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Understand the Power of Now
3 simple steps to embrace the moment
by Martine Jeanne Craughley
and
originally published online
here
If you've taken a yoga class you might have been
asked to "stay present." What on earth does that mean, you
wonder. If you're here, aren't you "present"?
Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, in his now-classic, bestselling
book, The
Power of Now, attempts to break it down for us. He suggests
that being fully present, or living with joy, means to be
absorbed in this very moment - without thoughts rattling around
in our heads. Tolle says we exist in our purest state beneath
the frantic chatter of the conscious, ego-driven mind.
If
you've ever been in an emergency where you felt supercharged,
and responded instantly with a startling clarity of action -
you've entered the state that Tolle believes is our natural mode
of being. But how do you stop the chatter in your head that
blocks this pure state of mind? With so much to do and think
about all the time, we need to learn to quiet the compulsive
thinking of the mind.
Below are three simple steps to help you get in touch with your
natural state of mind - without the chatter. In other words,
it's how you tap into The
Power of Now.
Reflect
Pay attention to what you're thinking as you're waiting
in line for a latte or receiving a stack of papers from your
boss. Observe your thoughts and judgments - about others, about
yourself, or about situations. Listen for repetitive mental
statements such as "things never work out for me," or "she has
it so easy." Once you're aware of the contents of your mind, you
can make conscious changes.
Sense
If you're sitting on the subway, feel the temperature
of the seat beneath you. Notice the change in the air when the
doors open, be aware of how lightly or heavily you sit. Are you
perched, or slumped? How many sounds can you distinguish? What
are the scents in the air? In really noticing your body and your
senses, you'll have a fuller appreciation of your reality and of
the moment.
Focus
Go somewhere with natural beauty - even a quiet garden
will do. Allow yourself to really look with
deep interest and intent at the natural world. Examine the soft
petals of a rose, the gleam on a beetle's back, the shades of
yellows in a sunflower's centre. Give yourself a moment to be in
touch with nature, like you were as a child. After a few minutes
of close observation, look up and see if somehow you feel
different - because you will!
Do
these exercises every day. Soon, these little actions will break
the spell of the mind, where you're so lost in thought that
you're unaware of your own surroundings, unaware of the present
moment. Tolle advises those who want to experience the world
beneath the (noisy) world to resist nothing - to accept life as
it is, to feel the feelings this brings up, and to watch them be
transformed through attention and observance. You will then live
in the now, and feel its power in everything you do!
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