What Is a Trance?

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A trance is a distorted or fragmented, miniature reality that we're living. When you wake up from the trance, you realize that there's a bigger world here,. i sometimes think of it like being in an airplane and you go into, you fly into a cloud, and t your whole world becomes cloud. But then when you get past the cloud, the cloud's still there, but your world is bigger. So whether you'se that metaphor, or ocean and waves, im coming out of a trance is realizing a hole that you really are. Then it makes it possible to include the parts, the different changing waves, with a sense of compassion and appreciation.

My guest today, Tara Brach, has been one of my teachers for years, though she never knew it. Back in the early days of podcasting, I stumbled upon her weekly dharma talks or Buddhist teachings and meditations that she’d offer at her Insight Meditation Center in DC, record, then air as podcasts, and the blend of her gentle presence, her deep wisdom that was clearly not just studied, but also lived, her humility, real-world sensibility, and humor drew me in. Tara’s teachings blend Western psychology, she’s also a clinical psychologist, along wtih Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. The result is a distinctive voice in Western Buddhism, one that offers a wise and caring approach to freeing ourselves and society from suffering.

She is kindness and insight embodied, and I’ve learned so much from both her offerings and also the way she seems to move through life over the years. Which is why I was so excited to be able to spend some time going deep into not just certain pivotal moments in Tara’s path, but also the powerful tools and practices she’s developed in the name of allowing us to breathe more easily into whatever comes our way, at the core of which is something Tara shorthands with the acronym RAIN, which is transformational and we explore how it can move into our lives, especially in the context of compassion, acceptance, and what’s been going on in society these days.

You can find Tara Brach at:

Website : https://www.tarabrach.com/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/tarabrach/

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