Photo of Jack Kornfield by Deborah Jaffe
Whether you read beloved teacher and writer Jack Kornfield’s latest book from start to finish, or whether you skip around and read a page here or a chapter there, the wisdom found here offers meaningful gems of inspiration, practical tools for mindfulness, and ways to appreciate the here and now, no matter what is going on around you. Kornfield makes good on his promise of the book’s title, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are. Rather than waiting for something to happen for us to feel a certain way, Kornfield reminds us that the only way to find freedom is by fully living in the present moment.
The book is organized into four segments: Freedom of Spirit, Obstacles to Freedom, Realizing Freedom, and Living Freedom. Throughout, Kornfield offers insights allowing us to believe the message and put it into action through a seamless interplay of lessons from his teachers, quotes from noteworthy practitioners, stories of his students’ journeys through these practices and techniques, and a series of suggested meditations.
Kornfield quotes one of his students who recognizes, “My refuge is the present. At first, mindfulness was a way out of inner torment. But now it is a way of life. None of us knows the number of our days and our destiny. We have to live here or we miss everything.” These are words to savor and a message to practice.
I’ve been savoring these pages, often re-reading passages and appreciating Kornfield’s conversational storytelling as well as his ability to make advanced teachings accessible. One of the moments that stopped me in my tracks (and I’ve been reflecting upon it often) is when he quotes Suzuki Roshi, “Just be exactly where you are. Instead of waiting for the bus, realize you are on the bus.”
Another passage that I found meaningful is as follows, “The presence of eternity is right where you are. Each step, each word, each breath is an invitation. Give yourself the gift of silence, of listening. Go out into the woods, the mountains, walk along a meandering stream or the ever-changing sea. Look closely at a hundred kinds of steady, leafing trees. Follow the delicate flight of birds. Marvel at the strange gait of human bipeds. Listen for the laughter of children. When you are in difficulty, remember the world beckons to you with a bigger story. It invites you to vastness and freedom.”
If you need a friendly guide to finding freedom, pick up this book. Carry it with you. Read it often.
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.