In this episode Eckhart talks about the ego and other factors that block us from deeper awareness. Eckhart explains why the ego loves opposition and thrives on feeling superior. He says being obsessed with the need to be right in a conversation is a perfect example because some may defend their position so fiercely, they become completely unconscious. He says awakening is the only thing that can save us from our egos. Eckhart believes, with practice, we discover a joyfulness in the depths of our being that has nothing to do with what’s happening out there. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

In this podcast Eckhart answers a variety of questions, a woman asks about identity at the soul level. She asks do we, in our most transcendent form, retain some aspect of individuality even though we all emanate from the one universal consciousness? Another woman shares a story of her granddaughter who has a life-threatening illness. She requests a few moments of “presence” with Eckhart to bring her joy. A wife shares heartbreaking details about her husband who is dying of cancer. She questions if it’s possible to remain conscious. With compassion and care, Eckhart explains that even though it may seem strange, being in the presence of death is an opportunity. He says we learn to suffer consciously and surrender completely. Eckhart says that even during life’s most painful challenges, acceptance is the way to transcendence. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

In this episode Eckhart talks about our true purpose which he believes is to transcend our surface layer of reality and our superficial sense of self. He says most of us define ourselves as a person with a past, an accumulation of thoughts and emotions built up over a lifetime. Many identify completely with this limited view, but Eckhart explains we are more than that. He says often a life crisis becomes the catalyst for discovery. We may lose our homes, jobs or someone we love, but Eckhart says loss pushes us toward awakening. Eckhart believes in this process the ego burns up and the old ways of being give way to our essential self. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN

In this podcast Eckhart explains why presence is the bedrock for our existence. He says without it nothing would be possible. He says most people define themselves through self-created labels based on our past or an imagined future. He says we must ask, “Who am I right now?” Eckhart believes we won’t know the answer fully because it remains a mystery. He says hiding deep inside each of us is a sense of beingness that we cannot define. Eckhart believes we derive our true self from presence and thus “life” is synonymous with the now.

In this episode Eckhart answers questions on various topics including the difference between a creative impulse and the ego. A woman asks Eckhart about his decision to move from England to the Pacific Northwest. Eckhart says when the call continued for quite some time without dissipating, he knew he had to follow it. Eckhart urges everyone to stay connected to their deepest awareness especially when life’s challenges arise, and things don’t go our way. Eckhart explains why instead of reacting with irritation, anger and fear towards a situation, we should instead surrender. He says obstacles are not enemies, they’re here to help us awaken.

In this podcast Eckhart gives a brief talk on his signature teaching: the power of presence and then answers questions from the audience. He says the important thing to understand is the presence that inhabits our bodies is not something that is external to us, it is the essence of us. He says the secret and the mystery of the present moment is that we are the present moment.

In this podcast Eckhart answers questions from a live audience, including one about how suffering can lead to awakening. Eckhart says we need challenges in order to evolve. The great paradox is we are liberated when we surrender to life’s difficulties. Eckhart says eventually we can become grateful for our suffering because it pushes us to become who we are.

In this episode Eckhart talks about the need for challenges. He says without them we would not grow in awareness. Eckhart explains the entire universe is evolving towards greater consciousness. He says beyond our individual lives, we are connected to something vital and vast. In our highest form, Eckhart believes we are the consciousness of the universe expressing itself.

In this podcast Eckhart discusses how we define our personal identity. He says it usually begins with the physical body, then possessions and achievements. He says we may have a long list of accomplishments - even personal wealth, but we’re not satisfied; we’re still not good enough. Eckhart explains defining ourselves in these superficial terms is a trap and just another form of ego. Our true identity is beyond that.

In this episode Eckhart answers questions on a variety of topics, such as: What is the soul? Is it possible to awaken when we are depressed? And how do we sense presence in another? Eckhart says we experience the presence of others when we release our conceptual thinking about them. He says when we let all that go, a space opens and we are free then to experience what is sacred in others and in ourselves.

In this episode Eckhart talks about a collective awakening growing on the planet even while the majority of people remain spiritually asleep. He explains most of us are completely identified with our thoughts - the constant, compulsive stream of thinking that dominates our awareness and creates a very limited identity. He says beyond thoughts is a more profound and truer self which Eckhart calls the Deep I. We begin to awaken when we recognize the difference between the two.

In this podcast Eckhart asks his audience, “What are you certain of?” After some discussion, they conclude very little. He references philosophers throughout history who have said life is a dream and our individual lives fleeting. Eckhart explains there is a deeper consciousness beyond the dream and beyond the person. He says we will experience transcendence when we make the shift from thinking to awareness.

In this episode, Eckhart answers questions on how to deal with death… for ourselves and those we love. Eckhart says it’s critical that we break the taboo so we can overcome our fear. eckhart proposes that when faced with the possibility of a very limited future … The ultimate question is not whether or not we will survive. because we all will die eventually. Instead we allow the situation to push us towards higher consciousness. He says it’s possible to transcend our fear to reach a state of deep presence.

In this podcast Eckhart discusses the path to awakening. He encourages listeners to detach from the mind, instead of being the mind. He says most of us get so enmeshed in our thinking we mistake it for reality. He also believes the mind tells us we need a long list of criteria to advance spiritually. But Eckhart says enlightenment is not something we attain in the future – in truth, full consciousness is closer than we think. We can break through our thinking to awaken, right here, right now.

In this podcast, Eckhart talks briefly about what he calls the beingness behind our five senses which lead to the deeper essence of who we are. Eckhart then answers a question about forgiveness. He says until we are strongly connected to our deeper self, all of us will act out unconscious patterns that cause suffering. Eckhart says eventually we wake up and ask, “How could I have done that?” He says recognizing our unconsciousness is forgiveness. He believes once we realize we can make amends to those we’ve hurt and learn to forgive our unconsciousness, we understand that we didn’t have the awareness to make a different choice at the time.

In this podcast, Eckhart answers a question about overcoming suffering and finding happiness. Eckhart says the world is not here to make us happy, it's here to make us conscious. He says the beginning of awakening is the end of suffering. We are liberated from the demand that anything should make us happy. Eckhart explains the world does not have the power to make us happy. But it is a wonderful catalyst to help us awaken.

Eckhart begins this episode discussing the purpose of suffering. He says suffering is the great awakener, that cracks the shell of the ego. He believes through the crack something beautiful and profound emerges. Eckhart describes it as our true essence. He says as we become familiar with this deeper dimension, we discover the very same “beingness” exists in others. He says recognizing the essence of who we are in everyone, is just one of the joys of spiritual awakening.

In this podcast, Eckhart gives a brief talk about the difference between being versus becoming. He says when we focus on becoming, we look to the future for our fulfillment. We lose sight of our being which is connected to the now. Eckhart then answers a question about the need to be right and winning an argument at all costs. He explains as we grow in presence the drive to be right diminishes. The ego loosens its grip, and we discover we might even be willing to admit we’re wrong. He says that is a sure sign of spiritual growth.

In this podcast, Eckhart answers questions about addiction and facing illness consciously. Eckhart speaks with a woman who had cancer fears its return and the possibility of an early death. While difficult, Eckhart encourages her to practice presence by staying in the moment because he explains then there is less opportunity to play out scenarios where death seems imminent. He urges her to release the mental gymnastics that plague all of us. He says it’s imperative that we work with life’s challenges and allow them to push us into awakening.

In this podcast, Eckhart encourages participants to start with a moment of stillness. He says through quiet and calm we get in touch with that part of ourselves Eckhart calls “The Deep I.” Eckhart believes that by reaching beyond our personality and our physical bodies we will discover a deeper dimension to who we are. He says it’s here where we transcend the old inner narratives to find liberation from ourselves.