Pregnancy and the Baha'i Month of Fasting

As many of you know, Rory and I are Baha'is, and in the Baha'i Faith there is a prescribed period of fasting where we abstain from food and drink. Fasting is common in many religions; some Christians fast or give up other material things during Lent, Muslims fast for 30 days during Ramadan, Jews fast on Yom Kippur. There are many other examples of fasting for religious reasons, but often a common desired outcome of all these periods of fasting is nearness to God and the nourishment of one's spiritual self. By practicing self-control and sublimating our physical desires, we find ourselves in stronger contact with our own noble souls and with the world beyond our little bubble of daily life.

"Happy is your condition for you have executed the divine command, and have arisen to fast in these blessed days. For this physical fasting is a symbol of the spiritual fasting, that is, abstaining from all carnal desires, becoming characterized with the attributes of the spiritual ones, attracted to the heavenly fragrances and enkindled with the fire of the love of God." - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The Baha'i month of fasting is a period of 19 days—the Baha'i calendar is composed of 19 months with 19 days in each month—and this special period happens during the final month of the Baha'i year. It takes place around March 2-March 20 every year, and Baha'is celebrate the end of the fast and the beginning of the new year on March 20 or 21 with Naw Ruz, the new year's celebration.

A sunny early spring day at the Parc Montsouris. 

Baha'is between the ages of 15 and 70 are exhorted to fast from all food and drink between sunrise and sunset for these 19 days. We wake up early in the morning, have breakfast before the sun comes up, and eat dinner after the sun sets. There are a few exemptions from fasting, however. Those who are traveling long distances, who are ill, or who are engaged in heavy labor do not need to fast, as well as women who are pregnant, nursing, or menstruating.

I have been fasting for the last 14 years of my life. The Fast is something I always greatly look forward to as winter draws to a close and spring begins to peek through the gloom. This year, however, I get to trade the privilege of fasting for the privilege of growing a human inside my body. Although I usually enjoy the Fast and find it challenging and spiritually uplifting, I am loving the experience of pregnancy and the increasing connection and love I feel for the banana-sized baby curled up in my tummy.

Even though I'm eating (like a horse!) during the Fast this year, I still wanted to use this special time for my own spiritual growth. For me, fasting at its most basic level restores self-discipline and routine to my life. Rising early despite tiredness, staying focused despite hunger; these are some of the more mundane aspects of fasting, but ones that promote balance and productivity.

The first daffodils I saw in Paris--in January.

So in lieu of forgoing food, I have been getting up before sunrise with Rory every morning for breakfast, partly for my own edification and partly to support him in his fasting. After we pray together, I make time to meditate, read the Baha'i Writings, and write some reflections in my journal. These are activities that I try to do all year long, but the self-discipline I manage during the Fast is what makes it work every day. I don't look at my phone or computer until after I have completed this morning routine. And I removed Facebook and games from my phone so I wouldn't be tempted to waste time on them. Two other elements of my fast this year have been regularly practicing the cello (which is harder to do when you have no impending orchestra concerts and no students to teach), and exercising and getting out of the apartment every day. These sound like simple tasks, but to an introverted pregnant lady with no regular job living in a foreign country, it's harder than you might think to motivate yourself out the door and up and down those five flights of stairs.

Happily, taking these simple steps during the Fast has increased my productivity, gratitude, and joy, brought me out of my technology-induced fog, and made me feel more connected not only to God but also to my husband, family, and friends. It's like I had been treading water for many months, barely able to keep my head above the surface, and suddenly I realized I could just get out of the pool.

Today is my 29^th birthday, and normally, having a birthday during the Fast means having lots of positive energy to carry you through the day, but also often means having to turn down offers of birthday lunches or having to save a birthday cupcake for eight hours before I could eat it. The positives outweigh the negatives, so I never minded too much, but it was admittedly a very pleasant change this time around to have a birthday lunch for the first time in 14 years. One of the best birthday presents of all, though, is that tomorrow I fly to Oregon to visit my family and friends for the first time in ten months. I can't wait!

Despite the challenges of moving to a new country and navigating a foreign language, pregnancy, the health care system, French bureaucracy, and all the other things I have complained about, the Fast has helped me to realize just how blessed I really am. I have grown more this year than any other (and not just my belly!) and I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have been given.

My first birthday lunch in 14 years!
And the first gluten-free pizza I've found in Paris. http://biospherecafe.fr/en

Coming soon: Moving to a new apartment...on the ground floor!

Happy fasting to our dear Baha'i friends and happy spring to all!