Lent: How to find your inner freedom and mindfulness!

Lent: How to find your inner freedom and mindfulness!

München, Deutschland - March 5, 2025 marks the beginning of the 40-day Lent with Ash Wednesday-a special day for many believers. On this day, numerous Christians go to the church, where an ash cross is drawn on their forehead. This ashes comes from the palm branches of the previous year that are consecrated on Palm Sunday. This ritual not only symbolizes the transience of life, but also prepares the believers for the most important festival in the Christian calendar, Easter. During Lent, many believers do without luxury foods such as alcohol, sweets and cigarettes. But the fasting of solid food is also becoming increasingly important with the aim of cleaning the body and mind and concentrating on the essentials, as can be seen from a report by BYC News

Anselm Green: Fasting as a path to inner freedom

The Benedictine Father Anselm Grün, known for his bestseller and deep spiritual insight, sees fasting as a "training time" for the mind. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung , he explained that not only can be punished, but also liberating. "If I have to meet every need immediately, I am dependent and will not be lived myself," he says. The aim of the fasting is to meet your own emotions and to clean them. The challenge is not only to avoid food, but also in self -reflection. Green recommends that you take a week, not talk about others, not even in silence. This fasting of the words is intended to sharpen the spirit and increase mindfulness for the environment.

Lent is not only regarded as physical cleaning, but also as a time of inner contemplation and reflection. Dr. However, Stefan Koch from the Forum drinking water warns that many fasting forms that do without solid food can also be critical of the fluid balance. A deficit of up to 1.2 liters of water per day is not unusual, which can bring serious health risks. The German Nutrition Society recommends a fluid intake of 1.5 to 2 liters a day to compensate for natural water loss, especially during fasting. It is therefore important not to neglect the drinking of water and other liquids to ensure a healthy Lent.