Waking Up from the Trance
Waking Up from the Trance
When you hear the phrase "living in a trance", it's easy to judge someone who may come to mind or even yourself.
Most of society lives in this trance of incessant thinking, worrying, planning, and fearing. This forgetting of who we are at a deeper level is what being in a trance is.
Some good examples of trance are:
- I realize I've just gone through a whole bag of chips.
- Everyone's the "bad guy" today, I'm finding fault with the ____.
- I catch myself sizing up other men to see who's the most dominant.
- I'm walking through a store and realize I'm comparing my body with every other woman's I see.
- I'm rushing around trying to get things done, and I hurt myself or break something or make a stupid mistake.
- I lose an hour following links online or social media.
The practice of meditation and yoga is designed to get us out of our trance. When we are lost in thought, we forget where we are, who we are, and even who may be in front of us. We become completely disconnected and feel as though we are living through a thick fog. Of course, alcohol and drug use may bring on the "trance", but most people are doing this with no assistance from any substances but one's own untrained mind.
Learning to "be" in daily life is a practice that has been lost for many. Learning to think only when thought is needed is a practice that takes time. Some may ask how do you not think? Basically, if you are doing a daily activity such as brushing your teeth, no other thought should be going through your mind but the thought needed to take the action of placing toothpaste on a toothbrush and mindfully feeling the brush and "doing" the activity of brushing your teeth. Notice how many mornings or evenings you are brushing your teeth while being in a trance, lost in thought or planning or worrying.
As Eckhart Tolle says, “the biggest accomplishment in life is to think only when you need to think.” This is mindfulness practice. This is the quality of life we are working towards with daily meditation and yoga practice. - Namaste
I fully, and whole heartedly believe that we need to be present and focused on the task so we are fully engaged and cognizant of the accomplishment/result. For ex, eating while distracted like watching TV results in still being hungry shortly after since you haven't fully registered what was consumed. BUT I do love going into a "trance" while doing something like walking, or being a passenger in a car as that is the time my mind is processing challenges and coming up with creative solutions. Perhaps that's not called a "trance" per say, but it'd definitely "zoning out".
