Let me share my very best advice with you.

I had heard Eckhart Tolle's name mentioned a few years before reading any of his books but I didn't know anything about him or his teachings. While living in a buddhist monastery in the UK in 2004, a monk once told me about his impressions of a talk given by Eckhart Tolle, to which he and other buddhist monks and nuns had been invited. His impressions were summed up in a single phrase, "He knows what he's talking about."

The Power Of Now

Then, in spring of 2006 a friend of mine lent me The Power Of Now. I was living in the south of Thailand at the time and read it three times in just two weeks. The Power Of Now made a very deep impression on me, and mind you, I had been a dedicated meditator for 13 years by the time I got my hands on it.

Before reading The Power Of Now I had read a lot of books about zen buddhism, Tibetan buddhism, Thai Buddhism and Anthroposophy. I had lived in Japanese, Tibetan and Thai monasteries and had also been active as a teacher of reiki healing. My general understanding of spirituality was already quite good, however, Eckhart Tolle's teachings touched me really deeply and consequently I started to feel more and more drawn to his teachings.

Eckhart Tolle's Local Groups

Later on, I visited Eckhart Tolle's website and found out that there are local meditation groups all around the world that follow a form set by Eckhart himself. Since I was so into his teachings, I moved to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand to join the only Eckhart Tolle group in the whole country.

My meditation group met once a week and followed the recommended form. First, we would sit down and meditate in silence for about 5-10 minutes. Then, we would watch an Eckhart Tolle DVD or listen to one of his CDs for about 1-2 hours followed by another 5-10 minutes of silent meditation.

The Eckhart Tolle Approach

What I like about this set up is how you spend a few minutes meditating before you watch or listen to a talk by Eckhart Tolle. This gives you a chance to connect with the present moment and to center yourself. You then maintain mindfulness throughout the talk which turns watching and listening into a meditation. Most great masters agree that spiritual teachings should be received with a mind that is rooted in the present moment. Finally, after the talk you meditate in silence and that forms the end of the meditation meeting.

You can do the same thing at home. I've really taken to this three-step model and highly recommend it. One of the great benefits of meditating this way is that motivation comes naturally - it's as if you're not meditating on your own.

What about Eckhart Tolle's approach to spirituality? He uses modern language and examples which make his teachings easy to understand. That's one of the drawbacks I find with 2500 year-old buddhist teachings. Now, the real power with Eckhart Tolle is his clear understanding of the workings of the human mind.

The Flowering Of Human Consciousness

I wholeheartedly recommend The Power Of Now to anyone who loves spirituality and inner freedom. If you're interested in Eckhart Tolle's DVDs, I find The Flowering Of Human Consciousness a superior summary of his teachings. Let me know what you think of it...

Best of luck!

axel g really affects people
you make it possible...