I am not a compulsive Oprah fan, but lately I have been drawn to her website www.oprah.com and enrolled in the free webseminar  for the weekly lessons on A New Earth by Vancouver’s own popular spiritual writer Echhart Tolle.  What a delightful treat for the whole world to come together in a pure consciousness-raising exercise that is not limited by any religious beliefs!  As of last week, 6 million people have joined in this quest for inner peace. 

According to Eckhart Tolle, this is not an exercise that will appeal to everybody, but if some of these questions hae ever crossed your mind, you may want to check out these lessons on the Web.

• What does it feel to be fully present and in the moment?
• Can I ever stop thinking..?
• Who am I?
• Would you like to be at peace with yourself and the surroundings, inspite of everything going on in the world today?

Exploring this path may not seem as simple as this sounds,  as this is something that has been practised by Hindu gurus, Buddhist and Zen monks for over 5,000 years! There are an increasing number of Yoga schools, meditation classes and millions of dollars worth of self-help by great authors like Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and many others on the subject.

It seems we are in a speeded-up world where everything is running in fast-forward mode.  So many hours lost in traffic and commuting to jobs and appointments to keep up with busy schedules. Cell phones and black berries run our lives! Many families don’t have (or don’t make the time) to unwind at the end of the day to do things like enjoy a home-cooked dinner, play with the kids or go for a walk.

These teachings come from ancient philosophies and are nothing original.   What is refreshing about Eckhart’s teachings is their simplicity and clarity of language used.  They are delivered in a medium that is right for the present moment in time!There are no mantras to chant — no fasting, religious taboos,  or rigorous spiritual practices to follow.   Just simple suggestions to bring awareness to our Inner Self and the present moment we are in by sitting down for a few moments and bringing awareness to our breath, walking in a park and observing the trees and flowers and taking a moment to enjoy their natural beauty.  Simple things that anyone can do.

Meditation is an over-used word that is flaunted around lightly.  Only someone who has genuinely tried to do it will know it is a hard thing to do, and many have tried to do it and given up!  For most of us it is just a fleeting moment or gap between each emerging new thought that constantly plague our minds.   Those who engage in meditation try to stay in that gap longer enjoying the peace of mind and rest . 

Why meditate?

There seems to be a growing awareness that it is the No.1 method to reduce stress, overcome insomnia, lower blood pressure, heart rate , pain and even has an impact on preventing cancer. Even the medical community is authenticating these benefits on a purely emotional and physical level, though spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle tell us  of the far-reaching benefits that come from cultivating self-awareness — the key to our spiritual growth.