Monthly Reflection: Ala (Loftiness) – On Fasting

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Isn’t it interesting to look at something you might think of as negative and to perceive how it is, in fact, positive? Say abstaining from food and drink. I could perceive it as a hardship, something to be endured, or I could be thankful my body is able to go without food and water for 12 or so hours, and perhaps thankful that, when the sun sets, I have access to food I can relish. The Fast is a powerful reminder that not everyone can eat when they want to.

Last month we were really excited to head to a recording studio with Nava Revalk so that she could lend her voice to reading some quotations and passages from the Baha’i Writings. The first project Nava contributed to is a video animation of the majority of a short talk Abdu’l-Baha gave on the wisdom of fasting:

We also launched a video on our social media channels featuring a short quotation by Baha’u’llah about the Fast, also read by Nava:

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In anticipation of the Fast, we published a personal reflection article by Anisa Woodall about how thoughtfully and carefully she cares for her body and considers her nutrition in order to be receptive to some of the bounties hidden in the Fast.

This Baha’i month we’re collaborating with Dr. Daniela Koppold on social media. A few years ago, I interviewed Daniela about a medical study she conducted on the Baha’i Fast. Daniela has been enamoured by the beauty of the Fast for many, many years and has been studying it professionally as a doctor (you can read or watch interviews with Daniela to find out more about her work). Every day Daniela will be sharing some thoughts about different aspects of the Fast. You can follow our collaboration with her on Instagram and TikTok.

While these are new resources, over the years we’ve built up a collection of videos, audio, images and articles related to the Baha’i Fast. One video that comes to mind year after year, is this Studio Session by Rosalynd and Pascal. I find myself humming this melody throughout my day and it’s a lovely verse to have on mental refrain.

We’ve learned over the years that Baha’is are very active online during the Fast: perhaps we’re all scrolling through cooking accounts and salivating–I’m not sure! Whatever the case, we’ve also noticed a quiet proliferation of creatives sharing inspiring and uplifting quotes, songs and other content. The Baha’i Fast is an incredible time of year as is, but I personally find it’s a sweet time of year to be a Baha’i online and to partake of all the artistic expressions that are being shared. We plan and hope to increase our output and publish more than we typically do over the coming 19 days and we hope you enjoy our metaphorical buffet of offerings!

Wishing you a rejuvenating and bountiful month of fasting!

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Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.