Eckhart Tolle's The Power Of Now a guide to spiritual enlightenment, the international bestseller, what's it all about?
Two friends bought me this book for my birthday so I thought I'd better read and apply. It is fascinating, although quite difficult to plough through, spent most of Saturday in bed reading the book and sleeping. And I decided to go to the beach and look at clouds instead of reading the last two chapters...
Here are my Top 5, so far, insights to the Power of Now
You are not your mind
It's so easy to let our minds wander off on paths; worry, regret, self doubt, negativity, fantasy, joy, love, ones mind can take over! Elkhart says 'You are not your mind' your mind is separate and tells you stories. We get so caught up in our thoughts we can get lost.
Watch your thoughts
Elkhart advises to watch your thoughts, catch yourself thinking and stop.
I like this 'experiment.
Close your eyes and say to yourself: 'I wonder what my next thought will be" Then become alert and wait for the next thought. Be like a cat watching a mouse hole. What thought is going to come out of the mouse hole?'
Then he asks, 'Well?'
Nothing popped into my head for ages, how about you?
'Had to wait for a long time before a thought came in.'
Then Eckhart says ' Exactly. As long as you are in a state of intense presence, you are free of thought.'
Try it, keep an eye on your thoughts, what are they telling you? You don't have to believe them, are they the fear trying to protect you and hold you back?
Focus on the present
Bring your thought to now, in any circumstance as you can only find true happiness and joy in the now. Not sure this is so true, but is a great way of stopping those thoughts spiralling out of control.
Dreamless sleep
'You take a journey into the Unmanifested overnight when you enter the phase of dream less sleep. You merge with the source."
What's Unmanifested?
'Having access to that formless realm is truly liberating. It frees you from bondage to form and identification with form. It is life in it's undifferentiated state prior to it's fragmentation into multiplicity, We camay call it the Unmanifested, the invisible Source of all things, the Being within all begins. It is a realm of deep stillness and peace, but also joy and intense aliveness. Whenever you are present, you become "transparent" to some extent to the light, the pure consciousness that emanates from this Source. You also realise that the light is not separate from who you are but constitutes your very essence.'
Are you asleep yet? I think I dropped off, sleep is 'energy more vital than food.' The book is great for insomnia.
Inner peace
By resting your mind, bringing your attention to your breath, even for a few breaths, will bring you inner peace for a few moments. Focus on a flower, beware of your steps, be present. The more your practise, the better you become.
Deep breath!
Oprah says " The Power of Now can transform your thinking. The result? More joy, right now.'
Thank you Oprah, more joy, hooray! There and tons of video on youtube with Oprah and Eckhart, and here they are together talking about how to silence the voices in your head
The Power of Now is a classic self help book and you'll find insights to help calm your mind and sleep.
One needs to find peace and then enlightenment is the highest vibration. That will take a lot of practise...
Thank you for reading.
Join Club Cazza for more posts to improve yourself, we must keep learning and growing to be the best us.
Love love love,
Cxxx