The fast is over and I feel privileged to have had the experience of observing the participants and the effect it had on their respective doshas.

As none of the participants shared an identical prakriti (natal doshic type), any similarities in the pulse were mainly isolated to the influence of the fast itself.

I am also grateful that the participants are eating food again. The effects of the fast have been dramatic and extremely unbalancing for all concerned. This was an unfortunate consequence and a very likely result of a long fasts.

When reading the pulse, the practitioner will look to get a sense of the bala (strength) of the person concerned. Having read the pulses before fasting began, it was easy to get a sense of how the bala was dropping across all participants, without exception. The pulse no longer had any depth of strength. This was one of the first signs of an increase in Vata.

On a positive note, Ama (toxins) began to be liberated from the deeper tissues and this too was evident in the pulse. A restricted diet is one of the ways to reduce Ama in the body and as the fast continued, all the participants began to liberate the Ama stored in the deeper tissues.

As the participants ended their fasts it was clear that Vata dosha had increased from its respective pre-fast levels in all participants. This imbalance has continued through today and shows few signs of decreasing despite their diets returning the normal.

Because of the resulting imbalance, Ayurveda would consider these fasts as counterproductive – despite any toxins that may have been liberated from the deeper tissues as a result. Of course, it is important to release toxins that are held in the body, however, doing so slowly and methodically, while still keeping the doshas close to balanced, has far greater benefits than any severe and dramatic treatment.

In Ayurveda, the end goal is always to “kill the least and save the most”. To this end, the practitioner is always looking to balance the doshas while removing the disease at the same time. There is little sense in unbalancing the doshas in order to remove a disease – the net result of which is to create further disease.