Navratri, when translated into English, means nine nights.
The night is a time for relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind and the body. If we don't rest at night, it becomes difficult to carry on with our activities the next day, doesn’t it?
Similarly, Navratri is the resting time for the spirit in you. It is the time when you withdraw yourself from all sensory activities (eating, talking, watching, touching, listening, smelling), and rest in yourself. This withdrawal from all sensory activities takes you deeper within yourself, which is the actual source of bliss, joy, and enthusiasm in your life.
Most of us don't get to experience this because we are constantly engaged in some activity or the other. We are always engaged with the mind. Navratri is the time to withdraw from the mind and rest in the spirit or soul. It's the time to feel your soul!
We are connected to this universe - to some power that makes this whole creation happen. This power is filled with love; the whole creation is filled with love. Navratri is the time for you to realize that you are loved, and rest in this feeling of love. When you do this, you come out feeling stronger, wiser, rejuvenated, refreshed and harmonious.
In our day-to-day lives, we get very caught up in different activities. All kinds of noises are constantly going on in our minds - bickering, arguing, and judging, and so on. Navratri is a time to overcome these tendencies and unite with the source.
Everything we see in this world is made up of energy. From the rays of the sun to the flowing rivers, from buzzing mobile phones to silent pacemakers - energy is present everywhere. As Newton’s law rightly states, energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another. But what is the source of this energy? What powers all objects, animate and inanimate, to exude energy, every single moment?
According to Hinduism, the Mother Divine or Devi is the source of all energy. Due to this attribute, she is also referred to as Shakti, which literally translates to power or energy. The Mother Divine powers everything in this existence and sustains it. And Navratri is nothing but a means to honor and worship the Devi for our very existence.
Like a child who grows in the mother’s womb for nine months, the nine nights of Navratri offer us a chance to go back to our source to rest and rejuvenate. But here, resting not only implies absence of physical activity but mental activity too. The constant clamor in the mind drains us and doesn’t allow us to experience deep state of rest.
The world is full of energy - energy that can be used to recharge ourselves. To tap into this vast reservoir of energy, we simply need to attune ourselves properly. When the mind is still, it draws energy from its surroundings, and expands. This leads to increased awareness, a calm state of mind, and better productivity. And, spiritual practices such as meditation and fasting are ways to attune to such a state of mind.
Rich in colors, tradition, songs, and dance, Navratri is also a time for us to relax, turn inwards and recharge ourselves with new energy. Fasting during Navratri makes that inner journey towards bliss and joy easier to make. It reduces the restlessness of the mind and brings forth awareness and joy.
“We fast not to please the Divine, but to cleanse our body.” - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
According to Ayurveda, fasting rekindles the digestive fire. An increase in the digestive fire burns the toxins in the body. When the toxins are flushed out of the body, it loses dullness and lethargy. All the cells of the body are rejuvenated. Fasting, therefore, is an effective therapy to cleanse our body. When the body is cleansed, the mind becomes calmer and more peaceful because of the deep connection between the body and mind.
Navratri is the time to spend time with yourself, meditate, and connect with the source of existence.. When fasting decreases the restlessness of the mind, it becomes easier for it to turn inwards and meditate. However, make sure that you eat sufficient amounts of fresh fruits and other sattvic food to keep yourself energized..
Fasting coupled with meditation increases sattva - the quality of tranquility and positivity within us. An increase in sattva makes our mind more peaceful and alert. As a result, our intentions and prayers become more powerful. A sattva bloom also makes the body lighter and energetic. We become more efficient. As a result, our desires manifest and our tasks get accomplished easily.