Tonglen - A Practice In Compassion

Posted by Elise Mitchell, BS, RYT, Health and Wellness Coordinator at Entrada on October 11, 2016

Elise MitchellIt seems like more now than ever before in my work as a health coach or Health and Wellness Coordinator for Evoke do I find the need to teach more compassion practices. Our world can, at times, feel like it's fraught with so much division, stress, lack consciousness, greed, misunderstanding, and fear. All of these feelings wreak havoc on our psyches, our hearts, and even our bodies. Today, over 40 million people in the US alone suffer from an anxiety disorder.

There are multiple ways in which we can effectively manage our stressors and even reverse some of our anxiety symptoms. Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) has been one, well-studied meditation practice that shows promise in helping to cope with stress and anxiety. This ancient practice (written in the Pali Cannon around 29 CE) has several slightly newer variations of the practice. Tonglen is one that was developed around the 11th century. I really appreciate this practice because it invites the practitioner into both a mindfulness practice (i.e. focusing on breath and the natural sensations that arise with the activity of this meditation) and a compassion practice (i.e. wishing to relieve the suffering of self or others).

Here is a short practice of Tonglen that you can try for yourself. Remember, meditation practices do not need to be fancy or regimented. If you have just a few minutes a day, a place of relative quiet, and the ability to breathe you can practice meditation!

5 Minute Tonglen:

1. Find a time and space with as little distraction as possible.

2. Start by sitting comfortably and noticing the world around you – sounds, smells, etc. – without judging or wishing that your environment was different. Witness without any engagement or reactivity.

3. Begin to focus on the breath. Again, focus without changing the breath – just passively notice the normal rhythm of your inhale and exhale.

4. Contemplate a person or a situation from which you would like to remove all suffering. Examples: focus on a loved one who has been injured or going through hard times; focus on a part of the world riddled with war or famine.

5. With every inhale see, feel, imagine that you are taking that suffering away.

6. With every exhale see, feel, imagine that you are offering the opposite – love, abundance, understanding, peace, health, etc.

7. Continue for 4-5 minutes if possible. Maybe you can do this for the time it takes to sit at a stoplight or as long as an hour. The choice is yours!

8. Finish by acknowledging the positive work you just did and the gifts you just sent out into the world.

I hope that this practice brings a little more peace and joy to your day! And on behalf of our common humanity, thank you for offering just a little more kindness and compassion into the world!

Comments

I love the idea of this practice but what does one do with that pain and suffering as we inhale. I'd love to help a loved-one by taking away their fear and pain but at the same time don't want to 'own' the same. Love you Elise. You're an amazing teacher of all things kind and wonderful in the world.

Posted by Deby Bauer

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