Fasting, Energy & Conscious Eating in Yoga
Fasting means abstaining from food for a certain period of time. There are many different forms of fasting. Some people choose to avoid specific types of food, alcohol, or nicotine to support physical detoxification. Others use fasting to improve their overall health, relieve the gastrointestinal system, or improve sleep and rest.
In recent years, the term intermittent fasting has become very popular. A common approach is the 16:8 method, where people fast for 16 hours daily to help the body enter a state of ketosis. In this context, the focus is mainly on the physical benefits.
However, in a spiritual context, fasting goes beyond the body. The purification of the body becomes a gateway to clarity, inner stillness, and energy elevation. The idea is not only to cleanse the body but to create space for mental and energetic alignment.
Whenever we consume food, we also absorb the energetic quality of it. Consider a typical dinner at a well-rated, popular restaurant. The energy of the meal is influenced by several factors:
What is the nature or origin of the food? Is it sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic?
What was the energy of the person who prepared it? Were they calm, stressed, angry?
What is the atmosphere in which the food is served and consumed? Is it peaceful or overstimulating?
Back to the restaurant: While you can see what type of food is being offered on the menu and choose something that might support your system (ideally sattvic), you cannot know the energy state of the cook. What thoughts or emotions were present while they prepared your meal? Those subtle energies are passed on to the food. And the restaurant itself? It's likely full of noise, distractions, and the mixed energy of many people – all of which can affect your own energy while eating.
In such environments, it becomes almost impossible to eat consciously and peacefully. Yet, for food to nourish not just the body but the subtle energetic system, it should ideally be consumed in a calm, clear, and intentional space.
So why do we fast from a spiritual point of view?
We fast to release unknown and possibly harmful energetic imprints from food, especially in situations where we have little control over the preparation or environment. We fast to clear and lighten the entire energetic system. Without the ongoing digestive workload, the body can redirect energy inward. This makes it easier to practice asanas, sit in meditation, calm the mind, and reduce distraction from the senses.
The deeper idea is: as the body is cleansed, the mind follows.
Our physical body needs energy, yes – but so does our energy body. This is the principle behind the Ayurvedic diet, where food is categorized into three energetic qualities: sattvic (pure, light), rajasic (stimulating), and tamasic (dull, heavy). The term sattvic comes directly from this ancient understanding.
And while we’re on the topic of food, it’s worth reflecting on your diet—especially around meat. When we consume animal products, we also absorb the energy released in the process of suffering or death. Energetically, this cannot be nourishing or healing.
Namaste.
