaten. My mind kept wandering off, and thought of burritos, watermelon, and peanut butter toast were popping in my head. I ignored my thoughts and fought through my rounds of meditation. I could fill my hunger void with drinking lots of water. After meditating Ryan and I met up and went on a nature walk off the beaten path. From here we went to the small temple and meditated together. At 2pm we met with the monk to report to him how our meditation sessions were going. From here I did a little bit more meditating and then went back to my room where i cheated a bit. I read. We weren't suppose to read, but I needed to do something to keep my mind off my stomach, so I began to read Ekhart Tolle's second book "The Power of Now". After meditating Ryan and I found each other on a bench outside. I confessed I cheated by reading, and he confessed he cheated by digging into our bag of peanuts we bought for the island and eating them after 12. At six we headed up to the third floor to do our strange chanting.After the chanting Ryan and I sat outside and looked at the stars and enjoyed our surroundings. Around 8:30, I made my way back to my room. In my room I sat on my bed thinking of how long I had been fasting. It had only been 33hrs since I last ate, and it seemed like forever ago. My thoughts were consumed by food. In my head I kept thinking of different recipes I wanted to make, and yummy food I wanted to eat. In my research on fasting, I read that when you finish a fast your body craves raw food, like fruit and vegetables. This is one of the many reasons why fasting is good, because it can lay a path for healthy eating habits afterwards. From my own experience I would say this is true. I cant seem to get watermelon, bananas, and avocados off my mind. My hunger comes in waves. The majority of the time I'm not too hungry, but there are some moments, my stomach is growling at me like a wild animal. I'm not sure exactly how long I will do the fast, but I know that I will be safe about it, and stop if I find myself feeling sick. From my readings, many suggest doing more than three days because it isnt until the third day that your body reaches the state of ketosis. Through out my fast I have to remember "this too shall pass", and that gives me motivation to stick through it. I will see if tomorrow is another story, for now, goodnight.
On our third day we woke up and went to the third floor of the meditation center where we had our dhamma talk. In the same fashion the monk walked out and in unison we bowed three times. This morning there were many new faces. There were about 10 new people who had checked in. There were also a few who checked out, like the European couple who arrived at the same time Ryan and i did. Many people come to the retreat and find the silence, and the uneventful days to be uncomfortable, so they end up leaving. After the dhamma talk we were dismissed for breakfast. I filled my cup up with water and sat with Ryan as he ate. Before coming to the retreat,I made a goal for myself to do a body and mind cleanse. In deciding this, i did some research on fasting and read about all the wonderful health benefits of doing a fast. Like cleansing, your bowels, your digestive system, your liver, and basically doing a good maintenance from the inside out. It would be an extreme challenge, especially since I love food, but I thought it would be beneficial. After sitting through breakfast I went back to my room to meditate. My session was a little rough since I was distracted by my stomach growling. It had already been twenty one hours since I had last eaten. My mind kept wandering off, and thought of burritos, watermelon, and peanut butter toast were popping in my head. I ignored my thoughts and fought through my rounds of meditation. I could fill my hunger void with drinking lots of water. After meditating Ryan and I met up and went on a nature walk off the beaten path. From here we went to the small temple and meditated together. At 2pm we met with the monk to report to him how our meditation sessions were going. From here I did a little bit more meditating and then went back to my room where i cheated a bit. I read. We weren't suppose to read, but I needed to do something to keep my mind off my stomach, so I began to read Ekhart Tolle's second book "The Power of Now". After meditating Ryan and I found each other on a bench outside. I confessed I cheated by reading, and he confessed he cheated by digging into our bag of peanuts we bought for the island and eating them after 12. At six we headed up to the third floor to do our strange chanting.After the chanting Ryan and I sat outside and looked at the stars and enjoyed our surroundings. Around 8:30, I made my way back to my room. In my room I sat on my bed thinking of how long I had been fasting. It had only been 33hrs since I last ate, and it seemed like forever ago. My thoughts were consumed by food. In my head I kept thinking of different recipes I wanted to make, and yummy food I wanted to eat. In my research on fasting, I read that when you finish a fast your body craves raw food, like fruit and vegetables. This is one of the many reasons why fasting is good, because it can lay a path for healthy eating habits afterwards. From my own experience I would say this is true. I cant seem to get watermelon, bananas, and avocados off my mind. My hunger comes in waves. The majority of the time I'm not too hungry, but there are some moments, my stomach is growling at me like a wild animal. I'm not sure exactly how long I will do the fast, but I know that I will be safe about it, and stop if I find myself feeling sick. From my readings, many suggest doing more than three days because it isnt until the third day that your body reaches the state of ketosis. Through out my fast I have to remember "this too shall pass", and that gives me motivation to stick through it. I will see if tomorrow is another story, for now, goodnight.
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