Health and breath culture, extract : Fasting

FASTING.
To fast in a way most beneficial and without encountering unpleasant conditions it is necessary to consider the subject in a thorough way. It is perfectly natural to presume that as we place machinery in a repair shop for adjustment, the human body, the most delicate and complicated piece of mechanism, must also be given the same attention and adjustment. If a complicate piece of machinery is carefully repaired it will do service for a long time to come, but if neglected it will soon become useless and of no value save for junk. So it is with our body. The organs need rest for readjustment from time to time that they may take up their duties with renewed energy. It is in the nature of things that we give our body a rest one day in every seven, besides taking a fast from time to time to bring about normal conditions.

There are two ways to fast --- one complicated and full of hardship, the other simple, easy and a pleasure. It is not from an economical standpoint that we advocate fasting, but for the good to be derived therefrom. It stands to reason that when a vessel is to be cleaned the contents must be removed. A body full of effete matter must be given an opportunity to rid itself of foreign substances. Through fasting foreign substances will lose their hold and be carried away through the process of consumption by virtue of the action of the purifying functions of the depurating organs.

Then let us fast. Anyone having gone through the foregoing exercises and experienced the value of perfect breathing is ready to fast. With those not breathing properly it will fare a little hard, although they will derive most wonderful results therefrom. Fasting is only a means to an end. Once the goal is reached you will no longer deal with the processes of purification, as you will know how to live, how to think, how to act.

To fast does not mean to abstain from certain foods, to prepare something special to be eaten, to go out shopping and sample foods, nor to visit your neighbors and tell them you are fasting and that you just want to taste their dishes. Fasting means to abstain from all food whatsoever for the period of three whole days and nights --- for seventy-two hours. Eat nothing, but breathe and swallow saliva. Water may be used, but in small quantities, and should be taken only when needed. In drinking water it is to be drawn through the teeth and held in the mouth for a short space of time, mixing it with saliva, chewing it, as it were, before swallowing. Drink just a little each time.

Do not keep the mind on fasting. Pay no attention to it at all. Mind not the dinner bell or supper call. Keep busy doing something useful. Those who have eaten meat and used stimulants up to the present time will do well to abstain from their use for a few days before beginning to fast, and then the way will be easier. As soon as you resolve to fast for three days, go through with it. Do not live in expectation or horror. Simply make up your mind to fast for the purpose of aiding nature to remove effete substances from your body so that you may enjoy perfect health.

If at the close of the first day you feel inconvenienced, take your breathing exercises. Breathe fully in the open air a few deep, full breaths. If at the close of the third day you feel faint and have a little headache, take a full, deep breath and with the next inhalation take a drink of water. Then exhale, and after inhaling take another drink. After the water is drunk exhale, then inhale and take another drink. This makes three times. If the headache is not entirely removed take one more drink. Four drinks will always remove the most severe attack. The fever will be broken and as you continue to take full breaths from time to time you will feel intuitively that the trouble is over. Should it ever return you will know what to do. This will prove what a hold coffee, tea and certain foods have had on you and how completely they controlled you. The third day will come easily and you will not mind fasting. Indeed, you will feel that you could fast another day, but it is not necessary.

When fasting you will begin to understand the value of breathing. Whenever you feel the least trouble of a physical nature arising, you will know that activity has set in whereby diseased conditions are being disturbed, and you should breathe as follows: After each thorough exhalation count mentally one, two, three; then inhale fully and immediately empty. Again count one, two, three, and then inhale. Continue to do so, with chest well raised and elbows touching behind your back as closely as possible. Do this for two or three minutes several times daily. While fasting, and particularly, on long fasts, take the flushing of the colon, every night before retiring to bed, for three times, retaining the water as long as possible.

On the fourth day break your fast with fruit juices and begin a diet on popcorn. One handful of popcorn is enough for that day. Freshly popped, but without butter, salt, sugar or honey. Simply popcorn straight. Take a drink of water, either hot or cold, but not icewater, one half hour before your meal, and do not drink sooner than one-half hour after the meal. Eat the popcorn slowly, masticating it well before swallowing.

If your liver is inactive, your stomach nearly ruined, and you suffer from indigestion and constipation, take every morning before breakfast, for a period of ten days, sufficient roasted egg shell to cover the point of a penknife. Remove the inner skin of the egg shell, roast to a light brown and pulverize to a coarse powder. If your liver is torpid, take two kernels of southern white corn roasted to a dark brown color, powder finely and eat. This is also to be taken each morning for ten days. If your stomach is in very bad condition, get some lobster shells, roast lightly and pulverize and take same amount as of egg shell, every morning before breakfast for a period of ten days. Coarse brown sand, dried in an oven for a few minutes or thoroughly baked in the sun, is an excellent eliminator, and should be used occasionally. Do not take all these preparations at one time. Whatever the trouble may be, take the proper remedy for the period of ten days. Then, if to remove another trouble, take another remedy for a period of ten days. After ten days the trouble will be completely removed.

Again as to the fasting: On the fifth day you add one more handful of popcorn, making two handfuls for that day. On the sixth day you may take three handfuls of corn, and on the seventh day you may take four handfuls of corn or less. Should popcorn not agree with your stomach, take whole wheat, soak it in cold water over night and boil next day for three or four hours over a slow fire. Mash through a colander and eat hot or cold. Of this eat one heaping tablespoonful in place of each handful of corn. Whole-wheat preparations, such as shredded wheat, granose flakes, granola, etc., may be used, after having first been heated in an oven to make them crisp.

After the seventh day you may begin to eat sparingly of grain foods and fruits. Do not fill your stomach; give it an opportunity to recuperate. If desired, after two weeks another fast may be taken for three days. Then again after an interval of several weeks a fast of from seven to nine days may be taken.

After these fasts your appetite will change greatly; in fact, you will get rid of that monster of all disease --- appetite. You will have perfect taste, and what you eat will be relished. But you will no longer desire to use tobacco or liquors, neither will you have a craving for meat or greasy foods. You will gradually awake to the consciousness that comes to those who live in the light of truth, and dwell in a body purified from all that leads to immorality and disintegration.

Fasting is indeed a great subject and worthy of the attention of all who desire to learn how to live. The method of fasting must be governed by the temperament of the individual. Judgment must be used in all cases. Fleshy people should fast for several days as prescribed, and then one day each week. For those who are naturally lean, and of the nervous temperament, it is best to begin by fasting one day in ten, then one day in eight, one day in six, one day in four, one day in two, until the system becomes accustomed to the change. This is especially good for those who are too weak to make up their minds to carry out a radical change. Then again, those of a moderate nature, who suffer from dyspepsia and other organic disorders, will find it advantageous to eat nothing but popcorn, or parched Indian corn, for a period of ten days. After a few trials, absolute fasting should be resorted to for from nine to twenty-eight days.

When taking long fasts and popcorn does not agree with you, soak whole wheat over night in water, then slowly parch a small quantity to a golden brown. After a five days' diet continue with larger quantities, adding a few blanched almonds and seeded raisins. Use from eight to sixteen almonds, and three to five ounces of raisins. You will soon prefer this sort of diet and will make it the principal part of your meal. Study the Mazdaznan Cook Book to get a thorough idea of foods.

With blessings of all good things,
OTOMAN, Prince of Adusht.

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