Thursday 25th February 2016
It's been a slow day. Not much to report really. Finally I got an early night (2am) and woke at 7am for my first detox juice of the day. I craftily got it to takeaway, saving myself a 300 yard walk along the palm tree lined beach to the fasting centre. Instead I crawled out of bed and guzzled it one, though the crawl to the desk felt like a 300 yard walk. I felt leaden!
I promptly went back to sleep, yet again missing the 7.30am meditation class and roused myself at 9.30am. The bed felt like treacle. I couldn't move. All those late nights catching up with me.
Vague thoughts of an early morning run were soon banished and I nipped to the fasting centre for the 10am Juice. Juice times are 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. Think of a tropical 'One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest' medication time, but with palm trees, and you'll get the picture.
The 10am drink is the seminal part of the day. It's when all the fasters gather to drink and await their morning colema. There are 20 of us fasting. All at various stages. Some on day 1, others day 7 and some lunatics on day 12.
The chat is mostly, "what day are you on" which seems to be the opening gambit, followed by "how are you feeling?" and then the inevitable "is this your first one?"
The talk is like nothing else. Within 2 minutes of meeting Maria from Birmingham I learnt she had been constipated for many months and has suffered terrible gastric problems for years. I didn't ask for this information, it was readily volunteered.
Linda from Australia had a terrible reaction to the nutrition pills yesterday with 'everything coming out of both ends' and David from London was starting to go into detail about what was coming out during his colema before I walked away quickly.
There are some people who take it too far, These are the professional fasters. Repeat offenders who come back year upon year and go into great detail about what is in the colon, what they pass and wax lyrical about the amazing effects of 'deep stool cleansing'. This is too much information. I just want to get my head down, get the job done and get out. if they want to talk about 'deep stool cleansing' all morning that's up to them. I have no idea what it means and quite frankly don't want to find out. i'll be sure to avoid him tomorrow.
I bumped into Dr John, the fasting manager and fellow member of the AA gang. I have seen him consistently for over 10 years of coming here and I still cannot get a meaningful conversation out of the man. He is the sort of guy who never looks you in the eye when talking and never really says anything you can converse with. Bless him he is next to useless, nor is he a doctor but he seems to hang on to the gig year on year. Fair play.
I asked one of the girls who had been ill if she went to see Dr John for advice. She said, 'Yes but he talked for 5 minutes without actually saying anything." Sounds like the Doctor John I know. God bless him.
Then it was upstairs to the AA meeting, over looking the beach. A glorious environment and always a treat to get my real medicine for the mind and soul. We were a combination of fasters, jaded ex-pats clearly bored of listening to each other and visitors. 10 of us sat round a table.
Dr John took the meeting and kicked off with a 16 minutes power share, well more lecture really, that had everyone praying to god for tolerance. its been the same for 10 years and I found myself copping exactly the same resentment I had against him 10 years ago. 'Please shut the fuck up!' my mind said, my face though remained a picture of sunburnt calm. Clearly I have changed in 10 years, a little.
I had a share up, listened to others, gave the girl who had just come back after a 5 year relapse a hug and went on my merry way. I felt uplifted and nourished. I love AA, I really do and I'm so lucky to have it.
It takes this mental head, full of worry, fear, anxiety and self obsession back to normal. Like a Nurofen for my soul. There is something about a power of a meeting. Listening to other like minded lunatics, identifying or even trying not to tell people to shut up that lifts my mood and alters my attitude. I felt connected to the world again.
So much so I immediately went back to my room and messaged 4 people that I love them and I admire them greatly. I don't know what came over me. Sentimental old sod.
It was back to the sun lounger for the afternoon. I opted for the gay speedos for maximum tannage, thankfully the hotel is scattered with a few middle aged Eastern Europeans and those bastards love a budgie smuggler, no matter what shape they are in. I was in good company.
But a catastrophe mid afternoon. A new young couple appeared by the pool and the guy has a much better body than mine!! This was awful news and caused me to sulk for the rest of the afternoon. Thankfully he's German, so that was some relief.
The day passed with more reading, snoozing, tanning, pills, juices and the second colema of the day. I went later than the allotted 4-5pm slot so as to avoid the people literally talking shit.
By the evening I had sufficient energy to run 10km up the hills and along the coast, which would have pleased my Ironman coach, though the pace wouldn't. I even stopped halfway at a vantage point to sit on a rock and meditate for 10 minutes. I found it hard as i'm yet to find that peaceful state of mind as yet but one has to practice right? Sadly it was interrupted by a dog urinating by me so I decided that was a sign from God (Dog spelt backwards) to make my way back.
So there it is. Day two of the fast. I'm not hungry, I'm not craving food. It is actually a full day when you have all the pills, potions and colema's. It feels good not to load my system with so much sweetener, DC, caffeine and processed shit, though my mind-set is still in that space.
I attempted to write a manifestation list, though I couldn't decide what I wanted to manifest, so gave up. The head takes a while to clear when fasting to get focused and 'into the zone'.
Plus I came to the conclusion that I'm 43 and increasingly look like my father and should grow up when I come home. I have no idea what that entails but the idea is intriguing me.
Bring on Day 3!!
Thai Boy Evans
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