Eckhart Tolle
The teachings of Eckhart Tolle represent the culmination of many spiritual traditions, and I use these teachings of Eckhart Tolle as the foundation for my counseling work. As we understand how the ego works, we can transcend this limited aspect of the self, connecting more fully to life and to the experience of love, peace, and joy.
The heart of Eckhart Tolle's teaching is that who we are is beyond the mind, emotions, and body. As we learn about the nature of the mind, emotions, and body, we can transcend these limited aspects of ourselves, connecting with the eternal universal energy within. As we do, our lives naturally become filled with greater peace, joy and happiness.
Teachings of Eckhart Tolle
The teachings of Eckhart Tolle consist of mindful awareness techniques. This term refers to bringing one's attention back to the present moment, becoming more self-aware through observing one's own thought process and emotional reactions. We can learn to detach our identity from compulsive thinking, becoming the conscious observer of our mind and emotions. As we do, we start to become aware of the eternal Self, that which is beyond thoughts and emotions. We are the consciousness that is aware of the thought, but not the thought itself. We are the consciousness that is aware of the emotional reaction, but not the emotion itself. This process disrupts the compulsive cycle of identifying with thoughts and emotions, and allows an opening within, creating space for a greater connection with the Universal Life Energy. When this energy enters our lives, we feel a deeper connection to Life, we feel as though we are no longer alone, but rather co-creating Life with the loving energy of the universe.
When these principals are properly understood and applied, a person can begin to regain their sense of freedom and peace of mind. We start to see how the ego has been the root cause of our suffering throughout our lives. Applying these principals can sometimes be a subtle process, requiring deeper investigation of the thoughts and motivations in a person's experience. The spiritual counseling I offer is based on the foundational principles of Eckhart Tolle and his teachings. Spirituality and counseling overlap, as we can learn techniques to stay in greater harmony with our true nature.
By understanding the function of the ego; how it operates within our mind through role identification, sensory gratification, self-enhancement through judgments, comparisons, anger, and other states of negativity, we can begin to experience who we are beyond these limited expressions of the human experience. The ego is the biological, survival mechanism of the mind, but does not represent our true eternal nature. We can learn to rise above these basal instincts to experience more of who we really are. It takes practice and awareness to dissolve the ego, but the results are life-changing.