Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! Here is my Eid story. #vegan #ramadan #fasting #eid #uber
Thanks to one Somali uber driver a couple weeks ago, who described beautifully the meaning of Ramadan fasting as a way to relate to what the poor and hungry go through, I decided to join the last week of Ramadan fasting from June 18 to 24th 2017. It was an eye opening week in many ways — both personally and culturally into the strong sense of discipline, community, and charity that Ramadan embodies.
I did some quick homework, read up about the procedure and what and when to eat, watched YouTube videos of nonmuslims who had attempted and failed! At least I learned what not to do!
So here is the procedure i followed in a nutshell for the week long Vegan Ramadan fasting …
3am :
Niyya or intent: You must first set the intent to fast from dawn to dusk explicitly by stating the intent. This is a mandatory step and I realized how powerful the power of intent was! It does really take you through the day.
Suhoor pre-dawn meal: The meal included oatmeal, 10 almonds, 1 toast with 2 tbsp of peanut butter, 1 banana and a small bowl of tofu scramble. And 3–4 glasses of water. (Now that’s a lot to eat at 3am but I followed this to ensure I can sustain through the day)
4–6.30: Went back to sleep
(Note: Per a friend: Muslims start the fast with the morning Fajer prayer, which is when you should stop drinking or eating. It is then recommended to pray and read the Quran and not go back to sleep till after the sun rises but since most people work and have to start the day according to normal routines of the people around us, it is also o.k. if you go back to sleep till your normal waking up time)
6.30 to 8.08 pm — Went about day as usual except no food no water. I also ensured a 3 mile walk everyday at moderate pace.
On day 1 I felt I had to do something spiritual and chanted the Gayathri Mantra 108 times (which seemed appropriate as a call to the highest Self to awaken and strengthen the intellect, the discriminating faculty of man). The rest of the week was more tactical.
8.08pm Sunset : Iftar or post-dusk meal — The fast is broken with 2 dates, a slice of lemon and some fruit.
(Muslims pray after this)
Then a hearty dinner that included a whole grain Tortilla (Ezekiel’s), Lentil soup, Couscous. And ofcourse 3 glasses of water. I usually didn’t have space for dessert although the iftar is supposed to emphasize desserts — but when I did I had a small vegan dark chocolate bit.
The final Iftar yesterday was very appropriately broken with friends at an early July 4th fireworks! I was grateful for the celebratory situation and community that surrounded me, what a great coincidence!
Overall, except for day 1 when I felt very thirsty, the body got used to the routine very quickly. I of course had the luxury of Cali weather / imagine those who fast in the scorching heat in the Middle East at this time of the year! The hunger pangs would surface between 2pm to 4pm in the afternoon but were manageable. I would think of the hungry at those times who were forced to skip a meal, and not by choice.
It did feel good to have gained mastery over bodily needs as we are often driven by our senses of taste and other mundane needs. My respect for the true muslim grew multifold observing their great discipline and sense of community that they have in being centered on Allah and following the Prophets words with atmost sincerity.
Thanks to the random uber driver who spurred me into reconnecting with humanity in this manner. I feel more grounded and more in touch and more connected very deeply to life and fellow beings.
Eid Mubarak!
#vegan #ramadan #fasting #nonmuslim #eid #uber #uberstories
Iftar Pictures posted below…
