Eckhart Tolle: The Power of Now, Presence & Best Books

Q: Which Eckhart Tolle book should I read first?

Most readers start with The Power of Now, then read A New Earth. Stillness Speaks is a shorter, gentler option for reading a little each day.

Eckhart Tolle is a German-born spiritual teacher and the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, two international bestsellers that have introduced millions of people to the joy and freedom of living in the present moment. The New York Times has called him “the most popular spiritual author in the United States”. [1]

Known forThe Power of Now and A New Earth

Core teachingPresence: living in the Now

Translated into52 languages

Based inVancouver, Canada

Find him:Official website YouTube Instagram Facebook X

His teachingsWatch 9 videos

Eckhart Tolle | Digital Age: Living with Meaning, Purpose & Wisdom | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 1:30:50His Talks at Google on living with meaning, purpose and wisdom in a digital age: a calm, complete introduction.

OverviewHis teachingsVideos (9)Articles about him (5)Books (4)Courses & resourcesResearch & FAQs

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

Eckhart Tolle was born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on 16 February 1948 in Lünen, Germany. At 13 he moved to Spain to live with his father, and at 19 he moved to England, where he taught German and Spanish at a London language school, studied at the University of London and began postgraduate work at the University of Cambridge. [2]

In 1977, at the age of 29, after long periods of depression, he experienced what he calls an inner transformation. He woke one night and the anxious, mind-made sense of self simply dissolved, leaving a deep sense of peace and presence. He spent much of the next two years sitting quietly on park benches in London’s Russell Square, and later changed his first name to Eckhart. [2]

Former students began asking him about his experience, and he started working as a counsellor and spiritual teacher. He moved to Vancouver in 1995, and The Power of Now followed in 1997. [2] Eckhart Teachings started by organising his early talks for a handful of people and posting cassette recordings by mail; today it shares his and Kim Eng’s teachings through events, online courses, YouTube and social media. [3]

Oprah Winfrey championed his work. In 2008 she chose A New Earth for her book club and the two hosted a series of webinars on it that were accessed tens of millions of times. [2] In 2011 Watkins Review named him “the most spiritually influential person in the world”. [1] He teaches with his partner, Kim Eng.

His teaching in brief

Notice the voice in your head. You are not your thoughts; you are the awareness that can watch them.
Come back to the Now. The present moment is the only place life actually happens.
Accept what is. Stop resisting the present moment and inner peace becomes possible.
Feel the inner body. Rest your attention in the aliveness of your body to stay grounded in presence.

Read the full guide to his teachings → Our guide to mindfulness →

At a glance

Born: 1948, Lünen, Germany
Work: spiritual teacher and author
Best-known books: The Power of Now, A New Earth, Stillness Speaks
Teaches with: Kim Eng
Website: eckharttolle.com

Good fit if

Your mind rarely switches off, you want inner peace that does not depend on circumstances, or you are drawn to spirituality that is simple, practical and not tied to any religion.

Our take

Gentle, clear and deeply calming. Start with his Talks at Google, then read The Power of Now slowly, a few pages at a time. See what the research shows

The teachings of Eckhart Tolle

Tolle’s message is simple: peace is found in the present moment, beneath the noise of thought. Tap a card to read more.

Core ideaThe Power of NowWhy the present moment is all you ever have.How it works →MindWatching the thinkerStepping back from the voice in your head.How it works →EmotionThe pain-bodyOld emotional pain, and how presence dissolves it.How it works →PracticeThe inner bodyA doorway into presence through the body.How it works →BookA New Earth and the egoAwakening beyond ego to your life’s purpose.How it works →

The Power of Now

At the heart of Tolle’s teaching is Presence: the awakened state of consciousness that goes beyond ego and discursive thinking. [1] The past exists only as memory and the future only as imagination. The present moment is the only place life is ever lived.

The Power of Now introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the ego, and shows how leaving behind the analytical mind and living fully in the present can free us from much of our suffering. Written in a simple question-and-answer format, it has sold over 20 million copies in 69 languages. [4]

To try it, pause and ask yourself: “What problem do I have right now, in this moment?” Not later, not tomorrow, but now. Most of the time the honest answer is none. Our guides to mindfulness and the Presence Process build on the same idea.

Watching the thinker

Tolle teaches that most people are completely identified with the voice in their head: the constant stream of commentary, judgement and worry. Freedom begins when you realise you are not that voice but the awareness that hears it.

Listen to your thoughts as often as you can, as if you were a curious observer.
Notice repetitive patterns, old stories that play over and over.
Do not judge or fight the thoughts. Simply watch them.
Notice the gap of stillness that appears between thoughts, and rest there.

Each time you watch a thought rather than becoming it, a little more presence enters your life. If your mind races, our guide to overthinking offers more practical tools.

The pain-body

Tolle describes the pain-body as an accumulation of old emotional pain that lives in the mind and body. It lies dormant much of the time and then flares up, feeding on negative thinking and drama in relationships, and making a small trigger feel overwhelming.

The way through, he teaches, is not to fight it but to bring presence to it. When you feel a wave of old emotion rising, notice it, feel it fully in the body, and stay present as the witness. Pain-bodies cannot survive the light of awareness. Many readers find this especially helpful in relationships; see our guides to anger and resentment and conflict resolution.

The inner body

A practical doorway into presence is the inner body: the subtle sense of aliveness you can feel inside your hands, feet and whole body when you turn your attention towards it.

Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths.
Feel your hands from the inside. Can you sense a tingling or aliveness there?
Let the feeling spread to your arms, feet, legs and chest, until you sense the body as one field of energy.
Keep part of your attention there during the day, in conversations, queues and traffic.

Tolle says that staying rooted in the inner body keeps you anchored in the Now. Our meditation guide and stress management guide have more simple practices.

A New Earth and the ego

In A New Earth, Tolle expands on these ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is essential to personal happiness and the key to ending conflict and suffering in the world. He describes how attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction behind anger, jealousy and unhappiness, and how to awaken to a new state of consciousness. [5]

Oprah Winfrey said it had more effect on her than any other book by a living author, and chose it again for Oprah’s Book Club in January 2025. [5] Tolle sees this awakening as the next step in human evolution, the arising of a “New Earth”. [3]

Videos with Eckhart Tolle

Hand-picked and checked one by one: his key talks, short teachings and the Oprah conversations.

Start here

**Eckhart Tolle | Digital Age: Living with Meaning, Purpose & Wisdom | Talks at Google**Talks at Google · 1:30:50His full Talks at Google on living with presence in a digital age.

**Eckhart Tolle Shares His Awakening Experience and the Shift in Consciousness**Eckhart Tolle · 11:41Tolle describes his own awakening and the shift in consciousness.

Presence, ego and fulfilment

**Eckhart Tolle Reveals the Secret to Fulfillment Through Stillness and Action**Eckhart Tolle · 1:34:52Finding fulfilment through stillness and action.

**Transcending the Ego for Lasting Fulfillment | Eckhart Tolle's Wisdom**Eckhart Tolle · 41:55Transcending the ego for lasting fulfilment.

**How Acceptance Can End Emotional Pain | Eckhart Tolle**Eckhart Tolle · 9:19How acceptance can end emotional pain.

The pain-body

With Oprah

**Eckhart Tolle: “A New Earth” | Oprah’s Book Club**Oprah · 53:23Oprah’s Book Club conversation on A New Earth.

Articles about Eckhart Tolle

OfficialEckhartTolle.comHis biography, teachings, events, courses and community.Read it →FreeFree teachings and meditationsFree talks and guided meditations from Eckhart and Kim Eng.Read it →PublisherPenguin Random House: A New EarthThe book description and Oprah’s Book Club reader’s guide.Read it →On Self Help SupermarketMindfulness guideSimple ways to live with more present-moment awareness.Read it →On Self Help SupermarketThe Presence ProcessA structured programme for returning to the present moment.Read it →

Eckhart Tolle’s books

Tolle’s books are best read slowly. The Power of Now is the place to start, followed by A New Earth. [1]

Start hereThe Power of Now (1997)The modern spiritual classic on presence, the mind and the pain-body, in a simple question-and-answer format.See it on Amazon →Ego and purposeA New Earth (2005)How the ego works, and how awakening beyond it brings peace and purpose. An Oprah’s Book Club pick.See it on Amazon →Short and quietStillness Speaks (2003)Short passages to read and reflect on, ideal for a daily moment of stillness.See it on Amazon →PracticePracticing the Power of Now (2001)Essential teachings and exercises from The Power of Now in a compact, practical form.See it on Amazon →

Buy The Power of Now in your country: US · UK · Canada · Australia · India. Tolle also wrote the picture book Guardians of Being (2009) and the children’s book Milton’s Secret. [2]

Courses, community and free resources

CommunityEckhart’s private online communityLive quarterly teachings with Eckhart, new video practices every month and over 400 hours of teachings. Free 7-day trial.See the community →FreeFree teachings and meditationsFree talks and guided meditations from Eckhart and Kim Eng.Watch free →YouTubeEckhart Tolle on YouTubeHundreds of free teachings, meditations and Q&As on his official channel.Watch →EventsLive events and retreatsTalks and retreats with Eckhart and Kim Eng, plus online courses.See events →

Everything above is online, so it works from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and India alike. Membership is priced in US dollars; see the official site for current offers. [1]

What the Research Shows

Tolle’s teaching comes from his own inner experience, and related research on attention and awareness points in a similar direction.

A present mind is a happier mind. A study of thousands of people using a smartphone app found that minds wander nearly half the time, and that people were less happy when their minds wandered than when they were focused on what they were doing. [6]
Acceptance. People who habitually accept their negative emotions and thoughts, rather than judging them, reported better psychological health. [7] This echoes his teaching on accepting what is.
Body awareness. A review of contemplative practice describes how attending to inner bodily sensations, known as interoception, is linked with wellbeing. [8] His inner body practice works with this same kind of attention.
Calming the mind. A review of 47 trials found meditation programmes improved anxiety, depression and pain. [9]

Watch: Eckhart Tolle on TikTok

Here are two short clips from Eckhart Tolle’s official TikTok account on ideas covered on this page.

Eckhart Tolle on a key step in letting go of negative feelings.

Eckhart Tolle on common misconceptions about happiness.

See: Eckhart Tolle on Instagram

Here are two posts from Eckhart Tolle’s official Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram

Frequently asked questions

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

A German-born spiritual teacher who lives in Vancouver, Canada, and the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, two international bestsellers about living in the present moment.

What is The Power of Now about?

It teaches that the present moment is all we ever have, and shows how stepping out of compulsive thinking and into presence frees us from much of our suffering.

What is the pain-body?

Tolle’s term for an accumulation of old emotional pain that can flare up and take over our thinking. He teaches that bringing calm awareness to it helps it dissolve.

Which Eckhart Tolle book should I read first?

Most readers start with The Power of Now, then read A New Earth. Stillness Speaks is a shorter, gentler option for reading a little each day.

What was Eckhart Tolle’s awakening?

In 1977, at 29, after years of depression, he woke one night to find his anxious sense of self had dissolved, leaving a deep and lasting sense of peace.

Is Eckhart Tolle religious?

No. His teachings draw on insights shared by many spiritual traditions, but he is not affiliated with any religion.

Who is Kim Eng?

Eckhart Tolle’s partner, a spiritual teacher who teaches alongside him and leads her own presence-based practices.

Sources

By Saj Ali. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.

Eckhart Tolle: Present moment awareness – Self Help Supermarket

Eckhart Tolle’s teaching can be summed up in a single word: Presence, the awakened state of consciousness that goes beyond ego and discursive thinking. [1] His book The Power of Now has sold over 20 million copies in 69 languages, and in 2011 Watkins Review named him “the most spiritually influential person in the world”. [2] [1]

His profile covers his life, books and courses. This article is about practice: how to bring present moment awareness into an ordinary day, with simple exercises, ten everyday moments to practise in, and a 30-day plan.

New to Eckhart Tolle? Read our full Eckhart Tolle expert profile for his life story, best videos, books and courses.

Why the present moment

At the heart of The Power of Now is a simple observation: the past exists only as memory and the future only as imagination, so the present moment is the only place life is ever lived. The book shows how leaving behind the analytical mind and living fully in the present can free us from much of our suffering. [2]

Tolle calls the obstacle the ego: the mind-made sense of self that lives on thoughts about the past and future. In A New Earth he explains how attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction behind anger, jealousy and unhappiness, and how to awaken to a new state of consciousness. [3]

The good news in his teaching is that presence is always available. You do not need to go anywhere or become anyone; you only need to notice where you already are.

Four simple practices

Ask the now question. Pause and ask: “What problem do I have right now, in this moment?” Not later, not tomorrow, but now. Very often the honest answer is none.
Watch the thinker. Listen to the voice in your head as a curious observer. Notice repeated stories without judging them, and notice the small gaps of stillness between thoughts.
Feel the inner body. Close your eyes and sense the aliveness in your hands, then let that feeling spread through your body. Keep a little attention there during the day.
Accept this moment. When something is unwelcome, say a quiet inner yes to it as it is, then act from that calm place if action is needed.

The official site offers free teachings and guided meditations to support each of these. [4] For acceptance in particular, Tolle explains how it can end emotional pain in a short talk. [5]

Ten everyday moments to practise presence

Tolle teaches that ordinary life is the best place to practise. These moments come up for almost everyone:

Waiting in a queue. Instead of reaching for your phone, feel your feet on the floor and your breath moving.
Washing up or showering. Give full attention to the water, the warmth and the sounds.
Walking. Notice each step, the air on your skin and the sounds around you.
Before opening email. Take one conscious breath, and feel your hands as you type.
Listening to someone. Listen with your whole body, without planning your reply.
A flash of irritation. Notice the feeling in your body and watch it rather than following the story.
Worry at night. Ask the now question. In this moment, lying here, is there a problem?
An old emotional wave. Tolle calls the build-up of old emotional pain the pain-body. When it stirs, feel it fully and stay present as the witness.
Eating. Put down your fork between bites and taste the food.
Looking at nature. Spend a minute simply looking at a tree, the sky or a plant, without naming it.

If racing thoughts make this hard, our overthinking guide has more practical tools.

Presence in work and relationships

Presence is not only for quiet moments. In his Talks at Google, Tolle speaks about living with presence in a busy digital age. [6]

At work, try single-tasking: give one task your complete attention, and when your mind drifts to the next thing, gently return. In relationships, presence is perhaps the greatest gift you can give: real listening, without judgement or distraction. When a familiar argument starts, notice the old pattern rising and bring awareness to it rather than reacting automatically.

Tolle teaches with his partner, Kim Eng, and Eckhart Teachings shares their work through events, online courses, YouTube and social media. [7] Our guides to conflict resolution and stress management pair well with this practice.

A 30-day plan

Week 1: notice. Ask the now question at least five times a day, and notice how often the answer is that there is no problem right now.
Week 2: watch the thinker. Spend five minutes each morning simply listening to your thoughts as an observer, and catch the voice in action during the day.
Week 3: the inner body. Add a daily inner body practice, and return to the feeling of aliveness in your hands during conversations and queues.
Week 4: acceptance. Each day, meet one unwelcome moment with a quiet inner yes, and notice what changes.

Read a few pages of The Power of Now each evening; its question-and-answer format makes it easy to read slowly. [2] For a simple sitting routine, see our meditation guide and mindfulness guide.

What related research says

A present mind is a happier mind. A study of thousands of people using a smartphone app found minds wander nearly half the time, and that people were less happy when their minds wandered than when focused on what they were doing. [8]
Accepting what is. People who habitually accept their negative emotions and thoughts, rather than judging them, reported better psychological health. [9]
Body awareness. A review of contemplative practice links attention to inner bodily sensations, known as interoception, with wellbeing. [10]
Calming the mind. A review of 47 trials found meditation programmes improved anxiety, depression and pain. [11]

Frequently asked questions

How do I practise Eckhart Tolle’s teaching every day?

Ask yourself what problem you have right now, watch your thoughts as an observer, feel the aliveness in your body, and accept each moment as it is.

What is presence, according to Eckhart Tolle?

The awakened state of consciousness that goes beyond ego and discursive thinking: being fully here, in the present moment.

What is the pain-body?

Tolle’s term for the build-up of old emotional pain that can flare up in the mind and body. He teaches meeting it with presence rather than fighting it.

Which Eckhart Tolle book should I start with?

The Power of Now, then A New Earth, which expands on the ego and awakening.

Are there free Eckhart Tolle meditations?

Yes. His official website offers free teachings and guided meditations.

Keep exploring

Sources

By Saj Ali, founder of Self Help Supermarket.

Eckhart Tolle: The Power of Now, Presence, Books and Teachings

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

His teaching in brief

At a glance

Good fit if

Our take

The teachings of Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now

Watching the thinker

The pain-body

The inner body

A New Earth and the ego

Videos with Eckhart Tolle

Start here

Presence, ego and fulfilment

The pain-body

With Oprah

Articles about Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle’s books

Courses, community and free resources

What the Research Shows

Watch: Eckhart Tolle on TikTok

See: Eckhart Tolle on Instagram

Frequently asked questions

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

What is The Power of Now about?

What is the pain-body?

Which Eckhart Tolle book should I read first?

What was Eckhart Tolle’s awakening?

Is Eckhart Tolle religious?

Who is Kim Eng?

Sources

Article Preview

Eckhart Tolle’s Teaching on Present Moment Awareness

Why the present moment

Four simple practices

Ten everyday moments to practise presence

Presence in work and relationships

A 30-day plan

What related research says

Frequently asked questions

How do I practise Eckhart Tolle’s teaching every day?

What is presence, according to Eckhart Tolle?

What is the pain-body?

Which Eckhart Tolle book should I start with?

Are there free Eckhart Tolle meditations?

Keep exploring

Sources