Hello,
Beautiful people.
I'm so happy to be here with you today to share one of my absolute favorites.
Somatic meditation.
This meditation is known as Tom Len in the Buddhist tradition.
And in English we call it giving and receiving.
Now this is a beautiful meditation for challenging times like we're experiencing right now in our world.
When many of us can just be left feeling quite helpless as to what to do when so many people in the world are suffering.
And this is a beautiful meditation.
That actually helps us to expand our compassion for ourselves and also for others.
Tonglen helps us get out of our comfort zone where we usually try to avoid suffering and seek pleasure.
Instead,
In this meditation,
We'll be exploring bringing in and receiving the suffering of others.
And breathing out and sending relief.
And wellness.
To others.
So it gets us out of our safety zone.
It requires us to step into a more open-hearted space.
Where we're able to connect with the things that we all share,
Including our mutual suffering and mutual desire for relief.
This is a meditation you can do more formally seated as I will guide today.
Or you can just develop it as a quick little daily habit.
Anytime you think of someone who's suffering or you see someone who's having a hard time.
You can breathe in their pain.
And you can exhale light and relief.
To that person.
Or that animal.
So we'll go ahead and get started with the meditation today.
I'm going to invite you to find a position that's comfortable for you as I'll guide you through this today.
So feel free to either find a comfortable seat,
Lay down on the floor,
On a yoga mat,
Lay down on your bed.
The goal here is just to be comfortable as possible so that you can drop in to that mind-body connected place.
Bringing some awareness to the breathing and the body as we move into this space of open-heartedness.
To relieve suffering of ourselves.
And of others.
So go ahead and set up your little nest,
Making yourself comfortable.
Softening your eyes or closing them.
Begin just by trying to have as straight of a spine as possible.
Even if you're lying down,
You can still try to bring your neck and your head in line with your spine and just let things be long and neutral.
If you're seated,
Gently feel that lengthening from the very top of your head reaching up.
At the same time,
Feel your sits bones rooting down into the chair.
We'll begin just with a few deep breaths,
Finding a moment here to center.
Taking a full breath in through the nose.
Sigh it out the mouth.
Two more like that,
Inhaling through your nose.
Exhaling through your mouth.
And if possible,
Just allowing your breathing to slow down.
Return to its natural rhythm through the nostrils.
Noticing your seat on the chair or your back supported by the floor.
Grounding for one or two moments here.
Just to connect with your body.
And your seat.
And we'll begin,
Before we even bring an image in,
We'll begin.
Just by exploring these different textures with our breathing.
As you breathe in.
Imagine you're breathing in heaviness.
Darkness.
Dark cloudy smoke.
And as you breathe out.
Breathe out lightness.
Breathe out relief.
Breathe out ease.
Again,
Breathing in,
Focusing on the textures,
The temperatures.
Heat,
Darkness.
Heaviness on the inhale.
And on your exhale.
Breathing out coolness.
Breathing out freshness.
Breathing out positive energy.
A few more rounds,
Just cultivating this basic practice of inhaling.
Dark and heavy,
Perhaps visualizing.
Gray smoke.
As you breathe in.
And practicing exhaling.
Golden,
Sparkling light.
Healing energy,
Peace.
Now we'll begin the visualization.
Call into your mind's eye the image of some person or animal that you know,
Someone close to you.
Who's suffering?
Who's in pain?
Or who is afraid,
Or who's just having a hard time.
And just see that person in your mind's eye.
Cultivating as much open-hearted compassion as you can for their situation.
As you breathe in,
Breathe in their pain and their suffering.
Alchemizing with breath will exhale healing and relief to that person or that animal.
Inhaling that person's pain and hardship.
Exhaling relief and healing in their direction.
Finding a few more breaths on your own.
Cultivating that deep compassion.
For that person you love.
That animal you love.
Who needs healing support.
As you continue to practice tan len here.
We'll additionally consider every person or animal who's going through something similar.
As the one you have in mind.
So every person,
Every being on this planet who's also experiencing that illness.
Or that fear.
Or that.
Concern or hardship.
We'll breathe in.
All of that.
And exhale,
Sending all of them.
Compassion.
Lightness.
And ease.
Breathing in all those people suffering who all share that thing in common.
And breathing out that golden light in their direction.
And as we continue to deepen into our heart.
And open from that heart space.
Of loving kindness.
We may now consider every being.
On the whole planet.
All living things who are suffering.
In any way.
Including yourself.
And every other thing in the world.
As you breathe in.
Take in their pain.
Breathe in that dark smoke.
Exhale that bright light.
With every cell of your being.
Breathe in that negative energy.
That suffering.
And with your exhale with every cell of your body.
Radiate.
Light and healing and love.
Continuing to breathe,
Holding the whole world in your mind's eye.
Feeling for any expansion in your chest,
In your heart,
Your lungs.
Where you can take in the pain of others.
And you can breathe out healing.
And ease.
To all being.
And take another moment or two.
To release these images from your mind's eye.
Bringing gentle awareness back into your body.
Noticing the areas of your body that are supported by the chair or the floor or whatever surface you are resting on.
And spending as much time as you'd like here.
To be curious about how your heart feels.
How your body has responded to cultivating.
This deep compassion.
How has your body responded?
To this brave act.
Of breathing in the pain and discomfort.
And breathing out the love.
And compassion.
And if you'd like here before we close,
You might bring one or both hands to rest over the center of your heart.
Center of your chest.
And send yourself a big wave of gratitude.
For taking this time.
To cultivate compassion.
If your eyes are closed,
You might slowly begin to flutter the eyelids open.
I'm just blinking rapidly.
Can help the eyes readjust.
To the light in your room.
Just taking a moment to return to the present.
Noticing where you are.
And how you are.
And thank you all so much for joining in this.
Meditation,
This meditation with me today.
I'm so glad that you could be here.
Take care.
