Nithyanandam,
I am Prasanna Ramachandran. I live in Mountain View, CA, USA. I did Nirahara Samyama in Aug-Sept 2012 and The Samyama in Dec 2012. During Nirahara Samyama we had a two-day fast, followed by a break for a day, which was followed by a seven-day fast and a four-day break. This was followed by the last phase that lasted eleven days. During Nirahara Samyama, I mainly consumed coconut water and freshly squeezed fruit juices. For me the Nirahara Samyama was much easier than I thought. I did not feel any lack of energy. In fact, I was more active and productive at work; because I did not have need any food breaks. I continued by routine of 108 Surya Namaskars everyday with great ease.
For the past many years, I have had a lot of gas related issues. I thought it might be because of lactose intolerance. I switched to lactose free milk. And that helped to some extent, but the problems persisted. However after the Nirahara Samyama, I realized that my gas related issues had completely disappeared. I also lost a total of eight lbs during the Nirahara Samyama and did not gain it back when I resumed normal eating.
I did The Samyama during Inner Awakening in Dec 2012. During ‘The Samyama’, we fasted for 21 days with no breaks in between. We could consume soups, porridge, shakes, milk and fruit juices. The Samyama was a lot smoother than Nirahara Samyama. There was no feeling of tiredness and I could do all my activities including an hour of yoga in the morning with no difficulty. After ‘The Samyama’ I lost another six lbs and have not gained any of it back.
The biggest lesson I have learned from Nirahara Samyama and The Samyama are that you can be tired regardless of whether there is food in the stomach or not. Food in the stomach does not necessarily mean higher energy. In fact many times food intake makes people dull and lethargic.
Thank You,
Prasanna Ramachandran
Mountain View, CA, USA
