Fasting Space

How would you like a health process

where there is no way to lose?

Sounds pretty ideal.

And we can find it in the space
between the scales.

If you're on a weight loss path,
especially on the health journey.

You see, I don't know,
maybe I find it on the scale.

I find a place I cannot lose on the scale.

That would be the plateau.

Okay, if we're twisting the words we say
no, we are going to find success.

Cannot lose.

Step off the scale

and we're going to step in
between two other scales.

With the help of some passages
from this beautiful book.

I'm trying to squeeze as much thinking

out of the end of these last couple pages
as we can.

The mountain is you.

I have found personally tremendous benefit
from walking through it.

I hope you have to.

This is a section right here.

Creating aligned goals.

Creating a line goals.

And we're going to see two scales.

Try to step between them.

Here we are right at the end.

They say one of the most important parts
of discovering your inner peace.

Remember what we did yesterday.

Searching for that inner peace.

Seeing it like the calm

lake where all the ripples
have dissipated.

One of the most important parts
of discovering your inner peace

is that you trade in your desire
for happiness.

Whoa.

I read that last night.

I was like, I don't know, I don't know it.

Even after the talks,
we've done talks right about happiness.

Aren't there things that are beyond
happiness we want, like contentment?

We've done a couple sessions like that.

Still hard to read.

Who doesn't want to be happy?

No problem with happiness.

Not a bad thing.
But then we're going to go deeper on it.

I wrote in the note, or I wrote a note.

On the side of this. Here is happiness.

Freedom from wanting.

That is a note from me
that I was considering you.

Think about something.
Have you had this experience?

You are wanting something,
then you get it.

Aren't we happy for a bit?

Isn't that freeing us
from wanting momentarily?

But then what is the thing that brings us
deeper satisfaction?

Very interesting
to think on on a health journey.

Whether we're using a fasting process,
whether we are trying

to exercise our way there,
whether we're on a special diet,

hopefully low carb, low processed food,
that is the best path.

I say, whether we're trying to incorporate
all of these things

into a beautiful combination
that is serving us

in whatever fashion it is, wouldn't
we be happy to accomplish our goal?

I certainly be happy for you
when you accomplish it.

I want you to do it.

They say here.

Unfortunately, happiness is fickle

can lead you to being attached
to certain achievements.

Something really
we should think about in our health space.

We do not want to set up an environment
for ourselves

where we say,
oh, I'll be happy when, right?

I'll be happy when I step on the scale.

And I hit this number. Right.

That's why we're trying to find space
between the scales, not on the scale.

Right?

That moment we accomplish a goal one
point on a curve, right?

And then we just keep compounding,
keep going.

We don't want to be attached to certain
achievements,

belongings or circumstances.

Lead us to become dependent
on other people's opinions

or life unfolding in a certain way,
a particular way.

One thought that's coming to me like,
what are the things that would truly

make us happy, really?

And they say even, is happiness the goal?

So when goal, when our goal is happiness,
you will always find

just behind it
a lingering sense of unhappiness.

Is that true?

I was reading that and I was saying,
is that true?

They say this is how balance and duality
works.

It's like, well,
I think it certainly can work that way.

I don't, I don't know,
is it always that way?

Something for us to think about?

If our goal is happiness,
will we always find unhappiness?

Is that the way the world works?

Certainly it can be the state
when we are trying to buy

our way to happiness
and consuming our way to happiness.

Many times it is that way.

I think many people would feel that way.

And so at least
maybe you can find the exception.

Throw it in the comments if you are aware
of the exception to this statement.

But what they say, they go on inner peace.

However, that is the state

in between the scales.

When that's your goal,
there is no way to lose.

And that I really like.

That's why I used it in the title
the space.

I say the space between the scales,
because we are trying

to sit in a space, right?

Fasting space.

Fasting space.

To me, stepping out of the rush,

stepping out of the drive of culture
for constant consumption.

This passage today helping me see
step out of the drive even for happiness.

That happiness can be part of a thing,
even that drives a craving for something.

It's something that is looking
externally right for.

A feeling.

Something when what is more valuable.

Maybe we saw that yesterday.

Maybe we're seeing it today.

Inner peace
I wrote another note down here.

When they say inner peace

as we're thinking about it,
is it freedom from even wanting?

Happiness is like if we want happiness,
if that is always

our goal, we're always seeking something.

It just implies that we lack it.

You know what I mean?

If we're always having to work for it,
always something else, that's like,

I'll be happy when it's like
the next thing becomes a treadmill.

Do you ever feel like that? It's like.

It's like, when do we arrive?

Ever,
you know, if it's always the next thing,

always a goal, always is something.

It's like, do we ever arrive?

It's like that's I think a big part
of living in the present, isn't it?

It's like a classic thought.

Right? I'll live in the present.

Right. And we've done that.

We say get away from regrets,
don't live in the past.

Come to peace, integrate the past,
let go of

even the future means setting aside

anxiety, concern, centering ourselves,
being grounded.

It's interesting to think that happiness

or chasing happiness,
looking toward happiness is.

It usually is, or many times

can be forward thinking in the future.

I'll be happy
when taking us out of the present moment.

Maybe there is happiness.

Can we find happiness just in a moment?

Or is finding happiness
in the moment actual contentment?

Is it being here now?

Say I don't want anything else.

I'm just thinking of a moment,
sitting on a bench,

watching my kids
playing on the playground.

Like when if someone said to me
that's what I was thinking.

I was like, well, when is a happy moment?

Have you had
do you have half moments of happiness

where you say,
I'm also totally present and happy?

That's what came to me, just watching my
kids having fun playing on the playground.

Right?

I say,
that's just such a moment of happiness.

Is that a moment of inner peace?

It's certainly it's certainly
to me, a feeling of grounded, like

I'm just totally happy
to be present here now.

Like, definitely
things are right with the world, you know?

Only to lose in a space like that.

These are the types of spaces,
grounded, present content

that we want to flow through life
in that sort of space.

We were saying yesterday
in the thinking from the passage,

we want to find a place of deep knowing

within ourselves that everything is okay,

and be living from that sort of place,

that that place of acceptance
is actually powerful.

Like they said, the invincible summer.

And from a place of strength
like that inside of ourselves, isn't

that a place where we can take courageous

and strong action forward in health?

It feels that way to me.

They say here this is difficult
for most people, and often people

will continue to create stress problems,
drama for themselves

because the ego is still
very much attached to thinking

that they need something external
to make them feel good.

Yeah, this is a sort of space
we were getting into, right?

When happiness is always internal

or I mean happiness is always external,

then we can be on a path like that.

If happiness is something
that is internal,

if we don't need to purchase or consume
anything.

That can be a state of contentment.

Isn't
that almost a definition of contentment?

That we don't need anything else?

To me, a fasting practice
has been a practice of contentment,

and I think I think that's
a really nice way to think about it.

Do you feel content in life?

I ask myself, and these things, do
I feel content in life?

Do I feel on a treadmill? Right?

Is it always external?

Always external to me?

Now that I, you know,
I use fasting, exercise, healthy eating,

I've gotten my weight in a place
I am happy with it after,

you know, blowing it out in my medical
training

took years of super exercising
before I found the combination.

The fasting helps so much.

Right now when I am personally practicing
fasting, I.

I have it as a space like this.

Like do
I feel like disconnect a little bit?

Like just find some peace
and space inside.

Now I would tell people
that's more valuable.

It would be more valuable to me
even to have that now.

Even if I had more weight to lose,
I would say I would rather

start from that place.

And this is why I say fascinating
is such a wellness practice

in and of itself, apart
from any kind of weight loss success,

which of course it can bring
and it can help with.

But even if we set that aside,
what if it just helped us on a journey

to somewhere deeper,
finding an emotional space of peace

and contentment apart from any other goal?

Because if we are trying
to find happiness, then we say,

oh, that is in the future.
We struggle for it.

But if we can find contentment

now, right in this moment,
we realize everything is okay,

then we have contentment
all of a sudden, look at that.

We're grounded. We're present.

We don't need anything else.

And then think about what that is
doing in the bigger picture.

Then if we can have a space like that
where we're finding contentment,

do you see that?

That is a type of space
where we can find a flow state.

Flow state, to me,
the very opposite of struggle.

And if we are on a health path, we're
trying to lose some amount of weight.

Of course, struggle is huge.

Part of the experience that people
are having a huge obstacle and a barrier.

And so a big part of what we try to do
in these sessions, what we're trying

to do in the big picture, say,
how do we navigate the path

in a way that minimizes
the struggle, maximizes the flow,

both the actual flow state mentally
so that we can pass the time,

even if it's just a fasting state
that we're trying to navigate.

How do we flow through that

in a way that feels pleasant,
where maybe we don't even think about it?

Have you experienced
that type of mental state?

Maybe it's at work,
maybe it's on a creative project.

Maybe it's just doing things
around the house

that you just get into a flow
and things are just happening,

but we're not so aware of time
and all of a sudden it's like, man,

we just did all this work
and this happened

and not like,
look all of a sudden like, like, whoa,

okay, how about making it through
fasting space like that where it's like.

And I think that fasting actually, to

me, the times when I get in the biggest,
deepest, longest

sort of flow state is like fasting space
helps me to get into that.

That was my yesterday.

I just I felt so much at peace
after doing the session yesterday.

I was like, I just keep that going.

Fasting space got so much done.

Man, did that feel good.

Looking externally for something
that makes us feel good, they say

the quintessential sign of someone
who has not yet found an inner peace.

They are searching, often frantically,
for a sense of satisfaction,

belongingness
or worthiness outside of themselves.

So really, it's not that happiness

isn't a virtuous thing
to which we should aspire.

Oh good, I forgot they said that.

Yeah, or that happiness isn't something
you're ever allowed to feel.

Thank goodness.

Yes, the reality is
that inner peace is the true happiness.

Oh, I love that.

The reality is that inner
peace is the true happiness.

Everything else is just a false

means of trying
to convince yourself that you are okay.

I think this is a really beautiful
thought, especially paired with yesterday.

Go watch yesterday if you didn't see that.

The whole thought yesterday was
that we're trying.

To find a space within ourselves,

a deep knowing
where we know that everything is okay.

False happiness.

This would say.

I would say what society is

trying to sell to us a false happiness,
meaning that we are going to find true

happiness
through the purchasing of external things.

And this is saying true
happiness actually inside of us.

And it's actually a peace
and knowing that things are okay.

I would just add to it and say gratitude

to mean gratitude for the present moment
and just knowing, okay, things are okay.

Having gratitude for it.

That's what I'm thinking with a story
I was telling earlier.

You know,
when I think of true moments of happiness,

sitting and just watching my kids playing
right then I'm just,

you know, it's just such a space
of gratitude, of love, of thankfulness.

It's like not wanting anything else.

Like, say, this is enough here, you know?

Inner peace, finding contentment.

This is enough.

These are the types of ideas that to me,
we are like the muscle of fasting.

When we are practicing fasting,
we are like building

that kind of strength in our mind.

The muscle that things are okay,
the muscle that I am enough

and this is enough.

The muscle that we have strength
and power inside of here

and don't need anything else.

Do you tell yourself those thoughts?

Could you tell yourself those thoughts
as you're going through a fasting space?

Of course.

Tell them to yourself anytime that you are
encountering difficulty in your life.

And can they be sources of strength?

So many times in life, though
many things that are difficulty,

we pass through them to reach

some better place, some higher place.

That's the obstacle that becomes the way.

The barrier
that becomes the stepping stone.

That's the type of thing
I'm talking about.

Build that strength.

They say. Think about it this way.

What do you typically
imagine will bring you happiness,

money, a relationship, a promotion?

And what happens
when you achieve these things?

So usually feel good for a little bit
and then it settles back.

Right.

Isn't that the thing
with anything that is external?

It's like we look toward it.

We say, I would would like some more money
and then we get it

and then it's like,
oh, it's like not permanent.

You know, they write consistently
throughout all of history.

The answer is the same.

People return to their baseline. Right.

This is because this kind of happiness
is not real.

We could at least say it's not permanent,
right?

It's like this is
what keeps us in a cycle of consumption

and needing forward
thinking instead of finding contentment.

It is only being completely at peace
with whenever you are in any given day,

that you will find a genuine sense
of wonder, presence and joy.

And I love leaving it at that.

For this reading.

Finding a sense of joy.

I just love because we're sitting here
in this interesting space

talking about finding happiness
and what is true happiness.

And what is this interface
between an external and an internal?

How do we find peace in a space,
and what does peace mean?

And is it really is peace just a deeper
kind of happiness and contentment

that isn't some fleeting thing
that we have to keep buying.

And if we find a space like that,

are you experiencing that in your life?

I hope so to me, it's like an aspiration,
something I say,

oh, I really want to do that.

I would say that the closest I get to to

that space is okay.

A fasting space
combined with a meditation space.

It's like removing every distraction out
of the space, bringing in some breathing.

Try to bring calmness into the body.

And then as part of that process,
thinking some of these thoughts

that we are practicing, seeing the energy
and the strength in the body recognizing.

We are in this cultural moment
that is completely focused on doing

and does not respect our value being,
and that we can step out of that even

as for a few moments in the day, and to
step out of it and say, no, there is value

here, and I have gratitude for my life
and my presence just in this moment.

And this is enough to be here.

Find gratitude for the body,
find contentment,

and realize a fasting space is happening.

Body is running.

So just gratitude for it.
And then gratitude.

So much gratitude that the fasting space
can end whenever we want.

There's no shortage of food.

We are living in this incredible space.

And from that,
like all those are thoughts.

Remember what we said yesterday?

All the thoughts like throwing stones
in the pond and we see all the ripples.

But to me, thinking all those thoughts,
the gratitude, it's

like settling out all the other thoughts,
like you need to do this.

And this person said that.

And isn't it
frustrating that this happened?

And it's like, okay, we're going to take
the space, find the gratitude.

And that to me is a process that helps me
like let the ripples on the lake

settle out and then take some moments

just to be and actually experience

just being in that space
and then don't even need the thoughts.

Very difficult.

You know, space takes some practice
of the mind in order to have that happen.

And I would say of the times
I try to do that, I wish I could tell you

I would could do that every day,
and I don't, but I wish I did.

It's a goal to do it and I am.

I am going to do it today, even though
I have like a list of so many things

to do.

I'm going to take some space like that,
because every time I do that,

and sometimes, maybe every other time,

get into a bit of a flow state,
even in that,

and I always feel so much better,
and I always get more done

when I actually do it,
when I don't jump straight to the list

and I give them mine some, set some space
to really center, find some flow.

I am always more productive.

And so it is so hard to to think of that
because it's like I look at the list,

I've got it right over there,
and there's some things I don't even want

to do on it, but we got to get it done
and it's like, don't you want to dive in?

I probably take the space up front,
otherwise you get going

and you won't do it.

But then, like
I've described in the past,

if you've been with me on the channel,

it's like you sit down
and try to get into a space like that.

For me, it takes ten minutes
just to let the ripples die down.

And isn't that about what it takes?

If you're on a still lake
and you are skipping rocks or something

and then you stopped, it's like,
doesn't it take about ten minutes

for all the waves, you know,
and then they bounce back

and they got to do a couple trips,
doesn't it?

Take a little while ten minutes.

And then things can really settle down.

I would say I have really encountered
some joy.

That's where I was going with this.

I have had some joy in a space
like that, actually,

and that is surprising to find
where it's like you go through a struggle,

you know, where it's like you feel

anxious, you got the list of the things,
all the thoughts.

You feel like I need to move.

Shouldn't I at least take a walk?

Which is so good?

And I was like,
no, I'm really going to give a gift.

It is a gift to the mind
to give some real space

like that and then finding some joy.

And you say, where did that joy come from?

Is it because in that space that
that is a process that it actually takes

to really drill down, find a deep space
and recognize, no, there is peace.

There is joy here within ourselves.

I want you to experience
that joy and peace

coming from within an incredible space.

And to me, I think this is the pinnacle
sort of idea of a fasting space,

is that we are opening up space
free from distractions.

We're in distraction society,
very hard to find

spaces really free from distraction.

So much food, so much marketing,
so much scrolling, so many other things,

so many opinions and ideas and thoughts
were just bombarded by thoughts, ideas.

And it's like, really,
the mind needs some space.

To me, it's fascinating that joy can be
found in a space like that.

Just the idea that it even could
is amazing.

you know, a big thing that I want to help
people do in fasting space

find joy in fasting.

This is so countercultural, right?

This is countercultural.

People look at fasting.

They say, oh, deprivation and struggle.

And listen, if you just come to fasting

without any knowledge of it and you say,
oh, I'm just going to like, stop eating.

But then you're like, you're just hanging
out in the kitchen looking at the fridge.

And it's just like, like, yeah,
it could be, it could be really difficult.

And if you look at language
that people use around diets

or even in a fasting space,

you talk about white
knuckling things and like hanging on.

And I would say like, there can be spaces
where I'm not even opposed to that.

You know, human being
is as strong and powerful.

We can find strength in ourselves
and we can,

you know, do things that are difficult.

And there is difficulty
in a fasting space.

There can be.

But the way that is much better

to approach it
to me is to get in a mindset like this,

which is extremely thoughtful,

extremely calm and centered,

and as much as possible
to find a state of flow with it,

where we're bringing down
the stress level to such a level

that it's like so many times,
like we have this baseline

level of stress and pressure,
you know, that is like built up.

And it's like we take a fasting practice
and we're like thinking of adding it

on top of things where it's like,
oh, I've got to do this

other thing that is intense, but
like to me, look, look at what fasting is.

And it's showing us a mirror
for so many things in life.

Fasting is a subtraction.

You know, fasting is about less
to do, more space.

And to me, when we just really
look at the ethos of it, you know,

I think we're missing it
in the big picture,

even of fasting is like fasting
is basically nowhere.

You know, basically,
it's like you can get on a little niche

on video channels and you see, okay,

you know,
there's people who have are in it, but,

you know, a few hundred thousand people
out of 8 billion is like, like, wow,

when we get out of our Western cultures,
a lot more people practicing

fasting around the world than, you know,
even here we get in a little bubble.

People,
many cultures, spiritual traditions,

all kinds of people practicing fasting,
but not so much in our Western culture,

but even the places within our culture
where people catching on to it.

It's like another thing to do.

And I hope what this session
is really showing

us, it's a subtraction,
okay, it's less to do.

And therefore the mindset
should be really open.

Never forced, never pressure.

It's like anti pressure.

Do you see what I'm saying.

There we go.

It's the sort of thing telling us
take a deep breath.

You know take the pressure off the way
I want.

People practicing fasting is like.

Thank goodness you know less to do.

The pressure is turning down more open
space in the body.

Stepping out of the cycle.

Right.

Finding peace in this space.

If you're not finding that,
never force it.

This is what I want to say.

Never force it.

Here's the line where it is
like if you're in a space,

you're feeling is fast
and he's feeling overwhelming.

Okay, stop. Right.

That is like a red line.

Like we got a lot of wellness practices
going on on a health journey.

It's like we say, maybe fasting
is the starting point, and we open up

the amount of space where it feels good
and the flow is happening.

And it's like, like people
look at videos online and they say

fasting is 16 eight or it's 18 six,
or it's all mad or it's ADF or whatever.

It's like, no, no, no,
this is just a whole spectrum,

you know, and,
and we can all be at different places.

And it's a concept.

It just means like, well,
I'm gonna give my body

some space without food, see
if the energy is actually flowing more.

One of the most incredible things
to experience in a fasting space

is that the energy can actually be
increased.

Here's where we get real synergy, right?

We're bringing stress down and energy
increase

and giving space
unlike the energy in the body.

Beautiful experience to have.

And if we find an edge where we say,
oh, I don't think this is going so well

anymore, you know,
I don't think I want this to continue.

It's like, look, we got our next practice
healthy eating, right?

So keep all the processed foods out,
fasting spaces over.

Now let's give the best nourishment
to the body possible

and just keep the good situation going.

You know, it's like all these things
flowing together fasting space

to unlock energy,
unlock peace in the body and unlock joy.

That's what we want.

And healthy eating just bring health
and nourishment into the body

so that we have more energy
to move our body.

Just what an incredible gift
and an opportunity to wrap it all up

in these to me.

Beautiful mindfulness practices.

These two are the mirror

fasting and meditation to me
because we are mind and body

and it's like we have fasting in the body
and we have fasting in the mind.

It's like we fast from food
and we fast from the distractions.

And those two things put us in the space.

Space between the scales.

The peace and contentment scales what
they're saying and the happiness scale.

And maybe it's the internal scale of it
in the external scale of it.

And maybe that is the space between that.

They're really trying to help us get into,
get into that space.

We make the peace and contentment
our goal.

They say in the book, we can't lose.

I would agree,
I say can't lose because no matter

what is happening externally,
we build the practice of finding that

space of peace that's going to help us
maximize contentment, joy, happiness.

Even in the midst
of the difficulties of life that we face.

Take some good time in this day.

Think about these thoughts
in the fasting space.

To me, this is this is the most important

when we put our importance
on other aspects.

You know,
some people fasting space really dialed

in, put you know,
the importance on the time.

And you know time is important.

How long am I fasting, right.

It's like we open up

a certain amount of time and that's going
to have a certain effect on the body.

And so it's not that that's important,
but people get very, very dialed in on it

to the in a way that could,
you know, be a distraction

from finding this sort of thing,
actually peace and enjoyment with it.

And that would be a sort of thing
that I could see

threatening people's
sustainability with it.

You know, to me, fasting
should be flexible.

And here's another line that I want
people to walk the line between

the benefits of schedule and routine
and the benefits of flexibility,

because both are real and there's a
there's definitely attention to it.

Huge benefits in routine, no doubt.

Keeps all the hormonal structures
in the body aligned.

Helps us reduce our decision fatigue
if we are in a routine,

we've already decided ahead of time
what is going to be happening.

Less to think about can help us
with our flow through all the decisions.

That's true, but it's true.

But there are seasons to things, and
there are definitely seasons to fasting.

And there are seasons to our life
and even our exercise.

You know, certainly in the seasons
to exercise, we talked about summer.

People classically get so much more active
in summer kind of tapers down.

Winter is harder.

And the people kind of get a big push,
try to fight back at New Years,

and then it ramps up into the spring
and summer.

And so, you know,
there are seasonality to these things and

something as incredible
as our activity level,

determining huge amounts of the energy
and hormones in our body.

Certainly,
you know, our appetite and our food is

is in a total communication with that.

And so you start to see the flow
through the seasons

and these sort of things, you realize,
okay, and think about the broader culture,

about three meals a day for everybody
all the time never changing.

And it's like, whoa.

And then you start to

when you start to get into
the fasting space and you start to realize

how dynamic the metabolism is
and that these things can change

and that you know all the variables
and you start to see what happens.

We go 3 to 2, obviously can make an impact
and 2 to 1 is here.

And actually,

you mean a human being can actually fast
and we can go all the way from 3 to 0

and and then yeah, it's like so to me
these are like gears on the car.

Like we can shift
in and out of these things.

And there's great benefit
actually in the, the shifting.

I think it's kind of give the body
some opportunity

to test out some different gears.

You know, we go full throttle for a while
and then we bring it back.

Most things in life,
most things are cyclical, right?

Nature is full of cycles.

And and people tend to think linearly.

You know, I think in the fasting space,
people can definitely think

linearly, say like, oh,
I learned how to do a 16 eight.

Then I tightened it up here,
and now I do on that.

And people think that they're on the line
and that and always

we have to tighten the screw.

I talked to so many people

who feel that way and it's like, oh, now
I learned how to do fasting.

Now I'm fasting a day.

Every week can be a beautiful practice.

Nothing wrong with it
as long as there is no pressure, right?

Do you see?

Don't have to have a pressure.

Always. Things can go like this.

And in a season, maybe it goes like this
when you're open to it. And.

But just like breathing.

Do you know what I mean?
Fasting. Definitely.

Like breathing in and out can flow, right?

The breath is flowing through the body.

Fasting can flow through our life
like breath flows through the body.

And so this is a balance
that I want us to have.

Get in a discipline.

If it serves, you have a routine.

If it is serving you well
and recognize the beautiful openness

of the practice, and that we can bring it
into our experience

whenever it serves us.

No rules for weight
loss. Loved that session.

I did go back and check that out.

No rules, only things that serve us
and things that don't.

So I hope these are helpful thoughts.

Thank you for being here.

Look forward
to connecting with you again soon.