This book goes right on the shelf with the best of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Eckhart Tolle, and Ram Dass – it is that good. By now, if you’ve been paying any attention to the spiritual best-sellers of the last several years, than you know that the key to changing the quality of your life is to live in the now… but for most of us, that is easier said than done.  “Now” is usually the moment when the red traffic light turns green – and no more.

Even those experienced in meditation or self-hypnosis usually only achieve present moment awareness while in an altered state – a partial solution, at best.  Well, help is on the way -- With The Presence Process author Michael Brown has written a terrific and easy to follow guide for cultivating and maintaining present moment awareness.  This book is a phenomenal weaving of the best of spirituality and psychology, written with a light touch and a straight-forward manner.

The author briefly recounts his own experience of protracted illness and his various attempts to heal himself using both alternative and allopathic means.  From there he followed a variety of disciplines that led to sporadic moments of awareness, or “being present,” which in turn led to spiritual growth and healing.  Mr. Brown then spent several years studying and refining the techniques for attaining that present moment awareness that leads to deep healing and spiritual growth, so that he could offer them to others.  His stated goal is “To leave a trail for others who want to show up in their life experience.”

The Presence Process offers a methodical way to liberate the distracted mind – and it’s distraction, either thoughts of the past or the future, that prevent us from being in the now.  Mr. Brown explains many of the distractions that come up for all of us and then, best of all, what to do about them.  Layer by layer, the author helps us to activate our own Inner Presence allowing us to change our perceptions of the present, to become more creative and joyful, to shed all the old emotions that are holding us back, and to be grateful and peaceful with our lives right now.  

The book is designed so that this activation may be done on two levels: the first, from simply reading the book, and the second from engaging in the breathing exercises that follow a week-by-week practicum for even greater spiritual growth.   Don’t be put off by the idea of exercises, this is breath-work even a slacker can do!!  The results are phenomenal and immediate – if you can breathe you can do this practice and be guaranteed results.  

On a spiritual note, readers who are familiar with A Course In Miracles may find some similarities, although The Presence Process is much more accessible.  The idea that our Inner Presence or Inner Facilitator will lead us to what we need, and that this part of us knows no order of difficulty, is reminiscent of the former, as is the concept of perceiving continuity and connection with all of life – but the latter wins points for clarity in better explaining how our outer circumstances are a direct result of our inner turmoil.

All of this would be recommendation enough, but The Presence Process has that added quality of immediate activation for the reader -- simply from reading the book, you may feel old unintegrated emotions resolving, momentary calm and new strength.  If you choose to do the breath-work, it is truly astounding – while the author promises a gentle long-term healing, you will feel like you are getting rapid, inspiring results.  The Presence Process is one of the most up-lifting and deep healing books you are likely to come across for some time to come.