The Baha'i Fast:

[arthra]

After Ayyam-i-Ha, Baha'is observe a nineteen day Fast .. starting tomorrow March 2nd until March 20th:

Fasting for us means abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

The Fast is a personal spiritual obligation for Baha'is between fifteen and seventy years of age..

There are also special prayers revealed for the Fast that can be recited..

Bah' Reference Library - Bah’ Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bah’u’llh, the Bb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bah, Pages 238-245

Here are some extracts on Fasting:

"...prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests...."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 367

I hadn't read this one before but it relates I think:

Exaggerated fasting destroys the divine forces. God has created man in a way that cannot be surpassed; we must not try to change his creation. Strive to attain nearness to reality through the acquisition of strength of character, through morality, through good works and helping the poor, through being consumed with the fire of the love of God and in discovering each day new spiritual mysteries. This is the path of intimate approach.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 98

A letter which was signed by you in general was received. Its content was of the utmost beauty, sweetness, eloquence and perfection. While reading it the utmost happiness was produced. It spoke of fasting during the month of the Fast. 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-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 40

Exemptions from Fasting:

Exemption from fasting is granted to:
(a) Travellers
i. Provided the journey exceeds 9 hours.
ii. Those travelling on foot, provided the
journey exceeds 2 hours.
iii. Those who break their journey for less
than 19 days.
iv. Those who break their journey during
the Fast at a place where they are to stay
19 days are exempt from fasting only for
the first three days from their arrival.39
v. Those who reach home during the Fast
must commence fasting from the day of
their arrival.
(b) Those who are ill.
(c) Those who are over 70.
(d) Women who are with child.
(e) Women who are nursing.
(f) Women in their courses, provided they perform
their ablutions and repeat a specifically revealed
verse 95 times a day.[5]
(g) Those who are engaged in heavy labour, who
are advised to show respect for the law by using
discretion and restraint when availing themselves
of the exemption.

- From the synopsis and codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas p. 38

Youth under fifteen are exempt from fasting..

 

[arthra]

Fasting is of two kinds -- spiritual and material.
The spiritual fasting comes first, and is
the soul's refusal or denial of all kinds of evil
actions and habits -- this is the important fasting.
The bodily fasting or abstinence from
food, is a sign or witness to the inward fasting,
and is of no value by itself. But when both
kinds of fasting go together, then the effect upon
the soul is as "light upon light."

~ Compilations, Baha'i Prayers 9, p. 48

 

[arthra]

Be dilated in thy heart..

Be dilated in thy heart by the gentle breeze which emanates from the garden of Eternal Life and enkindled in the Tree of Sinai in the center of Paradise; so that thou mayest be a pillar of fire and a cloud of light in this age, wherein a drop grows into a large wave of the sea, and a lamp glistens with the light of the dazzling stars, and this is from the power which is manifested by thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful.

Be firm in the worship of God, fasting, praying, imploring and invoking unto thy God, the Generous; so that He shall destine to thee the honor of sacrifice in the path of thy Beloved, the Ancient.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 103

 

[arthra]

The people shall hasten to worship in that ..Temple..

When the Mashrak-el-Azcar is accomplished, when the lights are emanating therefrom, the righteous ones are presenting themselves therein, the prayers are performed with supplication towards the mysterious Kingdom (of heaven), the voice of glorification is raised to the Lord, the Supreme, then the believers shall rejoice, the hearts shall be dilated and overflow with the love of the All-living and Self-existent (God).

The people shall hasten to worship in that heavenly Temple, the fragrances of God will be elevated, the divine teachings will be established in the hearts like the establishment of the Spirit in mankind; the people will then stand firm in the Cause of your Lord, the Merciful. Praise and greetings be upon you.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, pp. 17-18

 

[arthra]

These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the fast.

With it Thou didst adorn the preamble of the Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy creatures, and didst deck forth the Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight of all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.

Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things.

Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine irrevocable judgment.

Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou hast, moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.

~ Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 142