Upvas literally means: Up means Sub (subordinate), dependent, and Vas means to live or reside. Thus, Upvas means being the subordinate or being the servent and living close to someone who is very important. Same like Sub-inspector gives duty under the main inspector.

In this Sanskrit terms, the body is a sub-inspector and the mind is the main inspector. So, Upvas is a technique of Ayurveda that is practiced for self-healing. By practicing the Upvas, you can easily understand that sub-inspector and inspector are performing together. Some other terms are used for Upvas are; fasting, fast, Vrat or Vrata, Upavas, Upwas etc. There are some differences between Vrat and Upvas but in this blog, we will learn about Upvas.

So Fasting or Upvas is skipping some meals or taking meals in a large time duration such as 14 hours. While practicing Upvas (fasting), according to science, our body and mind work more amazingly and they have good concord or functioning.

But Upvas is not just skipping the meal or not eating anything, it is more than that. In Geeta, it is mentioned that not only skipping food but distracting the mind from taste, sense, and food is real karma.

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।
रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्टवा निवर्तते॥ Chapter 2, Verse 59

Vishaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah,
Rasavarjan raso pyasya param drstva nivartate. (02.59)

Meaning: Aspirants may restrain the senses from their objects of enjoyment, but the taste for the sense objects remains. However, even this taste ceases for those who realizes the Supreme power.

If we go accordingly to Ayurveda, Upvas is mentioned as:
दोषः कदाचित कुप्यन्ति, जिता लंघन पच्नेया ।
जिता संशोधनहेतुर, न तेषां पुनरुद्भव ।। चरक संहिता (श्लोक संख्या १६.२०)

Doshah kadachit kupyanti jita langhana pachanaih,
Jitah samsodhanairye tu na tesham punarudbhavah. (Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 16:20)
Meaning: The meaning of these lines is that we can balance all our dosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) by simply doing detoxification of our body. If the digestion is going good and we are taking Upvas from time to time, we will be always healthy.

10 MAJOR BENEFITS OF UPVAS (FAST)

• Helps to be more mindful
• Helps to function well body and mind together
• Helps to reduce weight naturally
• Helps to remove toxins and do natural detoxification
• Glows the skin and remove dead skin cells
• Removes all blockages in body
• Heals the body naturally
• Removes Chronic diseases
•  Purifies the blood
• Improves the daan section of life

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON UPVAS

• • I have seen people to do upavas for one month and more duration. What is the true strength that is being put to test to achieve this? Is it all mind or body or both? [asked by: Rishab Sanghvi]

Answer: Upvas is simply the detoxification of our body. Suppose you are using a machine, for sure you have to give some rest to it for better performance as we are doing in our sleep. But if the machine runs from petrol and we sometimes are putting diesel into it, then we have to stop it for somedays and better not to put anything. Same in our body, we eat wrong food sometimes and when we do Upvas, we regular reduce bad toxins and regenerate good energy and restore our body as before. The ultimate goal of Upvas is the regeneration of cells, energy, immunity, blood and other important needs in the body. Apart from that, when the stomach is empty and some required acids are flowing, at the time, the body and mind do their best level because of good connection and concord.

• • What is spiritual meaning of doing Upvas? [asked by: Giovanna Imprezzabile]

Answer: Upvas is an Ayurveda Term and simply means to skip some meals for some days or months but taking food as Medicine. Vrat or Vrat is something spiritual that is attached to any spiritual entity as a promised witness. Suppose you are skipping meal for being healthy and detoxification, that comes under Upvas. But if you had a Sankalpa (Promise) and skipping meals for the divine entity, that comes under Vrata.