Spiritual Archives

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: Book Overview

What is The Power of Now about? What is the main cause of unhappiness, according to author Eckhart Tolle? In his book The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle proposes that the main cause of unhappiness and lack of fulfillment for most people is a lack of presence in their moment-to-moment experience. He walks the reader through his methods for quieting their thoughts and fears to find fulfillment through presence. Below is a brief overview of Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Dissolving the Emotional Pain Body

What exactly is a “pain-body”? What experiences trigger your emotional pain-body to activate? In The Power of Now, the emotional pain-body is an abstract entity composed of all the negative and painful emotions you’ve experienced throughout your life. Your pain-body is triggered when you encounter a stimulus (e.g. a conversation, a thought, a situation) that hits a nerve with a familiar pain pattern from the past. Keep reading to learn about the concept of the pain-body. We’ll discuss what the pain-body is, what triggers it, and how you can separate from it.

Eckhart Tolle: Practicing the Power of Now

What is the power of Now? Why is it so difficult to keep your attention in the present moment, without drifting off either into the future or the past? The Now is the present moment—each individual moment in the innumerable sequence of moments that makes up our lives. Practicing the power of Now is experiencing each of these moments with your full and undivided attention, without being distracted by your internal monologue (whether that includes thoughts of your to-do list, replaying an interaction from this morning, or running commentary and analysis of the present). Here is how living in the

Practicing Non-Attachment: What You Need to Know

Do you want to learn about practicing non-attachment? How can it improve your confidence and mental health? For centuries, Buddhist teachings have explored the idea of non-attachment, which involves severing unhealthy attachments to people, possessions, or states of mind. Practicing non-attachment has been shown to have benefits like improving your happiness and reducing stress. Find out more about practicing non-attachment below.

Eckhart Tolle: How the Ego Clouds Your Reality

What is the ego? How does identifying with your ego prevent you from seeing the world clearly and objectively? According to Eckhart Tolle, ego is your “I,” or self—how you distinguish yourself from others. The ego creates your identity from your social status, job, possessions, education, appearance, relationships, personal and family history, beliefs, and membership in political, national, racial, and religious groups. While your ego is an indispensable part of your self, identification with it can cloud your perception of objective reality. Here is how giving the power to your ego can sabotage your inner peace and cloud your interpretation

Waking Unconsciousness: Are You Living on Autopilot?

How much time do you spend thinking about things besides what is happening in the present moment? Are you always consumed in thought to the neglect of what is happening in your immediate awareness? When you are living on autopilot, you are in a state of unconsciousness. Living in a state of unconsciousness prevents you from experiencing the bliss of who you are—your true being. Instead, it makes you identify with your ego (the thinking self) and prevents you from really connecting with everything and everyone around you. Here is how living on autopilot eats away from your happiness and

Living in the Present Moment Starts With Acceptance

You can heal with love. Discover how the love you feel in your heart can improve your physical health and help you overcome illness.

Do you often find yourself lost in thought, disconnected from what is happening in your immediate awareness? Do you live on autopilot? Being constantly consumed in thought makes us unhappy and unfulfilled. The obvious solution is being present. According to spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, the key to living in the present moment is acceptance. When you accept the Now the way it is, your incessant thinking will subside as you’ll stop constantly wishing what could be, or ruminating about how things were. In this article, we’re going to talk about how to stay in the present moment, and how it

How to Take Control of Your Thoughts

How often do you think about the past, future, something that isn’t helping you with the task at hand? Are you in control of your thoughts, or are they taking you on a ride? Many of us spend unnecessary time and energy in repetitive and unproductive thoughts, fantasizing or worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. As a result, we often lose sight of what is happening in our immediate awareness. To prevent this from happening, take control of your thoughts by practicing being present in the moment. Here is how staying present can help you assume control

How to Practice Mindfulness in Relationships

Why is it important to be present in a relationship? How can a lack of presence sabotage your relationship? When you are not present in a relationship, it’s very easy to misconstrue actions and situations and become reactionary, even explosive. Sooner or later, your lack of presence will poison the relationship to the point where it can no longer be mended. Practicing mindfulness in relationships is a two-step process: 1) first, accept yourself, and 2) second, foster non-judgmental communication with your partner. We’ll discuss both of these principles below.

How to Overcome Envy: 4 Ways to Avoid the Envy Trap

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Envy Jealousy Tendency

Do you know how to overcome envy? Why is it important to do so? Sometimes a healthy interest in others takes a nasty turn, and it becomes envy. Learning how to overcome envy is vital because envy can cause harm to you and others. Author Rick Warren outlines four ways envy does damage—and four ways to avoid the envy trap. Keep reading to learn how to overcome envy—and why you should.