Fasting 7 days on water: benefits, preparation and solution

Adherents of different fasting systems consider them universal, suitable for almost any person. In fact, this is almost true if you approach the matter wisely. One of the best methods is to fast on water for 7 days. It will help not only cleanse the body of previously accumulated toxins, but also effectively fight excess weight and obesity.

The benefits and harms of water fasting

Due to the removal of various harmful substances from the body, for example, toxins, waste products and other waste products, fasting on water has a beneficial rejuvenating, as well as general health effect. This program involves a complete abstinence from food for a certain period. At the same time, you need to drink enough water, otherwise serious negative health consequences cannot be avoided.

Before you start fasting, you need to understand that you will have to strictly follow all the rules of this process. Without preliminary preparation, this can end badly. First of all, you need to choose the right system that will not conflict with your health and general condition.

Water fasting can be divided into two main types: preventive and therapeutic (autophagy). There is a lot of material about the latter on our website, it is worth studying it in more detail. The preventative form can be practiced independently, and its duration usually does not exceed five days. But you always need to start small.

The treatment can last more than three weeks, so it is better to carry out something like this after consultation with the attending physician, with his permission and under close supervision. If you do everything wisely, then these days on water alone will bring more benefits than any strict restrictions, like the geisha diet.

Advantages and Benefits

A properly organized process of therapeutic fasting on water for 7 days will undoubtedly bring a lot of benefits. However, exactly what benefits a temporary refusal of food brings with it is not clear to many. Let's figure it out together.

Losing extra pounds

First of all, fasting helps fight excess body weight, which in the future can prevent many different diseases directly related to it.

Cleansing from toxins and impurities

Despite the fact that many scientists are skeptical about this, fasting still helps rid the body of harmful substances accumulated in it. The fact is that many toxic substances accumulate in the lipid layer and this is a fact. There they are preserved, this is the protective mechanism of our body. When fat goes away, poisons come out with it.

Improving the performance of the immune system

Thanks to getting rid of harmful substances, pathological processes in internal organs often disappear. Everything is simple here: inflammatory and other harmful processes stop, and the immune system is able to more effectively fight other problems. Therefore, resistance to disease increases significantly.

Improving the functioning of internal organs

At the very beginning of fasting, many people experience quite a few unpleasant symptoms, which then disappear. If you pass this stage, then all vital systems will be activated, and the organs will begin to work as if after a reboot. This especially applies to the stomach, kidneys, liver, and the entire digestive tract.

Increased well-being

Many people think that once they lose the unsightly fat on their hips and belly, they won’t get any more benefits, but that’s not true. In addition to obvious slimming, they will receive the elimination of dark circles around the eyes, beautiful unsplit ends of the hair, strong nails and many similar pleasant little things. Those who have already tried the fasting method on themselves note that within a few days lightness appears in the body and the brain becomes clearer.

Some people call the main advantage of this type of body cleansing its extended action over time. That is, you will only need to fast from one to seven days, and the effect of it can last for six months or a year. Therefore, it is proposed to carry out such therapeutic cycles of food refusal at intervals of every six or twelve months.

Contraindications

Everything looks so cloudless and joyful that many, without hesitation, rush headlong into the pool. Under no circumstances should you do this. The thing is that there are a number of prohibitions that should not be overlooked. Fasting is always a great stress for our body and not everyone reacts to it normally. If you are in a weakened state of health, it is generally not recommended to decide on something like this.

Diabetes.
Cardiovascular diseases.
Chronic diseases in the acute stage.
Inflammatory processes in the body.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of various etiologies.
Rheumatism.
Arthritis and arthrosis.
Liver and kidney diseases.
Mental, psychological and nervous disorders.
Exhaustion of the body, including anorexia.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding period.

As you can see, there are quite a few conditions and diseases for which fasting, even for medicinal purposes, is strictly contraindicated. It is not recommended to do a weekly cleanse for those who have never tried fasting before. Then it’s better to first try the process of giving up food for a day, then for three, and only after that start a week. Do not forget that between periods of fasting you need to take significant breaks of several months.

Proper preparation for water fasting

If there are practically no problems with your health, and you are full of strength and enthusiasm, then you can begin to figure out how to prepare for a 7-day fast correctly. This should not cause any special difficulties. It’s enough just to follow all the necessary rules, then everything will go like clockwork.

In advance, even before you start fasting on water, try to minimize and then completely eliminate from your diet all the harmful things that you consume daily. You will have to give up sweets, fatty, salty, smoked, fast food, soda. This way the process will happen much earlier. This refusal of “harmful foods” should be applied a week or two or three days before the start of fasting.
Two or three days before starting such a diet, you need to include more vegetables, fruits, and natural products in your menu. It is optimal to generally switch to vegetarianism for these couple of days, but this is all individual. It is better to consult a doctor about this.
Give up bad habits that can provoke an unexpected breakdown: smoking, alcohol, and especially psychotropic or narcotic substances.
You will have to establish a drinking regime before fasting. You need to drink a glass and a half of water every hour or two.
Go to your doctor, undergo all the necessary studies and tests to identify diseases that you may not even know about. Only after this can you be completely sure that fasting will not have a detrimental effect on your health.

Some nutritionists advise doing an enema just before the start of the process. This should remove any excess toxins from the intestines to minimize discomfort in the first days. Everything here is quite individual, so it is better to consult your doctor. He knows more accurate answers to your questions,

What are the benefits of a seven day fast?

Nutritionists around the world strongly recommend that overweight people go on similar seven-day fasts at least several times a year. In addition to the fact that you are putting yourself in order in terms of getting rid of extra pounds, you are also cleansing your body of all kinds of toxins and impurities.

Doctors also recommend a similar method. Thanks to fasting on water for 7 days, metabolism is normalized, blood and blood vessels are cleansed, which is why the heart begins to work more efficiently, pumping clean blood. Thanks to this method, you prevent such terrible diseases of the cardiovascular system as arrhythmia, angina, hypertension and so on.

Plus, thanks to this abstinence from food, the entire body undergoes a cleansing procedure, nails and hair become stronger. And judging by the reviews of people who tried fasting for a week, this process prevents gray hair and hair loss.

The immune system is noticeably strengthened, which means that you can forget about seasonal diseases such as acute respiratory infections, sore throat, flu, and so on.

Thanks to the huge amount of water you drink, you renew your vitamin reserves and also get rid of acne all over your body. You simply simply won’t recognize your skin after fasting.

Basic fasting scheme and side effects: rules of restorative nutrition

If you really want to survive all seven days, you will have to try. The main thing to remember is to adhere to a strict daily routine. If this is not done, you may not only not get the expected results, but even experience the opposite effect.

Fasting can cause irreparable harm to the body, which is not at all acceptable. Therefore, it is important not to overdo it. It is during this seven-day period that the body actively burns fat as it needs fuel to produce energy. In the second week, it will already begin to actively dry out the muscles, destroying them. This can ultimately lead to dystrophy if you act without preparation and not according to the rules.

The entire seven-day fasting diet can be divided into two parts. The first stage, lasting three days, is a slow entry into fasting. This is a kind of adaptation to life without food. On the fourth day, it’s time to begin the reverse process - leaving the diet. Since it should be slow, it needs to start early.

Basic fasting

Since this type of diet is divided into seven days, let's apply it starting on Monday, considering Sunday as the final stage. Although this is not at all necessary, you can start on any day of the week, depending on your desire and capabilities.

Monday

You won't be able to see any diversity here. Throughout your waking hours, you should drink only clean water and nothing else. You can drink as much as you want, but at least two liters per day. In the evening, you can do an enema with a liter of warm water.

Tuesday

It is believed that it is at this time that toxins begin to leave our body, toxins are eliminated slowly, it’s worth being patient. Often, fans of bad habits during this period begin to feel fetid tobacco breath, the “aroma” of fumes or acetone. Just then, the mucous membranes, for example, in the mouth, will begin to become hypersensitive. Therefore, it is better not to use a toothbrush on this day; you can use mouthwash.

To quickly get rid of toxins, it is best to shower twice or thrice a day. At the end of the day, you can also give an enema to remove all the unnecessary remnants of food stored in the intestines.

Wednesday

Another day of getting rid of harmful substances. You will also have to strictly follow the regime, drink a lot of water, wash several times a day. By that time, it won’t hurt to qualitatively reduce any physical activity. If you train at the gym, cut your regular schedule in half. The body is already under stress; there is no need to add shock to it. Excessive effort can lead to dizziness, nausea and even vomiting.

Breaking out of fasting

Thursday

From this day of fasting, the way out of it also begins. Just at this moment, the body is so accustomed to living on the water that no fatigue or weakness is felt. People usually begin to feel joy, lightness, inspiration, the will to live and new achievements.

On the fourth day, you can begin to slowly drink juices. But they must be natural, freshly squeezed. You should only choose fruits that are good for your stomach, for example, apples, plums or tomatoes. It is better to avoid exotic fruits and citrus fruits at this time. On Thursday, it is better not to overindulge, but drink only a couple of glasses of juice, and dilute them half with clean water.

Friday

On the fifth day, you can add juices, undiluted with water. However, you should never forget about the normal amount of fluid per day. Juices cannot be considered a complete drink, therefore 2-2.5 liters of water should be drunk throughout the day. It is she who will finally remove toxins and other poisonous substances from the body.

Saturday

The sixth day is the first when you can add at least some nutrition to your diet. On Saturday, you can cook thin porridge in water, for example, from a selection of cereals. Do not forget that it needs to be boiled until the grains are almost completely dissolved in order to get such a puree. Don’t forget about water again, it should be the same amount as at the very beginning of fasting.

Sunday

This is the final day of such a seven-day fast. Then you can add steamed or boiled vegetables to your diet. The correct way out of fasting for 7 days involves a very meager menu. You need to choose only porridges that are easy for the stomach. And again let's remind you about water. There should be a lot of liquid; you can also drink fresh juices and diluted juices.

Options for recovery diets after a 7-day fast

It is clear that immediately on the eighth day, starting to eat everything without measure will be a real crime against yourself. The return to a normal diet should be smooth, gradual, slow. So how can you break a 7-day fast so as not to harm the body, but at the same time quickly return to the working pace of life?

Main rules

You need to introduce foods into your diet one at a time, gradually, slowly, in small portions.
The best helper when breaking fast is split meals.
Protein products (eggs, meat, fish) should be returned last.
It is better to start with vegetables and fruits, but it is important not to overdo it with them, as well as cereal porridges and sour milk.
Vegetable fats should be introduced no earlier than the fourth day after the end of fasting, and animals only after a week.
Ideally, the recovery from a strict water diet should be equal to itself, but in extreme cases, no less than four days.

Emergency exit in 1-2 days

If you urgently need to recover, you can resort to drastic measures, but there is no way to do this without a doctor’s recommendations. The main thing is to do everything thoughtfully, and also not to rush from one extreme to another.

On the first day, you can introduce cabbage and carrot salad into your diet, perhaps with the addition of an apple. It is not recommended to season the dishes with anything.
In the evening, you can treat yourself to stewed vegetables, also without any dressings.
It is better to completely avoid salt these days or reduce its amount to a minimum.
On the second day, you can sprinkle the salad with olive oil and add a drop of butter to the vegetables.

Correct water regime is required. It won’t hurt to drink a lot of fresh juices diluted with water, herbal decoctions or green tea these days. Please note that after a seven-day hunger strike, this will be a rather traumatic way out, so only those who have practically no health problems can decide to do it.

Out in 3-4 days

Here the rules are almost the same as in the first version. However, it is recommended to also add lactic acid products to the menu. However, it is strictly not recommended to eat fish, meat, mushrooms or beans (including soy, beans and peas). Just add foods gradually and drink a lot. With such a simple solution, you can gradually increase your physical activity, for example, go to a workout, do a light jog, or just take a walk in the park for a couple of hours.

Seven-day recovery from fasting

This is the surest way out, which has a gentle effect on the condition of your already weakened body. if there is no need to rush, then it is best to use just such a technique to return to normal life.

Day 1

Dilute freshly squeezed juices with water in a one to one ratio. You need to drink at least 1.2-1.5 liters per day. Distribute this amount evenly over your waking hours, it will be easier and the routine will not be disrupted. It is perfectly acceptable to drink clean water. Juices can be diluted less in the evening, thereby increasing the concentration of nutrients.

Day 2

Until lunch, it is recommended to continue the diet of the previous day - juices diluted with water. By lunchtime you can drink pure ones. After lunch, you are allowed to eat some fresh vegetables. For ease of digestibility, you can grate them using a fine grater.

Day 3

By this point, your body is almost ready to return to normal again. But there is no need to add stress to him. On this day you can eat fruits and vegetables without grinding them. Cook grain porridge in water, add bread rolls, as well as dried fruits to the menu.

Day 4

On this day you can cook vegetarian soups seasoned with vegetable oil and make vegetable salads. Boiled vegetables also fit well into this system.

Day 5

On the fifth day, you can safely introduce lactic acid products, but with low fat content. Kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, yogurt - all this will provide a pleasant variety to your previously plant-based diet. You can already throw a small piece of natural butter into the porridge.

Day 6

Just in time for the sixth day, you can return to salting your dishes for the first time in two weeks. The menu may already include hard and soft cheese, sour cream, and low-fat cream.

Day 7

At the last stage, you can slowly add eggs, lean poultry, or better yet, rabbit. Boiled or steamed chicken breast will fit perfectly into the menu for this day. Seafood and fish also cannot be ignored. The main thing is not to start overeating in huge portions, but eat everything little by little, giving the gastrointestinal tract time to get used to normal loads.

Exit by Paul Chappius Bragg

This American naturopath and healthy lifestyle promoter also spoke about the benefits of therapeutic fasting. He invented his own way out of a seven-day fast, which is worthy of attention. So, let's figure out what Mr. Bragg advised all his readers and followers.

Since the stomach and intestines tend to contract during a seven-day fast, first of all they need to be brought back to normal. To do this, on the seventh day, peel the tomatoes and boil them in lightly salted water. Eat the cooled fruits in as much quantity as you want.
By the morning of the eighth day, make a standard cabbage-apple-carrot salad. You can season it with freshly squeezed orange juice.
For an afternoon snack or lunch, you can prepare stewed tomatoes or vegetables. Spinach, mustard, and artichokes are perfect.
In the evening, add bread to your diet. But before use, it must be dried in a dry frying pan or in the oven until it becomes brittle.
For lunch the next day, you can make a salad of grated carrots. Celery and cabbage work well too. You can season it all again with orange juice.
For dinner, you can already bake or stew a piece of ripe pumpkin. However, no oil is added to the dishes yet.
On the third day of release, you can already consume sprouted grain crops. They can be consumed with honey for taste, the main thing here is not to overdo it. Vegetable and fruit salads should also be available.

After following these rules, the next morning you can drink kefir and boil an egg. For lunch you can already try adding vegetable oils, and the next day - seafood and dietary lean meat. It is clear that all this must be steamed, baked or boiled. There is no talk of any frying for the next week at all.

How the body reacts to fasting for 7 days

Due to the fact that many people use similar methods to get rid of excess fat, the question of how much you can lose in a week of fasting remains very relevant. In fact, all this is very individual, depending on many factors: initial physique, weight, food preferences, natural and genetic inclinations, and so on. Let's listen to those who have already used such a system.

Emma Degtyareva, St. Petersburg:

“I have been practicing seven-day fasting regularly for five years now. I tried this method for the first time to get rid of extra pounds. For the first time, I managed to lose about 2.5 kilograms in a week, it was a very good result (I lost a total of 7 kilograms, but 4.5 subsequently quickly returned). I don’t believe in the existence of toxins, since scientists refute this theory, but clearing your head of bad thoughts and making your brain work with renewed vigor is also a good idea. As a bonus, my skin improved, annoying acne disappeared, my nails stopped breaking and my hair stopped splitting. However, this effect was not achieved immediately, but only after a year of persistent regular fasting.”

Elena Kasatkina, Saratov:

“I first heard about the seven-day hunger strike from my mother. She tried this type of cleansing from toxins and waste, and also in order to lose a little weight before going to the sea. I tried it on myself. No special miracles happened. I started with one day, then after a break, I fasted for three days, and only after three months I decided to do a seven-day fast. I drank clean water all the time and did the right thing. However, I only managed to lose three kilograms. But my general condition has improved noticeably, and intestinal problems (constipation) have gone away. I will practice in the future.”

Dmitry Kolskikh, Naberezhnye Chelny:

“In the past I was a professional athlete, but now I am retired. I began to notice that I was rapidly gaining excess weight without any special changes in diet or physical activity. I study regularly, work in my own garden and in the garden, making various technical devices to simplify the cultivation of the land. I started and ended my fast correctly, as a nutritionist friend once recommended. I immediately lost about five kilograms, perhaps due to the fact that I did not limit my activity. Now I fast for weeks every four months. I feel rejuvenated, energetic and healthy. I recommend it to everyone."

Useful literature on therapeutic fasting

Galina Kalyuzhnaya, Irina Brazhko “Proper fasting from a professional nutritionist.”
Paul and Patricia Bragg "The Miracle of Fasting".
Yuri Nikolaev “Fasting for health.”
Khrushchev V.L. “Starve in order to live without getting sick. Therapeutic fasting."

Lyubov Bogdanova

From September 1 to September 7, 2021, my husband and I underwent a fast of 7 days of dry fasting (healing abstinence).

For the first time I heard about 7 days without food and water from people who mentioned the spiritual teacher Jasmuheen. It was 2002, I went to meet a Russian man who had undergone a 21-day process (7 days of dry fasting, followed by 14 days on water), which allowed him to continue to “feed on prana,” that is, live without eating or drinking water. Of course, we did not check whether this is true or not, whether he eats or drinks, and what Jasmuheen herself is doing - the woman spiritual teacher who told the Western world about this possibility. But I personally didn’t have a shadow of a doubt that this was possible in principle - I had been doing breathing practices for a long time and knew that after energy breathing there really was no need for food. The body can receive the necessary vital energy not only through the digestive tract, but also in other ways. This is also known to masters of the highest levels of qigong and yoga.

I remember how I arrived from this meeting, sat down on the sofa in the kitchen, where I had recently finished renovating, and thought: “Soon I won’t need all this.” However, fate decreed otherwise. I attended Jasmukhin’s trainings when she came to Russia, and she said that now she does not recommend such a 21-day process, and most importantly, that people should have an answer - why do they need this? This is not a goal, it is a means to achieving some conscious goal. I was very fascinated by Jasmuheen’s other ideas; she covers many levels at once - from the spiritual development of the individual to the global problems of hunger on the planet and building loving family relationships of modern people.

After some time, interested in cleansing the body, my husband and I came across a book by Leonid Shchennikov about healing abstinence.

First of all, I was very inspired by the name of the method - this is not “fasting”, when you deliberately deprive yourself of something - this is temporary abstinence, healing, healing. The author described unique cases from life when people were cured of fatal illnesses - radiation sickness, oncology - in 9-11 days. And he recommended practicing at home for at least 1, 2, 3 days of “healing abstinence.” We started trying - it turned out to be quite possible. Of course, Artem and I handle all the processes differently, but we spent 3 days of independent CV at home.

And we thought about a trip to the creator of the method himself at his dry fasting/healing abstinence center in Kislovodsk. It was interesting for me to go through those same 7 days that I had been thinking about since the time of Jasmukhin, to gain this spiritual experience. Well, I also wanted to correct some little things in my health that even good reflexologists can no longer find, but I feel them. Artem had serious health needs.

The work with groups is now mainly carried out by the daughter of the creator of the method, Inga Shchennikova, she is 43 years old and has more than 30 years of dry fasting experience! From the age of 12, she was already accustomed to regular fasting days at home. She is a professional psychologist and is excellent at working with clients. So she talks in detail with everyone who is interested, and accompanies your practice when you come to the group in Kislovodsk. Groups are held all year round regularly, 2 times a month - from the 1st to the 11th and from the 16th to the 26th of each month.

The dry fasting center is located in the same house where Leonid Shchennikov himself lives. The house is located on a quiet street in Kislovodsk, a temple is a 5-minute walk away, and most importantly, Kislovodsk Park is nearby. Forget everything you thought about parks. This is completely different!

Kislovodsk National Resort Park is a man-made miracle of nature, a real pearl of Russia, and every person should visit here at least once. The bare hills were handcrafted

planted with trees in the 1800s. Plants were brought from Crimea, Poland, Georgia and Lithuania. And the area of the park is 965.8 hectares!!!!!

Of course, there is an alley with restaurants, artists, street musicians and scooter rentals. But it’s not necessary to walk there, because... The total length of the park's paths is... 92 km. On Sosnovaya Gorka you can watch sunrises and see off sunsets. You can take the funicular to the upper Olympic base.

In the middle part of the park there is a wonderful “Valley of Roses”, where dozens of different varieties are planted in squares, each with its own unique aroma.

The Olkhovka mountain river flows in the lower part of the park, and the members of our group swam in a natural “jacuzzi”.

There are cozy clearings everywhere in the park, so we enjoyed relaxing there and sleeping for several hours in nature.

***

Actually, dry fasting is based on a person’s personal feelings. It is advisable to make the most of your visit to the center and the support of the instructor and group, setting yourself up for 7 days of fasting. You can walk for 3 days, then drink water, then another 4 days. You can do 5, or 7, or 9, or even 11 days at once. Any number of days of dry fasting provides benefits. This was recently proven by the Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi, who received the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of “cell autophagy.” He confirmed that when external power is stopped, the cell begins to eat the particles in it and weaker external cells, decomposing them into primary elements – amino acids, thereby carrying out “cleaning” in the internal space.

And if constant “self-eating” causes overexertion, then individual periods of such cleansing provide an excellent healing effect.

Inspired by such thoughts, we plunged into fasting.

Since Kislovodsk is located in the “middle mountains” - at an altitude of 800m above sea level - metabolic processes here are more active than in Moscow. We felt it on the very first day - usually at home 36-hour abstinence goes almost unnoticed, but by the end of 1 day more serious sensations began. We were told that by plain standards, the SG’s experience here adds a couple more days, that is, if you have completed 7 days, consider that you have completed 9, if you have completed 9, consider that you have completed 11.

An excellent dry fasting instructor, Anatoly, worked with us at the center. Former athlete, teacher at the Military Institute of Physical Education. This means everything is clear, calm, everything is on time, everything is in place. A very good, bright person, positive, attentive.

There were 7 people in our group. Since we were there at the beginning of September, it was still hot during the daytime, and we couldn’t overheat. Every day we had trips to different beautiful natural places, where we could walk and sleep. Therefore, we left early, at 7:45 we went out to exercise, and at 8:00 we went by car to nature.

Every day we went to a new place (so that every day we needed to walk less and less), and every time it was an endless delight from the beauty of nature, the vastness of the North Caucasus, a celebration of air, sun, trees, rivers, waterfalls and mountains.

Upper Olympic Base

Monument to Lermontov

Ring Mountain

On the first day, I still had strength and mood, and after Buteyko’s breathing practice according to the program, Artem and I talked a little about conscious breathing.

On the second day, I was already “pressed” strongly, and most importantly, my diaphragm shrank and it turned out to be completely impossible to breathe with my stomach! Over these days, I have experienced for myself how important this is! Trying to do any of our breathing practices, I quickly got tired. The only thing that was more or less possible was coherent breathing. But not for long, even 5 minutes was hard.

When traveling, there was always Buteyko breathing practice and time to sleep. Where have we slept...

In the shade under pine and birch trees, on the banks of mountain rivers and over cliffs with a view of Elbrus, which appeared to us quite often (we were lucky, because it is often covered by clouds).

Communication with nature gave strength and inspiration. Many swam in cold mountain ponds.

But I personally didn’t want this - I didn’t have the extra heat to cool it down like that.

Around 12 o'clock we returned home and... went to bed again. Weakness increased; after a period of movement and walking, it was necessary to rest.

In the first days, we couldn’t sleep peacefully at all: the new beds in the room creaked a lot, and every time I or my husband moved, I woke up. On the 3rd day I decided to put the mattress on the floor. But Artem was already feeling hot and he actually took a cot and slept on the street, like half of the group, day and night.

It was very important to shower every day, even several times a day. The only thing that I missed were these small streams, and I found a basin and a jug to feel the large body of water.

Water also penetrates the body through the skin - every day urination worked almost at the usual volume! In the jars you could see what kind of sediment was collecting in the urine.

On the 3rd day my kidneys began to “tighten”. They said that this happens in 90% of participants even earlier - on 1-2 days. But in our group - only me and on the 3rd day. It took about 10-15 minutes, but in a “don’t worry mommy” way. Then, in the jar for urine analysis, I saw with my own eyes sand - a sediment that came out almost imperceptibly. So now I can say that my kidneys have cleared up, although I didn’t think about such a problem.

After a nap, you need to go for a walk again. An important part of cleansing is the movement of lymph, and it moves only due to muscle contractions. We went to our favorite park and wandered along the paths there.

When the lights came on, I liked to see the shadows of the leaves on the asphalt, several shades of gray plus graceful lines - very elegant.

At 19-30 it is already dark. Around this time we returned and went to bed.

It turned out to be completely impossible:

read
work on the computer and think about some things
watch the video
talk

Classical music helped me out. It was the piano, without the violins, that somehow made me feel unpleasant. Well, I also listened a little with wind instruments - with amazement I found the orchestration of “The Seasons” by Tchaikovsky (after all, these are pieces for piano). At the same time, I became convinced that a person can sleep and not notice it.

Many participants complained of insomnia. But I noticed that when I turned on the recording of “Seasons,” I listened with interest to January-February-March, and then suddenly – it was already November! So I dozed off and slept a little. I think that others also had such a “flickering” dream. Perhaps it did not give the feeling of proper rest.

But the knowledge from our School of Conscious Breathing helped me out - sleep is not a goal, but a means: sleep is needed for the sake of resting the body and mind. And they can rest in other ways, if sleep is not available - you can do beautiful meditations “Breath of the Star”, filling with light, etc.

In general, my sleep was relatively good. When I woke up and looked at the clock, 30 minutes had passed. And by the time I got up at 7:30, I didn’t want to get up and was ready to sleep some more. Our other guys didn’t sleep, they suffered, they got up while it was still dark, at 4-5 o’clock in the morning and went to the park.

On the third day, my mouth became dry and it turned out to be impossible to speak. We were recommended to observe a regime of silence from day 1, and I joined those who did this (although half of the group actively and happily communicated from the beginning to the end of the course). And if there was something important, we wrote messages on our phones and showed it to each other, and we also used facial expressions and gestures. After a few days, even when we wanted to say something, our voice turned out to be hoarse. To be silent, to be silent. Extra movement, extra words, extra actions - everything disappears. The reality “here and now” occupies completely all attention, the smallest processes that have flown in millions in life beyond our attention have become noticeable and acquired meaning.

When my kidneys started to tighten, for some reason it turned out to be connected to my neck. I couldn't lay my head comfortably. The pillow was too big, the blanket was too warm, and the air was blowing into my head from the half-open balcony, since the mattress lay almost in the middle of the room on the floor.

In the end, I made a “nest” for myself - but it became comfortable. I removed the pillow altogether, put a blanket under my head - it turned out that it was convenient to adjust it - to create a “hood”, sheltering from the air from the balcony, or to put it under my cheek, turning on my side.

There were a lot of useful things in the room: I covered myself with 2 thin blankets, first with one, and in the morning with the second. In the closet I even found a woolen belt, which I wrapped myself with at night that day when my kidneys were in pain.

Every morning we weighed ourselves and measured our blood pressure and pulse. I was sorry that my face had lost a lot of weight. I hope my cheeks get better a little

To break the fast, we collected water from a spring in the St. George Convent.

Literally by the clock, Artem and I ended up with more than 6 days of fasting, not completely 7, but we spent those few hours on the water. (In general, the exit from SG occurs with cabbage juice, so that fiber begins to flow). Our instructor said that, taking into account the mountainous terrain, we can consider that we did 8 days.

Alas, the first sip of water involved a very difficult preparation. I needed to brush my teeth and mouth. All days of fasting we were forbidden to brush our teeth in the usual way - with paste, brush and rinse with water. It is impossible for water to get into the mouth - it triggers salivation, saliva triggers digestion - the digestive tract will not rest.

We cleaned our teeth with a cloth (I bought sterile wipes at the pharmacy). But it was impossible to clean the tongue, nausea began, and in the absence of contents ready to “go out,” it was painful and useless. Therefore, it is unlikely that the hygiene of these days was at its best.

And here, before drinking water, everything had to be put in order - brush and rinse without paste. I had to open my mouth. And the sense of smell is extremely acute. And this smell knocks you off your feet. To be honest, these were almost the most painful minutes of all days.

You had to start drinking in a lying position. We lay down and took a glass of water. The first sip tasted bitter. The tiny sip went inside with surprise. To begin with, you had to drink no more than 1 cup of water at a rate of 1 sip every 5 minutes. We set a timer. 5 minutes flew by very quickly. After 3 sips, I began to feel blissfully relaxed and at peace. After each next sip, we fell asleep, woke up after a bell 5 minutes later and took the next sip... We didn’t even finish the first mug - we fell asleep in a happy, peaceful sleep.

Now I woke up not after 30 minutes, but after 2 hours!

During the 1st day you had to drink no more than 1.5 liters of water. But it turned out to be quite a lot.

On the second day of release, you could drink 2 sips of Narzan. This was a great success, otherwise it would be a shame to visit Kislovodsk and not try natural narzan! There are free springs in the Narzan Gallery, they contain several types of mineral water - “Sulfate”, “Dolomite”, “General”, and each type is also available in cold or warm form!

In the first days we really wanted a sour taste, and based on this principle we chose “Dolomite”.

The most important are the first 2 days of breaking the fast. In general, breaking a fast should last as long as the fast itself. But in the first 2 days you need to rest a lot and move a little. And on the 3rd day we were given a magical holiday: we went to the Suvorov thermal springs. These are pools with natural Narzan water, a large pool with a temperature of 38 degrees, half under the roof - half in the open air. 2 smaller pools - outside, with a temperature of 42 and 36 degrees.

I, of course, perfectly understand the healing properties of narzans. But just warm water is a great way to relax and unwind! When I first walked down the steps into the warm pool, I felt like I was in heaven. For the body this is simply unprecedented bliss! It was important to keep track of time and not stay in the water for more than 10 minutes. (And still, on the way out, my vision darkened). I made a second entry into the cooler pool of 36 degrees and for 5 minutes, it was also delightfully warm. The skin after them was silky and soft.

Many world cultures and many masters have an understanding of the importance of abstaining from food.

In Christianity they say: “By fasting and prayer you draw closer to God.” Post comes first! Not prayer, as working with consciousness, but fasting, as working with body and spirit. The schedule of Christian fasts is easy to find on the Internet, and it is relevant for those who find it difficult to live without meat or limit themselves in some way. In modern language, you can develop the volitional aspect of your psyche, since abstinence does not pose a threat to health, on the contrary, it only brings benefits.

In Ayurveda there is a tradition of observing fasts on “Ekadashi” - the 11th lunar days from the full moon and new moon, i.e. 2 times a month.

Ayurveda, Ashtangahridayam 1.8:

“During fasting, unbalanced doshas come into balance, the digestive fire flares up, and the state of the body and mind is normalized. In addition, physical lightness, healthy appetite and thirst, good mood and digestion are achieved, as well as strength and energy.”

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