"I Am Present" - Part 1 From The Power Of Now

This Soul Soup Podcast episode starts a new series pulling from The Power of Now by E. Tolle. In order to be present, we must see the mind to be aware that, 'I am not the mind.' The practice of connecting to the present moment, "I Am Present," takes us beyond the 'monkey mind.' Learn to unhook from your busy mind to tap into the beauty and wholeness of your Presence.

Transcript

Good morning.

Good morning and welcome to Soul Soup.

I'm Dr.

Jeanette Freeman and we're here to dish up a little food for your soul and work for your heart this morning as we're starting a brand new series called I am Present.

We're going to look into a few little teachings from The Power of Now and the I am Source Code.

The I am teachings with each week a little message,

A little teaching and a spiritual meditation or process or something to help us dip more deeply into the present moment,

Into the presence,

Into the I am nature.

So thank you so much for being with us and continuing over the next seven weeks.

So today we're looking at You Are Not Your Mind.

That's right.

You are not your mind.

So again,

We're going to start with you are not your mind.

Eckhart Tolle says in the first chapter of the book that identification with your mind,

Which causes your thought to be compulsive,

Is your greatest obstacle to the reality of being.

That the busy,

Clattering mind is the greatest obstacle to our peace,

To our presence,

To our I am nature.

So we've got the busy mind and we're going to look at the nature of the busy mind today with the goal of going deeper into reality beyond the mind into the deeper part of who we are.

I like to think of the mind,

The busy mind as the surface of a lake,

Right?

So you know the surface of a lake is affected by its environment,

Right?

A boat goes on it,

It's upset.

The wind blows it.

Everything happens and it's just affected by everything and there's the ripples and waves and all kinds of things and that's our busy mind.

That's our conditioned mind.

It's just affected by everything in our environment.

It's twisted.

It's going all over the place and we'll go into a little bit more about that.

But that's happening all the time but at this very,

At the very same time that that's happening there is also the deeper part of the lake,

The deeper part.

And even though there's things happening on the surface,

If you go deep enough into that body of water,

It's still.

There could be everything going on up on top but deep into the deep part of the lake there is stillness and that is like our possibility.

That there is the conditioned mind and there is a,

It's repetitive and it's habituated and it's genetic and it's affected.

So feel into that a moment.

You are not that mind.

There's so much more.

So Eckhart Tolle goes on to say,

Almost everybody is suffering from this compulsive mind so it's considered normal.

Incessant mental noise prevents you from finding the realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from being.

The mind is using you and you don't even know that you are its slave.

The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity,

The thinker.

And as soon as you start watching the thinker,

A higher level of consciousness becomes activated and you then begin to realize there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought.

And you also realize that the things that really matter,

Beauty,

Love,

Creativity,

Joy,

Inner peace arise from beyond the mind.

So understand the nature of the mind.

The nature of the human mind,

The conditioned mind is one of the first qualities is it is a thinker,

The thinker is a definer and a comparer.

It's constantly defining,

Constantly comparing,

Constantly defining and comparing.

The mind is here to keep the body alive and it's fear-based.

It's always looking for possible problems and it's here to keep the body alive.

That's why the human species has survived because of this mind,

This conditioned mind.

So we want to notice the mind so that we can see the mind at work and go,

Ah,

Silly mind,

I'm going to a deeper place.

Our suffering is completely related to what's happening in our thinking realm.

Our thinking realm is constantly comparing and defining and looking for problems.

It's constantly anchored in conflict and comparison and blame and ultimately it's anchored in time.

It's anchored in the future,

It's anchored in the past.

It's always looking to a future that it doesn't know and worrying about it or possibly reliving the past,

Past pains,

Past perceptions.

So when we can see that mind and how it operates,

We can say,

Silly mind,

Ah,

That's just the mind.

The mind's not here to make me happy.

I want to go to a deeper place.

So we want to see how that works in our mind so the mind compares,

It defines.

You walk into a party,

You walk into a group of people,

Do you know it's difficult to just experience the vibration and the love in the room because your mind instantly,

Especially if you don't know,

It was constantly comparing and defining.

Where do they fit?

Are they safe?

Should I talk to them?

Should I talk to them?

And so unconsciously you're attracted to people that feel safe to you for some reason.

So constantly comparing and defining.

The mind is also in conflict.

The mind lives in duality,

Polarity.

It's constantly looking for both sides,

Both sides in conflict.

Well,

I like this.

Well,

I kind of like this side of the story.

Well,

I like this.

I like vanilla ice cream.

No,

I really like chocolate ice cream.

I like this,

But no,

I really like this.

So it's comparing,

Defining and in conflict.

The mind is also blaming.

He ever been in a group and something goes wrong?

What's the first thing that everybody does?

Blame.

They're looking.

You want to know where to pin it.

Who can I pin it on?

And we're constantly looking outside of ourselves to blame other people or constantly looking inside to blame ourselves.

The idea is to start to see our own patterns.

Does our mind constantly perceive experiences in a way that feels guilty or blames ourself or criticizes ourself,

Or criticizes someone else?

This is a habituated pattern and it's not who you are.

It causes suffering and it's not your presence.

It's not your I am nature for sure.

So see it.

So notice,

Do you blame yourself?

Do you blame others?

So the mind constantly compares and defines.

Constantly is in conflict,

Comparing and defining.

It is blaming.

It's also another aspect of this mind is that it is in becoming mode.

So always looking for a future,

Future salvation.

Salvation is in the future.

Happiness is in the future.

When this happens,

I'm going to be okay.

When this happens,

Everything will be great.

When the kids grow up,

Then it'll be good.

When the kids get to the next stage or when I get married or when I get divorced or when I get a new partner,

When I get this thing,

When I go on this vacation,

I notice this pattern in me.

When I'm on a trip,

I'm always thinking,

What's the next trip?

I got to plan the next one.

I need to have something.

And I,

You know,

It's like,

I always have to have something to look forward to,

Right?

I've heard that so many times from people,

Right?

That's the nature of the mind.

Our mind does that.

What am I becoming?

It stems from that's our goals as well.

What am I becoming?

What am I becoming?

What am I creating for myself?

So that's the nature of,

Of the mind.

And most of the time it's not a problem.

It becomes a problem when we can never be in the present moment where we really can access the peace.

So the mind does the becoming thing.

And then the mind also,

As we know,

And the very cruxed and the nature of the power of now is the mind is anchored in time.

The mind is anchored in the future.

The mind is anchored in the past.

It's constantly going to the future.

What do I got to do?

This is what this day holds.

This is the ongoing shatter in the back of the mind.

It skips into the future and then it's going to the past and past memories are flashing through.

None of us are alone in this.

This is what the mind does.

Now it becomes a problem when it's the content of that is causing suffering and causing the mind to be obsessive and getting in the way of us enjoying the moment and enjoying peace in the moment.

We can see this happening a lot in our lives if we have any time,

If we're in any type of a new environment that will trigger a lot of busy mind.

Going into possible futures,

Judging the new environment from the context of the past.

It's also very applicable when we're in times of transition and we don't know the future holds.

We never really do.

But let's say we have a new career or a new relationship or the kids move out or we have a new baby,

Lots of change or transition.

That's going to create this,

It can create this feeling of anxiousness because I don't know what's in my future.

So our mind can constantly go to the future.

Silly mind.

Or if we've had a difficult circumstance,

We move beyond it but our mind constantly goes back in a kind of traumatic experience or painful experience.

And our mind shoots into the past and is constantly reliving that memory and going the woulda,

Coulda,

Shoulda's.

We're not having that experience now.

We're here in this moment.

And this is the only moment where peace can be had and this is the only creative moment.

And so our path of awakening,

Our path of greater happiness,

Our path on the I Am journey is to be able to live from and move into the experience of the present moment.

To move into the experience of the I Am nature,

The nature beyond that busy mind.

So we first see the mind.

We see all these aspects of mind up here at the top,

The surface mind,

The top of the lake.

All the ways that the mind skips over into the future,

To the past,

It's becoming,

It's in conflict,

It's blaming,

It's defining and judging and all the ways that the mind is doing that.

And when it causes us suffering to go,

Ah,

It's just the mind doing what the mind does.

I think I will experience,

I want to experience the present moment.

So our practice this week is to see that mind and say,

Silly mind,

And move into the very first next course of action.

Take a breath.

That's right.

Take a breath.

Come into the present moment.

So I'm going to lead us in a little meditation,

A meditation to move into the body,

To move in deeply into the present moment.

So I invite you to get in a comfortable position if you can,

If you're not driving.

If you are driving,

Well,

Keep your awareness on the road and just go present.

And be aware,

Maybe just as simple contemplation of your thinking mind,

All the ways that it causes obsessive thinking and suffering.

And are those thoughts in the future?

Or are they from the past memories,

Unknown futures?

What causes the most anxiety for you?

Or are they thoughts of blame turned outward or inward?

Or conflict?

And you may notice that they are really anchored in time,

The future or the past.

So we want to move more deeply into the present moment and invoking and calling upon the I Am Presence of each one that is listening,

The higher self,

To activate within each one's divine line the power of the presence and support.

So bringing your attention right there to your breath,

Right there to your nose.

Begin to breathe very consciously,

Bringing awareness to the nose,

Bringing awareness to the breath.

And tying in this I Am line,

This divine line,

Imagining this beautiful loop,

This golden river of light coming down through the top of the head,

Moving down through the front of the spine,

Out the base of the spine into the earth,

To feel this alignment with the I Am Presence.

And with every breath,

Just allowing the mantra,

I on the in-breath,

Am on the out-breath,

I on the in-breath,

Am on the out-breath.

Letting every breath bring you into your divine line,

Into your center,

Into your place of presence,

Activating the higher self's presence right there within you.

As you repeat the mantra,

I Am,

You're calling the name of your higher self this presence.

You're activating this presence in your awareness and unhooking from that busy mind.

Aware of this center line,

Even deeper,

I Am.

Noticing the breath.

As the mind engages,

Just bring it back to the breath,

Feeling that gentle flow moving in through the nostrils,

Moving down through this line.

I'm going to just imagine that you are like this lake,

Using your beautiful,

Vital imagination right now to just imagine that you are like the lake.

You are the surface up here.

There's your mind.

It's just doing what it says.

And then we're aware of this deep,

Beautiful line.

And let's just travel down this time.

And yes,

We could imagine just traveling down,

Feeling the base of our spine,

That groundedness that's safe,

That's secure,

Right here,

Right now.

And imagine that you,

It's like scuba diving,

Going deep into your legs.

Imagine just going deep,

Deep,

Deep,

Deep,

Deep,

Going down deeper and deeper and deeper.

And as you simply float down your line deep,

Deep,

Deep,

It can be like going deep into the center of the earth,

Deep into even more quiet.

Deep like you're going deep into the sea.

Wider and quieter and quieter.

That's right.

And aware of the surface way up top with clattering thoughts here and there.

I am deeper.

I am deeper.

I am deeper.

I am.

I am.

Deeper and more still.

Going deeper into the deepest I am nature,

The presence.

I am here.

Yes,

Way up high on the surface there may be chattering thoughts,

But they're not important.

We're going deeper.

That's right.

And just feeling deep into the depth.

We're way up high on the surface line.

There are thoughts and that's fine.

This part of the awareness can be held deep in presence.

Aware of the body and aware of breathing and aware of being deep into the depths of who we are.

I am present.

I am here.

That's right.

And just make that connection with the depth of you,

The awareness of you.

I am aware of being aware.

I am here.

And all that is needed is in your I am presence.

All the peace,

Safety,

Support,

Resources,

Love is right here in the depths of presence.

I am.

Just activating this I am presence of each one listening to this right now,

Knowing that I am presence is the provider,

Is the presence,

Is the resource,

Is the love,

Is all feeling into that and remembering that every utterance of I am can take us into this presence,

Into this present moment beyond the surface mind.

So where now the surface mind does its thing at the very same time deep into our depth,

Which is felt really through the inner body and through the breath.

I am present.

And so gently as we come back to this moment,

Not that we left this moment,

But as we get ready to end this meditation and this first class,

As we come back,

We're aware of that deep part of us,

That deep part,

That awareness that's felt deep in our body and aware of that mind,

Silly mind,

That surface mind that does what it does.

And this week we allow ourselves to see,

Silly mind,

Ha,

And we can instantly take a breath,

Become present.

I am here.

I am.

I am here.

All right,

So thank you so much for joining us here today on Soul Soup for our first class on the power of now I am present.

So I invite you to practice this week,

Just noticing that mind,

Noticing that silly mind and stopping to take a breath and go,

Hey,

I am present right here.

I am right here.

So thank you so much for joining us on Soul Soup today.

If you want more information,

Please make sure you sign up on my email list,

My website,

JeanetteFreeman.

Com.

Reviews

I always enjoy your friendly demeanor :) Overall this was informative, inspiring, and relaxing! Thank you for the work you put into these talks and meditations. I AM grateful 🙏🏽