Last Sunday I attended an Eckhart Tolle seminar in London. I have seen the great man a few times now and I was even lucky enough to have a one to one with him in Malibu a couple of years ago. We share the same App developer and Joe at i-Mobilize fixed the meeting.
When I chatted with Eckhart he told me that he had slept rough in his past and that he used to deliver his book, The Power Of Now, into stores personally. I’d also slept rough at times when I was a kid, from the age of 12 in fact, and I also delivered my first hypnosis cassettes into local stores when I started out. Eckhart and I are one and the same I thought!
The thing I love about Eckhart is that he is totally authentic. The message he delivers is in total alignment with the way he lives his life. He has very little to do with the business side of his organisation and it seems he is immersed in the present all the time. Imagine being free of fear, anxiety, worry, judgement and just living for each and every moment.
It is not something that comes easy for most. But when you hear Eckhart speak live you get a real sense of what it is to be present and to switch off the monkey mind that can drive us nuts. If you can be in a place where you are not worrying about the future or fretting about the past and you are actually not thinking at all, you begin to experience presence. You go beyond the egoic self and separation and you experience your true nature, or your spiritual self.
Ramana Maharshi who passed over in 1950 was one of the great spiritual teachers of recent times and a big influence on Eckhart and indeed Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. He said that we must always ask ‘who am I’ as a way to true self-awareness and that on-going self-enquiry is the way to self-realisation and liberation.
In a state of presence you feel good as you are existing in the moment without any interference from your mind. You can then start to experience a feeling of oneness and self-liberation. When you practise ‘presence’ regularly you will find yourself becoming more creative and compassionate and becoming more aligned with the beauty in the world.
Tips to become more present:
- Meditate daily and allow your mind to go still.
- Make real connections. When you talk to people really be there with them. Make real eye contact and connect with them, whoever they are.
- Practise staying in the moment by observing everything around you. This will help you to feel more present and centred.
- Walking in nature is another great way to feel present and connected. Whenever you have the opportunity, go outside and walk more in nature.
- If the weather is good lay on some grass and look up at the sky and just let your mind go blank.
With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
So much of our day is about doing and so little is about just being. This short relaxation exercise will help you to become more present and recharge your energy.
- Take time out and find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
- Sit or lie comfortably. If you are sitting on a chair, sit upright with your feet flat on the floor and your hands flat on your thighs.
- Close your eyes and begin to breathe very slowly and deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make each circular breath long and deep, and continue this relaxing rhythm. Breathe away any tension in your body with every out breath and feel yourself connecting to the present moment. Be aware as each second passes.
- Aim to clear away any thoughts so your mind becomes still and centred. Affirm to yourself that any outside noise will fade into the background and will help you to relax even more. When you state this as a fact your unconscious mind will accept it. Don’t worry if you get the odd unwanted thought. Just centre your mind again and allow the thought to drift away. Focus on your slow deep breathing and feel a strong connection to the present moment.
- Stay in this relaxed state for five, ten or even twenty minutes and then allow yourself to come back to full waking consciousness. Be still, centred and very present.
Glenn’s recordings to help with being present:
Creating Inner Peace
& Be Happy
Star Meditation
Thanks for reading and please add your comment below as I love hearing your feedback.
One Love,
Glenn
Love Eckhart books and it,s true that sometímes the. Now is ignored
Always a pleasure reading your blogs.
If you only knew how much you help when I get scared and low.
Thanks
Thanks Glenn – you are an inspiration to all!
Hi Glenn,
I’m up very early this morning and your words resonated deeply. “Who am I”?…….those three words are just what I needed to be reminded to ask myself each day. 🙂
Thank you Glenn 🙂 I enjoy reading your blog entries and appreciate the light you spread. I would like to read more about your experience with your shaman teacher. Please write a detailed article on what you learned there and how.
Love, Light, Peace and Joy
Very inspirational and a great reminder to spend more of my time living in the now! 🙂
Hey Glen,
Great tips on staying present, a few of these techniques I learned from my kung fu teacher years ago. I also find it helpful to meditate but to place my awareness on external sounds and observe how your mind is drawn by the different sounds. When I do this consistently I become much more present in the ‘real’ world and I am much more focused!
Like your new blog by the way 😉
Best Regards,
Steve
Glenn, You have recommended 3 CDs. Do you want all the CDs to be listened one by one on the same day? In the past, you used to recommend listening to only one CD for 21 days continuously so that it sinks. Please advise, Thanks
Glenn I love your writing. I read a lot that stuff as I just love books but comparing to other authors (such a Eckhart Tolle) your writing is very simple (e.g. “The Answer”) and this is its power. Your life story and your CD’s are inspirational enough so is no need for too much words. This article as tour other ones is just inspiring to get ass up and do something about it, or rather in this case to sit ass down 🙂 Yeah, being in present and connecting to Spirit is the best way to refresh and to get strength to copy with life that sometimes becoming rough. I practice that in as many ways as I can, but listening to your CD “BE HAPPY” is my favorite one. Is really helpful with that. Thank you for our great job!!!
I’m quite always partially out of the present moment.. Recently I discovered a very useful and easy to apply system of meditation: SAHAJA YOGA (which is not staying in phisical postures), created and diffused all over the world by Shri Mataji, which passed away on 2011 – God bless her! I’ll search that book – The Power of Now, hoping to find time to read it, asap.
Let’s do something to reduce the pollution in the world, everyone to do a little, but to do it concretely, PLEASE.
Raluca – Italy
Thank you for all your helpful productions. The warmth and sincerity of YOU flows all tru the words and music!
It is one of the reasons you’re so popular…unity of spirit ringing truths.
I have just lost my mom last month and my dad this month. She was 93 and he, 98!
Even so, one is never quite as ready as they may think for such loss. I believe my protectors, seen and unseen, guided me to find your healing programs a few months ago. Many have I since accumulated…listening often and well.
Now, in my time of greater needs, I fall so very quickly into the most receptive state, and reap rich benefits.
I’d like to say “God bless you”, but it’s clear he already has and by so doing, blessed me too! Thanx again…Cindy