Understand the Power of Now: 3 simple steps to embrace the moment

If you've taken a yoga class you might have been asked to "stay present." What on earth does that mean, you wonder. If you're here, aren't you "present"?

Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, in his now-classic, bestselling book, The Power of Now, attempts to break it down for us. He suggests that being fully present, or living with joy, means to be absorbed in this very moment - without thoughts rattling around in our heads. Tolle says we exist in our purest state beneath the frantic chatter of the conscious, ego-driven mind.

If you've ever been in an emergency where you felt supercharged, and responded instantly with a startling clarity of action - you've entered the state that Tolle believes is our natural mode of being. But how do you stop the chatter in your head that blocks this pure state of mind? With so much to do and think about all the time, we need to learn to quiet the compulsive thinking of the mind.

Below are three simple steps to help you get in touch with your natural state of mind - without the chatter. In other words, it's how you tap into The Power of Now.