Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle Course – In a New Land – Class Overview

While many have read “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, they still have questions. Many people seeking awakening find that intellectually understanding concepts and actually experiencing awakening are two very different things. This is why so many seekers read and subscribe to the works of various authors and teachers as they hope to develop a better understanding of their next lesson.

Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle taught classes to help information seekers better understand and implement the concepts. The class was part of Oprah’s book club and the course materials included a workbook and recorded awakening exercises that included various meditations. The 10-week course was streamed live over the Internet. It started in March 2008.

Spiritual gurus often sell courses like this for thousands of dollars. Classes held over the phone for a few weeks cost hundreds of dollars. Several recorded audio courses cost a hundred dollars or more. This class, along with the exercise book and additional materials were offered free of charge. Students only needed to purchase a copy of Tolle’s book for around $ 15.

For those who missed the live classes, they were recorded and available on Oprah’s website. Oprah and Eckhart collected over 15 hours of video for students to view on the web. They can even download the videos to review on a computer or I Pod while offline. Students can download MP3 audios of the classes, a workbook and additional materials.

The class is best experienced for 10 consecutive weeks or less. Students should read each chapter at least once with a highlighter and review the highlighted areas multiple times. They should also complete the workbook entries for the appropriate chapters to get the most out of the course. At that time, students can view the 90-minute recorded class led by Oprah and Eckhart that corresponds to the chapter.

Recorded lectures consist of chapters discussion by the hosts so that students can gain a deeper understanding. Oprah and Eckhart ran the classes as live web events. Students from all over the world asked questions about the implementation of the teachings. Some students called, but many used Skype video calling, adding additional richness to the video presentations.

Teachers signed up with a study group at a Borders bookstore in Chicago each week and when they got to Chapter 7 they connected with another study group at a California bookstore.

Eckhart Tolle shared information about the writing of the book and how the information came to him. Oprah shared her understanding of the book and how what some call “new age” teaching fits with her Christianity. Tolle often quotes Jesus, but says the book does not defend any particular religion.

Everyone in the present age seems to be running through life. They approach today simply as what they must endure to get to tomorrow and ultimately reach the destination they desire. They always seem to struggle to get somewhere else.

We have often been told that the important thing is the journey. “A New Earth” expands that ideal and advocates that we need to fully experience every moment of our life in the “now” to truly enjoy the journey and live a full life.

Anyone interested in the subject or those seeking awakening can gain a world of knowledge by reading “A New Earth” and taking this free course. Tolle said it best when he explained to the students that if someone starts reading the book and it doesn’t make any sense to them, it’s just not their time and they should quit. Tolle makes it clear that he is not an evangelist and is not imposing his teachings on anyone.