by Rebecca Harding

Two of the greatest books I have ever read were ‘The Power of Now’ and ‘New Earth’ written by Eckhart Tolle. Both books show the importance of transcending thoughts about the past and future, becoming aware of what is around us and, of the energy within us, which helps us to live in the present. 

The Power of Now was first published in 1997. Amazingly, the international bestseller was translated into 33 different languages and by 2009, 33 million copies were sold in North America. I would like to share with you some of the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and hope that you find it useful. His teachings have certainly changed my perspective on the world and I’ve never felt healthier in myself. 

A Dictionary of Eckhart Terminology:

Ego : Is, ultimately, the mind and its contents, including; thoughts, self-image, repeated mind patterns and social conditioning. Here are some things to know about our old friend, Ego; Ego always needs to be right, Ego stops us from finding Love, Ego is never satisfied, and Ego stops us from living in the present. Now you may be thinking “well, this Ego business doesn’t sound very fun,” but it’s important to give Ego acceptance and Love, and after some mindfulness practise, a transcendence to a higher being can occur

Unconscious : This is meant from a spiritual point of view. Every action done out of Ego (conditioned mind patterns, out of fear, certain thoughts about ourselves or others and so on) is spiritually speaking, unconscious, meaning there is a lack of deeper awareness about what you are doing. In order to transcend unconsciousness into consciousness, there needs to be awareness. Here’s an example:
Everyone, meet Jane. Jane’s age, gender, height, weight, favourite food… is all irrelevant because Jane’s way of thinking is incredibly universal. 

Jane is on her way to the shop, she’s in her car, driving along the road, when suddenly, someone pulls out in front of her! Jane swears and honks her horn, she’s practically got steam coming out of her ears. When Jane goes to the shop, someone takes the last trolley, she’s tutting and sighing, “why is this happening to me?” she’s thinking. Jane is too busy feeling annoyed at the world to notice that there is a trolley waiting for her just around the corner of the shop. Nevertheless, Jane goes shopping. They don’t have any fresh bread, the milk is all gone, someone bumped into her. Nothing is going “right” for Jane. Jane is feeling so stressed out at this point. She’s had a terrible day. She gets back in her car and drives home. She just wants to climb into bed and go back to sleep. 

Did you notice how quickly the energy built up within Jane? Her feelings took over her and began controlling her. This led to her having quite extreme thoughts, I mean, how does an absent shopping trolley mean that the world is against you? Her mind spiralled out of control and she got lost in the feelings rather than simply experiencing the energy within her. In these moments, she lacked awareness. 

Here are some tips for Jane… 

1. Take a deep breath. As you’re driving along, notice the beautiful light and trees around you. 
2. Remember that if people act recklessly it’s because they are struggling to deal with feelings themselves. 
3. Pause. Ask yourself “is this worth my peace?” The short answer is: nothing is worth your peace. Let it go. 
4. Be aware of the energy/feeling within yourself, stay with that energy rather than becoming it entirely.
5. I would recommend daily meditation for Jane as this practise can help with stress and overall better mental health.
6. Read ‘The Power of Now’ and ‘New Earth.’
7. It’s important for Jane to take care of her mental and spiritual health. She deserves to find the joy, peace and Love within herself so she can smile more, like this…

Meditation steps

1. Sit somewhere comfortable. Preferably sitting on a cushion, with legs crossed on the floor. Find the centre point through your body. 
2. Notice what you hear and see around you, no need to label what you see or hear, just be aware of it. 
3. Be aware of the breath in your body. 
4. When you notice a thought arising, gently bring your attention back to the breath in your body, or, be aware of the energy in your hands. You may experience this energy as a tingling sensation or warmth. 
5. Practise. Don’t worry if you find it challenging the first few times, it’s about training your mind to get used to it. Don’t give up… the physical and mental health benefits are brilliant!