| | Extended Fasting for the Healing and Metamorphosis of Body, Soul, and Spirit
Facilitated by Lelan Harris
December 1 - 21 |
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Why Fast During Advent?
For nearly 1,500 years it has been a mystical soul practice to fast during Advent in preparation for Christmas and the Holy Nights. I invite you to join me in the practice of this ancient discipline from December 1-21. |
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When . . . not if
In the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 6, which contains the Lord’s Prayer), Jesus says:
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When you give to the needy ....
When you pray ....
When you fast ....
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Not if you give to the needy, or if you pray, or if you fast. |
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Absurd . . . or wise?
Seekers and saints throughout the millennia have consistently affirmed that fasting is an essential discipline. This includes Rudolf Steiner:
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I want to mention something here which will seem absurd to most people. This is the matter of fasting. Awareness of the significance of fasting has been totally lost. Fasting is enormously significant, however, for creating rhythm in our astral body.
What does it mean to fast? It means to restrain the desire to eat and to block the astral body in relation to this desire. He who fasts blocks the astral body and develops no desire to eat. The astral body becomes inactive then, and the whole rhythm of the physical body with its innate wisdom works upward into the astral body to rhythmize it. Like the imprint of a seal, the harmony of the physical body impresses itself upon the astral body. It would transfer much more permanently if the astral body were not continuously being made irregular by desires, passions, and longings, including “spiritual” desires and yearnings.
It is more necessary for the human being of today to consciously carry rhythm into all spheres of higher life than it was in earlier times. Just as rhythm is implanted in the physical body by God, so man must take up the responsibility to make his astral body rhythmical. He must arrange it for his astral body as the Spirit of Nature arranges it for the lower realms.
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~ Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Development, Lecture 1: ”Inner Development”. Presented in Berlin, Germany on Dec. 7, 1905 (GA 54). |
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OTHER QUOTES
The purpose of fasting is to loosen to some degree the ties which bind us to the world of material things and our surroundings as a whole, in order that we may concentrate all our spiritual powers upon the unseen and eternal things.
~ Ole Hallesby
Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food.
~ Dallas Willard
If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful soul, fasting and praying. Walking exercises the body; praying exercises the soul; fasting cleanses both.
~ Francis Quarles |
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Why Fast with Lelan and Others?
Fasting groups and meetups are increasingly popular around the world. I am aware of one Keto group that numbers over 1,000 members!
The dual phenomena of an increased interest and commitment to fasting, plus doing so in groups small and large, is evidence of a largely unconscious natural initiation process.
However, the majority of fasting plans and groups are limited to materialistic and/or exoteric approaches to physical and emotional wellness.
Lelan brings decades of experience not only with many fasting methods and lengths, but has also served and assisted over a thousand people on their healing, development, and integration journeys.
What . . . and now
A generally agreed upon definition of extended or prolonged fasting is not eating food or meal replacements for a period of 3 days or longer, drinking only water.
Other common lengths are 5, 8, 12, and 21 day fasts, each of which opens us to different body, soul, and spirit possibilities.
It is also possible to link a series of fasting periods together, interspersed with one or more days of light eating in-between the fasts.
Why . . . and how
There are innumerable fasting methods for the transformation of body, soul, and spirit. Innumerable? Really? Yes, innumerable because the most effective fast is literally tailored to the individual. No two truly effective fasts are precisely alike.
This very practical course will assist you to identify fasting practices that fit your needs and goals, as well as provide encouragement and support as you engage in the exercises.
What will be offered this Advent season is a range of conscious methods and precise means to support your individual path toward healing and integration. The addition of appropriate soul and spirit exercises can ultimately lead to miracles and metamorphosis.
Adding a healthy group component to the individual elements of our fasting disciplines increases the potential for unexpected perceptions and expanded understandings.
Further, Lelan will be available to help you perceive and follow through on the guidance offered by your Guardian Angel and God before, during, and after your fast.
Oh, and by the way, Lelan will also be one of the people in the group fasting with you!
DAILY GROUP SESSIONS
Registration includes access to daily 30-minute online Zoom meetings. You may participate live or view the video recordings that will be made available within 24 hours and accessible through December 31. Unlike typical teaching courses offered on WiseCosmo.org, participants will not retain permanent access to these videos. The reason is that what occurs during each person's Advent fast is very personal. When the fast is over, our memories of our experiences together - and what we learn from and do with them in the future is what will matter most.
The live sessions will be scheduled at different times on different days so that no matter what time zone you live in, most registrants will be able to frequently participate in live gatherings.
COST: $210
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
Registrants may schedule one-on-one Zoom meetings with Lelan in order to work on specific, individual needs for increased understanding, healing, development, and metamorphosis.
COST: Individually determined
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| Extended Fasting Opportunity Details
Meeting Dates: December 1 - 21
Registration closes: December 3
Daily Zoom Meeting Group Sessions: 30 minutes Meeting Times: Vary throughout the course to accommodate time zones.
Cost: $210 Individual sessions by arrangement.
Recordings available within 24 hours and accessible through December 31. |
| | | | Lelan Harris is a founding member and the executive director of Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative (WiseCosmos.org). He is an experiential explorer and integrative practitioner of many human development and spiritual paths. For Lelan, every day is an adventure of discovering the wisdom of the cosmos – God in every guise – and then sharing those treasures through healing, coaching, serving, and pioneering. Lelan has been married to Julie for over 30 years, and among their greatest delights together is playing in and with nature through every season, ecosystem, and altitude; self-guided town and country tours; plus art, music, and dance. |
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For more information on Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative, please visit our website where you may:- Register for Human Being and the Stars, an online course by Brian Gray.
- Register for Parzival, an online course by Brian Gray.
- Register for The Lord's Prayer, an online course by Lelan Harris.
- Create a free account and be added to our mailing list.
- Donate to support the production of more courses.
- Volunteer as a typist, transcriber, or translator.
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| Images Water Pouring Into Glass by Alter_Photo, Adobe Stock License Blue Advent Candles by Waldemar Brandt, Unsplash.com Fasting Is Like Spring Cleaning, copyright © 2021 Terrence Ozaki and Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative Prayer and Fasting by Marina Kutukova, Adobe Stock License Fasting Bowl, Spoon, and Cross by Vetre, Adobe Stock License |
| Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative is a world-wide community that welcomes all who, in the words of Rudolf Steiner, are endeavoring to unite the spiritual element within the human being to the spiritual in the universe.
Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational corporation. All donations by U.S. donors are tax deductible.
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