8 WAYS TO ENTER THE PRESENT MOMENT

By Eckhart Tolle

 

1–BREATH MEDITATION

Watch the breath and how the body and mind react to this.

Stage 1: contemplation of the body. Watching the breath and sensations of different body parts.

Stage 2: contemplation of feelings and how they linger in the mind.

Stage 3: focusing on thoughts and how they come and go.

 

 

2–FEELING THE INNER BODY

Most of our bodily processes are on auto pilot. Focus on what’s going on inside: the tightness of the muscles, the digestive system… the inner body is a very lively place.

 

 

3–TOUCHING

Sit on a chair or observe how the buttocks touch the seat. Or hold a small object in your hand and focus on how this feels to your fingers. Focus on the simple act of washing your hands or brushing your teeth.

 

 

4–RECITING MANTRAS

Reciting the same sentence over and over again. This gives the mind something to focus on.

 

 

5–WAITING FOR THE NEXT THOUGHT

Become conscious of your thoughts. Then ask yourself “What will my next thought be?”

 

 

6–AWARENESS OF SILENCE

You become aware of the more sophisticated sounds of the environment.

 

 

7–LISTENING CLOSELY TO WORDS

By listening closely to what people have to say, you shift your attention from your thoughts to the person speaking. This is especially useful if you are socially anxious or shy: your thoughts are entangled in “What do I have to say now?”, “What could I say to impress this person?”, “Why did I have to say this?”.

The nature of these questions is that they relate to the past and the future. Thus, when someone is speaking to me, I’d rather focus on something I said earlier or what I’m going to say instead of truly listening.

The secret is, when I fully focus on what the other person is saying, my own words often come naturally and without hesitation.

 

 

8–FOCUSING ON MOVEMENT

Everyday we make a series of movements that are basically on auto pilot (cleaning, washing the dishes, walking home, sitting down, shaking hands..). We can focus on these ordinary movements. This takes the focus away from excessive thinking and directs it to what’s happening right now.