Be here right now
‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle was first published in the UK in 2001. But it’s still a brilliant book for illustrating what mindfulness really is and perfect as I re-read it while watching my daughter sleep in her hospital bed overnight!
Be here right now
The present moment is sometimes unacceptable, unpleasant, or awful.
It is as it is. Observe how the mind labels it and how this labeling process, this continuous sitting in judgement, creates pain and unhappiness. By watching the mechanics of the mind, you step out of its resistance patterns, and you can then allow the present moment to be. This will give you a taste of the state of inner freedom from external conditions, the state of inner peace. Then see what happens, and take action if necessary or possible.
Accept – then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.
Eckhart Tolle, ‘The Power of Now’
So I watch my mind which is trawling through the past two weeks of experiences that have led to this moment following my daughter, Molly’s surgery.
While I sift through our movements, my choices, the choices of others, dredging up past experiences of hospitals and incorrect diagnoses – I can certainly identify with Eckhart Tolle’s above paragraph.
It is true, I am finding that the most painful feelings come from when I add my own inner critic that emerges with words of self-blame, regret, frustration or anger. Emotions and past experiences merge together to form a messy and sometimes bewildering mix.
You will all have experienced challenging situations in your life, and your memories of them may still be strong and powerful when they arise.
Being mindful is a powerful tool
Being mindful, allowing ‘the present moment to be’ is a powerful tool. I know I can access this, acknowledge this maelstrom of experiences, then sit and find the calm stillness within it.
Otherwise, I will sit and ruminate constantly, like picking at a scab, or as Martha Beck describes it (with tongue in cheek!) as ‘story fondling’.
Often a vicious circle builds up between your thinking and the emotion: they feed each other. The thought pattern creates a magnified reflection of itself in the form of an emotion, and the vibrational frequency of the emotion keeps feeding the original thought pattern …
Eckhart Tolle, ‘The Power of Now’
So next time you find yourself in a challenging situation – observe your mind and be compassionate with yourself while you do the very best you can to stay calm amidst the storm!
‘The Power of Now‘ by Eckhart Tolle
Yvette Jane – Mindfulness & Meditation Coach