For the past 4 years, I've been fasting during Ramadan, despite the fact I'm not a Muslim.
There are quite a few reasons why I've chosen to do this, but for the sake of brevity, all you really need to know is that I'm a curious person and I enjoy learning.
And each year I learn a lot, not only about Islam, but also about myself and others.
This year was no different.
Here are 7 important things I learnt:
1. My mind is stronger than I thought it was
Going into Ramadan, I thought I was going to have to prepare myself for an onslaught of negativity and self-sabotage from my inner critic.
To my surprise however, thoughts of giving up never crossed my mind. Looking back, I think that was in part due to my desire to support my fiancé and friends, who are Muslims but mostly due to reminding myself of the millions of people who don't have adequate food or clean water on a daily basis.
Every time my stomach hurt and I felt thirsty, I told myself that at the end of the day I would get to eat, so my pain was temporary compared to those less fortunate than me.
Keeping others in my thoughts made me much more motivated than I've ever been purely for something for my own benefit.
2. I'm way more focused and productive
You'd think that without food, our ability to concentrate would drop dramatically. However, for me, I found this not to be the case, especially during the later parts of the month.
I believe one of the biggest reasons for my increase in productivity was the fact that I wasn't taking breaks to prepare and eat meals (I work from home as a freelance Designer and Writer).
I also found that because I wasn't wasting so much time thinking about and planning 3 to 4 meals a day, I had so much more brain power in reserve to put towards work and being productive.
Sure, it's difficult in the beginning as it's a bit of a shock to your body and normal routine, but you'd be amazed at how quickly your body adapts and responds to prolonged fasting (>20 hours/day).
3. I can deal with my emotions in healthier ways
I knew that this was an opportunity to really face my demons head on.
And it was rough. Most evenings, during the first 2 weeks around 6pm, I would get grumpy and irritable as hell.
It was like coming undone, being stripped of my armour and forced to look at myself in a gigantic mirror. All of my anxieties and insecurities would come steamrolling in, completely suffocating and overwhelming me.
Unable to distract and comfort myself with food, drink, cuddles or kisses, I had to deal with my emotions in healthier and more constructive ways.
And I did.
In fact, I turned to journaling, painting, meditation and self-soothing; all of which are much harder to implement than grabbing a chocolate bar or downing a glass of wine, but practised habitually over the 4 weeks, instead of ignoring my problems, I began to unravel them, understand them and heal from them.
4. Fasting can cure chronic pain
For about 6 months before Ramadan, I was suffering daily with chronic back pain. Nothing seemed to work, from yoga, to swimming to flat out bed rest. I had pretty much resigned myself to visiting a Doctor for undesired (and potentially addictive) medication, when after the first week of fasting I noticed a dramatic reduction in the pain.
Obviously relieved and ecstatic, I did some research as to why that might be, and discovered that one of the biggest benefits of fasting is the high level of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) secretion during daylight hours. This is important because HGH is crucial for cell recovery and rejuvenation and usually only released in small amounts at night whilst you sleep.
Now at the end of 4 weeks, I can happily say I'm pain free. Of course, I'll have to see how things go now that I am back to eating normally, but from what I've learnt on the topic of fasting this year, it seems that regular periods of fasting are extremely beneficial for protecting the body from chronic pain or serious illnesses in the future.
This is not to say fasting is the right answer for everyone, but I do think it's an inexpensive and underrated option that's worth further exploration.
5. Food and water is a luxury
This one is a biggie.
I remember even on the first day of fasting just how grateful I felt when 9.20pm rolled around and I could finally take my first sip of water in almost 22 hours.
It was pure ecstasy.
In Tunisian Arabic, they have an expression called "saha" which loosely translates to "good health", and it's used quite liberally in all kinds of situations, from achieving something in life, to exiting the shower.
However, it really has impact after someone enjoys a good piece of food or a satisfying drink. Imagine how good an ice cold soda feels going down on a ridiculously hot summer's day and you'll understand what I mean.
After that first sip and being told "saha!" by my fiancé, it hit me why that expression is so powerful. It really is a luxury it is to have fresh food and clean water on a daily basis, and it should be enjoyed and appreciated at every single opportunity.
6. The random act of kindness from strangers.
This year, as part of personal development journey, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and create a couple of short YouTube videos on my experience during Ramadan.
Ever the realist however, I had prepared myself to face a multitude of negative comments, what with the nature of social media in general and the topic I'd chosen to talk about.
Yet, I was completely dumfounded at the overwhelmingly positive response and kindness that I received. In fact, during the first week, one of my videos went viral on Facebook, with Muslims all over the world thanking me for making my video and cheering me on for fasting.
Indeed, I truly love Ramadan because everyone who is fasting, supports and encourages each other whole heartedly. Muslim or not, male or female, child or adult, we're all in the same boat, and you'd be amazed at the acts of kindness demonstrated during this holy month.
In fact, one of the most amazing videos I saw online during this time was made by an anonymous man from UAE, who gave an elderly woman selling napkins on the street a proper job, with a salary, for no other reason than he didn't want her to be struggling. It's a beautiful video, and I implore you to watch it.
7. Deep respect and understanding for a religion and way of life other than my own
Something that grows year upon year that I fast during Ramadan is my deep love and respect for Islam and Muslim communities all over the world. As mentioned, I'm a very curious person, and I love to experience other people's ways of life.
Seeing the world through someone else's eyes brings you a much better perspective on life, develops deeper understanding and empathy. And if nothing else, by embracing other people, and other cultures, we not only will learn something about others, but perhaps also about ourselves.
Understanding, empathy and love are the keys to a more peaceful world.
I honestly believe that we all need to be more willing to listen to and try another ways of doing things because our way isn't the only way! Who knows, you may discover something that changes your whole life for the better!
Thank you for reading. I really loved experience during Ramadan this year and I hope you'll maybe feel inspired to try it out next year.
If you liked this, you might also be interested in my other articles:
Overcoming the Fear to Post about my Depression Online
Is It True That We Have To Spend Money To Earn Money On Steemit?
