Today's meditation is a practice of Tonglen,
The Tibetan word for giving and receiving,
Where,
With love and compassion,
We help bring relief to another's suffering.
But first,
We bring relief to any suffering we might be experiencing too.
Let's begin by moving into a space of relaxation.
Exhale the next breath fully,
And then breathe in deeply.
Invite every part of your being to let go.
Unclench.
The tension escapes with every exhalation.
And as you exhale your soothing breaths,
Soften your face.
Let your jaw relax and your eyes sink more deeply into their sockets.
Relax your throat,
Your shoulders,
Your limbs,
Your torso,
The seat in the chair.
Just let go.
Feel yourself surrounded by a positive,
Uplifting energy,
An energy of light.
It's flowing out of you and flowing back into you with every breath,
Calming you,
Soothing you,
Relaxing you even more.
Now bring your attention to your heart space at the center of your chest,
At heart level.
And with your attention there,
Imagine as you breathe in,
That space at your heart center begins to expand and open like a portal.
And radiant,
Jeweled light is reflecting there.
Its rays are pouring forth from your heart,
Clearing your heart space.
Widening the area around your heart space,
Making it more open,
Expansive and receptive.
And breathe into that space.
Breathe out through that space.
And as you breathe into the light and exhale the light emanating from your heart,
In the safety of that light,
We can bring our attention to our mind.
And acknowledge the mood and the atmosphere in the environment of your mind.
Without deflecting whatever the mind wants to process,
Just let it rummage around a little and notice is your mind unsettled or troubled,
Heavy,
Despairing or at ease?
Perhaps your mind lands on the current challenges or overwhelming conditions of your life.
Stay in in the safety of your lotus heart.
Imagine these fears,
Concerns,
The despairing,
The discomfort as a dark cloud or heavy energy.
And be sure to keep breathing into the light portal in your heart space.
Let the rays of jeweled light emitting from your heart space envelop that dark cloud or heavy energy and instantly transmute it into loving,
Healing,
Jeweled light.
Then breathe that light out through your heart space and let it emanate as calm energy,
Clarity,
Joy and healing love.
Each subsequent in-breath dissolves the heaviness,
The darkness,
The despair and worry and transforms it into more healing,
Jeweled love light.
Every subsequent exhalation releases radiant positivity and warmth as it fully and freely exits the body.
Breathe in,
Breathe out and let us bring our attention to alleviating the suffering of others.
Bring in that same energy of jeweled light that is radiating from your luminescent lotus heart.
And as you breathe in and breathe out and feel anchored,
Confident and assured in the light,
Imagine as vividly and poignantly as possible that there is standing in front of you a person or people whom you care about who are in pain,
Whether it's physical or emotional or they're experiencing some kind of suffering.
Breathe deeply into your light-infused heart as you imagine every aspect of their pain and distress.
And as you breathe in,
You're breathing into your heart.
And as you breathe out,
You're breathing out through your light-infused heart.
And you feel your heart opening in compassion toward that person or those people.
And you imagine in your mind's eye that all of their suffering coalesces as a dark cloud or a heavy energy.
As you breathe in to the core of your light-infused lotus heart,
Visualize this dark cloud or heavy energy being engulfed by the jewel light,
Transforming and transmuting their pain and suffering or emotional angst into relief,
Into warmth,
Into compassion.
As you exhale fully,
You imagine that you're sending out brilliant,
Healing,
Purifying rays of jeweled light beams emanating peace,
Joy,
Happiness,
Relief and ultimate well-being to all those in pain or experiencing suffering.
.
.
And now we bring this same intention of sharing compassion to alleviate suffering for the world.
Breathe once more into your heart space,
Into that portal of jeweled light.
And let that breath that you breathe in become a healing balm for the world.
Every time you inhale,
Inhale all the negativity,
Suffering or darkness of the world into the white jeweled light of your heart.
And the healing balm of light in this portal in your heart space first transmutes the dark clouds and heavy energy,
And then transforms it into love and true,
Active compassion.
And then each exhale emits this energy of true,
Active compassion and lightness and rays of jeweled light beams out into the world to help alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings everywhere.
And as we breathe in suffering,
Allow the light within us to transmute it and breathe out lightness,
Relief and active compassion.
We are anchored in a space of stillness,
Ease,
Peace and divine grace.
In the stillness of this moment.
.
.
Gently bring your attention to these words and let these words be the truth and the gift and intention of your own lotus heart of active compassion.
Holding myself in a lotus heart of compassion,
I affirm,
May I be free from pain and sorrow.
May I be at peace.
Holding others in a lotus heart of compassion,
I affirm,
May you be free from pain and sorrow.
May you be at peace.
Holding all sentient beings in a lotus heart of compassion,
I affirm,
May all sentient beings be free from pain and sorrow.
May all sentient beings be at peace.
Now taking another deep breath.
Exhale fully and allow your attention to return to this time and place.
Follow the breath back.
Aware once more of your environment,
Grounded in this energy of stillness and peace.
Secure in this radiant jeweled light radiating from your lotus heart.
And then place your hands in prayer position with your thumbs resting gently on your sternum.
Take another deep breath here.
From that heart space of healing jeweled light in me that's radiating compassion and love into the world.
To that heart space of healing jeweled light in you that's radiating compassion and love into the world.
I now bow.
Namaste.
