● What are some spiritual or metaphysical rituals we should be doing for the mind & body while we are fasting? “Everyone that knows me well knows that I meditate. I think meditation is key to mental discipline. Even if you don’t believe in daily prayer, meditation connects you with whatever higher power that you choose to connect with; whether you are just sharpening your mental faculties or connecting with a higher power, meditation helps you do that. I really believe at times meditation saved my life because it helped me listen to my intuition and instincts; I was able to hear myself. That time of quiet, 20 minutes or so a day is key. It supports balancing your brain cells; it supports balancing your brain chemistry. Your brain chemistry directs your emotional responses. Meditation also helps rejuvenate your brain pathways. We often have so much conditioning and the conditioning geared towards Black/ African, New Afrikan people in this country is geared towards changing how we think and controlling how we think. That’s why I believe that meditation is a part of keeping our minds liberated and keeping our minds open to liberation in its fullness.” ● What tips would you offer to first time Black August fasters? “If you are young I say, go for it! Do it for the discipline. I did it all day from sunrise to sunset for probably close to 40 years. But I am a full proponent of hydration. How Black August began, when fasting first began, was when Katari Galdin was murdered in San Quentin prison. It was Ramadan, and in solidarity with Ramadan the brothers there fasted from sunrise to sunset. So, the next year when we talked about creating Black August as a yearly commemoration we decided to keep the sunrise to sunset fasting. We were excited to be down with the fasting and the discipline, the dedication that comes with it. As a revolutionary New Afrikan woman, I found a lot of joy in being able to do that for 31 days in honor of the acts of resistance, in particular by our prisoners and political prisoners, and then also historically by our ancestors during that time period. I felt a sense of interconnection to that, to those acts and what it means to practice resistance in that way. I say fast but, if you have health issues or are on medications or are an elder, I encourage you to at least drink water during the day. Get up in the morning and flush your body with that first glass of water. It’s very important to flush your body before you eat. I take apple cider vinegar, sometimes mixed with cayenne pepper and lemon water; I take about 10oz of that. Also, try to do a 12 hour fast; maybe 8am-8pm. Eat really healthy when you do break your fast. If you really want to move into the discipline, do a plant based fast during the month.”
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By Any Means Necessary