On Demand - Day 11
Day 11 - Trance of Consumption
Trance: noun
a half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium.
Long before the iPhone, cable news, TikTok, Tinder, Erewhon, fried chicken and Vegas, the practice of yoga took root as a guiding light to teach us the art of presence. Even thousands of years ago, there existed a profound recognition of the need to quiet the incessant chatter of the mind. The repetitive allure of chatter can easily pull us away from our conscious state. And before we know it, that pint of ice cream is mysteriously empty as we are working away on our laptop. The perpetual question lingers, 'How did that happen!?'
Yes, what we are consuming goes far beyond food. It includes everything we take in consciously and subconsciously, and it often has a profound affect on us. When a trance takes hold, it can deeply affect our actions. Once it ensnares our mind, we are unknowingly stuck in mindless actions and relentless ‘looping stories.’
What's intriguing is the interplay of our consumptive behaviors and how each triggers the next like falling dominos. Excessive, stressful work turns into impulsive online shopping with just one-click. Mindlessly scrolling on instagram leads to buying that online course you’re never gonna take. In these moments, instead of consciously experiencing our body, we trance out.
Taking a deliberate pause to acknowlege how we fall into these patterns brings us back to Awareness. This introspective pause mirrors the healing interlude our body receives from intermittent fasting – a period where our metabolic flexibility is nurtured. This is a time when the digestive system gets a break, allowing gut lining to undergo repair, reaping myriad benefits.
Today, we have the power to confront this Trance of Consumption from the inside out.
JOURNAL
What are some things you can do when your mind is caught in a ‘looping story’ and you catch yourself?
Try writing about any story that is on repeat, and get it all out: pen to paper.
ACTION
Incorporate a 12-hour Intermittent Fasting window each day for the rest of the cleanse.
Meditate for 3-5 minutes in the morning before looking at your phone.
Set aside ‘Media Fasting’ windows. Add notifications to limit your amount of social media use.
Set a timer when working and avoid any deviation into distracted, trance-induced shopping, eating, and scrolling. Stand up and take 5 breaths.
Remove alerts on your computer and phone.
Do a guided meditation to help move you from story into your body. I highly recommend again, Tara Brach’s ‘RAIN’ partner meditation. You will need to set aside 30-minutes and have a partner for this.
RECIPE
You can really make this one your own!
How I like to modify this classic take on Pho:
use brown rice vermicelli
use kale stems and chop them up into 1-inch pieces
use mung beans instead of adzuki beans
if you are not vegan, use bone broth as the base
Next Up: Friday, Jan 19
10:30 AM - Awesome Yoga
11:15 AM - Chat with special guest: Katherine Feldhouse, Wellness Lead at the Clean Program
Katherine Feldhouse transitioned from a decade in creative writing and advertising to a wellness and community health focus in 2012. With credentials from IIN and Cornell, she has worked with functional doctors, led school-based wellness programs, and now serves as the Wellness Lead for the Clean Program. Residing in Brooklyn and Upstate New York, Katherine is pursuing an MSW and EAT, while also enjoying cooking, volunteering with horse rescues, and hiking with her family and their pup.