Draginvry
02-20-2007, 06:46 PM
Life energy is that which sustains life. There are many forms of life energy, but all spring from consciousness. A few basic forms:
Consciousness
Light (as sunlight)
Breath
Movement (as exercise)
Emotion
Matter (as food)
Each energy source has its own mechanism for working, and its own efficiency quotient. For example, consciousness is a more complete source of energy than breath, which is more complete than matter. Most people on this planet get most of their energy from food and emotions, and a little bit from other sources. This is true for the types of people who eat cheeseburgers for breakfast and are depressed all the time. I actually know someone like that.
A more enlightened person will find their own balance for what they need. Instead of choosing a cheeseburger, they will opt for a banana, which is a more complete energy source. But they will also choose compassion and understanding instead of depression or hatred, because combining a high energy source (banana) with a low one (depression) yields unstable results (such as schizophrenia). For the same reason, this person might do Yoga, sunbathing, Qigong, and also have a general curiosity about life.
Now, that's not to say that cheeseburgers and despair are bad, per se. They are an experience. And from experience we learn. The problem is when we don't learn from our experience.
Fasting is a way of learning about the body. When we fast, we deprive our body of the energy source of matter. When this happens, excess matter is excreted from the body. We say we lose weight. However, if the body is not properly maintained by other energy sources, healthy cells will decay because they do not have the energy to survive. We call this starvation. There is a big difference between fasting, and starvation. A fasting person will have a general increase in health, while a starving person has a general decrease. The more awareness one has of one's energy, the longer the person can remain without food.
Most people who fast also starve to some degree. That's why many never complete a fast to their liking. For this reason, breaking a fast with complete energy foods is important to rebuild the body. If the person learned from their experience, they will be better at fasting the next time, and they will be able to go longer with less severe symptoms. Learning about detox symptoms, and why they occur, is an important part of learning about our bodies.
One can choose which energy sources to use. That's why some people can eat six meals a day and still feel drained, while some saints can go for years without eating anything. An intelligent person will decide for themselves what they want to experience in regards to eating and living.
Balancing the Energy
An important concept is balancing the energy. If one has full conscious awareness, one can choose any energy source arbitrarily. But often times we have trouble adapting our bodies, so we balance the energy. A person who wants to experience joy but eats "heavy" foods often feels that the world is weighing upon their spirit. On the other hand, a person concerned with provincial matters is the exact opposite. If they eat "light" foods then they feel like they have no grounding. They feel like their head is in the clouds, and they can't focus their mind on anything. In severe enough cases, they develop psychological disorders. If they don't eat, or find some way to ground their spirit in their body, they die. In both cases, the unwanted symptoms are caused by an inability to consciously accept the differing types of energy. In the former case, the person would probably be happier as a vegetarian. In the latter case, the person would probably be happier eating a standard diet. In both cases, their lifestyle reflects their conscious evolution and their current level of energetic acceptance, which they can change at any point that they want.
So how do we change our body? Knowlege. Knowlege through experience. A successful fast will leave one feeling stronger. The person will feel move alive, and more free to do what they want to do in this life. But don't feel bad if you don't complete your fast. You may be on a fast, but you are not in a race. Your success isn't determined by the amount of time you spend on your endeavors. Success is determined by what you learn from them.
Consciousness
Light (as sunlight)
Breath
Movement (as exercise)
Emotion
Matter (as food)
Each energy source has its own mechanism for working, and its own efficiency quotient. For example, consciousness is a more complete source of energy than breath, which is more complete than matter. Most people on this planet get most of their energy from food and emotions, and a little bit from other sources. This is true for the types of people who eat cheeseburgers for breakfast and are depressed all the time. I actually know someone like that.
A more enlightened person will find their own balance for what they need. Instead of choosing a cheeseburger, they will opt for a banana, which is a more complete energy source. But they will also choose compassion and understanding instead of depression or hatred, because combining a high energy source (banana) with a low one (depression) yields unstable results (such as schizophrenia). For the same reason, this person might do Yoga, sunbathing, Qigong, and also have a general curiosity about life.
Now, that's not to say that cheeseburgers and despair are bad, per se. They are an experience. And from experience we learn. The problem is when we don't learn from our experience.
Fasting is a way of learning about the body. When we fast, we deprive our body of the energy source of matter. When this happens, excess matter is excreted from the body. We say we lose weight. However, if the body is not properly maintained by other energy sources, healthy cells will decay because they do not have the energy to survive. We call this starvation. There is a big difference between fasting, and starvation. A fasting person will have a general increase in health, while a starving person has a general decrease. The more awareness one has of one's energy, the longer the person can remain without food.
Most people who fast also starve to some degree. That's why many never complete a fast to their liking. For this reason, breaking a fast with complete energy foods is important to rebuild the body. If the person learned from their experience, they will be better at fasting the next time, and they will be able to go longer with less severe symptoms. Learning about detox symptoms, and why they occur, is an important part of learning about our bodies.
One can choose which energy sources to use. That's why some people can eat six meals a day and still feel drained, while some saints can go for years without eating anything. An intelligent person will decide for themselves what they want to experience in regards to eating and living.
Balancing the Energy
An important concept is balancing the energy. If one has full conscious awareness, one can choose any energy source arbitrarily. But often times we have trouble adapting our bodies, so we balance the energy. A person who wants to experience joy but eats "heavy" foods often feels that the world is weighing upon their spirit. On the other hand, a person concerned with provincial matters is the exact opposite. If they eat "light" foods then they feel like they have no grounding. They feel like their head is in the clouds, and they can't focus their mind on anything. In severe enough cases, they develop psychological disorders. If they don't eat, or find some way to ground their spirit in their body, they die. In both cases, the unwanted symptoms are caused by an inability to consciously accept the differing types of energy. In the former case, the person would probably be happier as a vegetarian. In the latter case, the person would probably be happier eating a standard diet. In both cases, their lifestyle reflects their conscious evolution and their current level of energetic acceptance, which they can change at any point that they want.
So how do we change our body? Knowlege. Knowlege through experience. A successful fast will leave one feeling stronger. The person will feel move alive, and more free to do what they want to do in this life. But don't feel bad if you don't complete your fast. You may be on a fast, but you are not in a race. Your success isn't determined by the amount of time you spend on your endeavors. Success is determined by what you learn from them.