Settling into your body and quiet stillness as we work with the Tibetan meditation of tonglen,
Which literally means sending and taking.
It is a practice of radical compassion in which we reverse our usual habit of avoiding pain and seeking out pleasure.
In tonglen,
The breath is your anchor.
You breathe in your own suffering and the suffering of others and breathe out whatever brings relief.
In this way,
You are planting seeds of compassion in the garden of your own heart.
In these times,
When there is a palpable fear of what we may be breathing in,
You can work with your breath to take in the fear and suffering,
Transforming it in the alchemy of your own heart and then breathe out healing.
Breathe out calm.
Breathe out compassion.
Breathe out kindness.
Breathe out flowers.
Settling into your body,
Bring your attention to your breath.
Noticing the in breath and the out breath.
Perhaps noticing the breath at your upper lip or the back of your throat.
Perhaps in the movement of your chest or the motion of your belly.
Breathing with your breath now for a few moments,
Knowing you are supported by the strength of the earth.
Now seeing in your mind's eye that you are at the beginning of a trailhead.
See the worn path in front of you.
Picture yourself beginning out on the path for a hike.
The trail is winding and as you walk,
The path becomes steeper.
You are moving up,
Ascending on the path.
It is peaceful and quiet.
The weather is fair and clear.
You continue on your walk.
Finally coming around the bend,
You reach the trail end.
There is a wide open vista in front of you.
You can see for miles.
Wide open sky.
Perhaps mountains or the ocean or a lake.
The view is beautiful and you are in awe.
Open space.
Heart wide open.
Dwell here in the openness for some moments now.
In the wide open view.
Now seeing in your mind's eye dark clouds arising.
A storm approaching.
The air becomes hot and thick.
High-end and heavy.
The sky becomes darkened.
You breathe in the thick heavy air.
Each in-breath taking in the dark.
Taking in the heavy.
This hot air is transformed in your heart.
Breathing out positive energy into the darkness around you.
Each out-breath a white light.
Each out-breath a cool breeze in the heat.
Each out-breath a lightness relieving the heaviness around you.
Work with each breath now.
Breathing in the heavy.
Breathing out the light.
Breathing in the heat.
Breathing out coolness.
Breathing in darkness.
Breathing out brightness.
Now bringing to mind a difficulty you are struggling with.
A situation that you feel strong emotions of anger or jealousy or perhaps grief.
Notice the sensations in your body.
Take in the negative energy of those feelings with each in-breath.
Now notice your heart's wish to be free of this suffering.
Respond with what would relieve this dark heavy emotion.
Breathing out care.
Breathing out calm.
Breathing out release.
Breathing out kindness.
Taking in the difficult with each in-breath.
Breathing out the remedy with each out-breath.
Now bringing to mind someone you care for deeply.
Feeling a situation they are struggling with.
Feeling their pain and their suffering.
Tuning in to your own wish to help them.
Your wish to release them from their pain.
With each in-breath,
Taking in what they are struggling with.
Breathing in their suffering.
Transforming it in your own heart.
Then breathing out whatever they may need to help them.
Breathing out love.
Breathing out freedom.
Breathing out healing.
Breathing with each breath's rhythm.
Taking in what is hard and painful with each in-breath.
Breathing out relief with each out-breath.
Now sensing in your heart that all beings at one time or another have experienced this same pain.
That some are experiencing it right now.
And your lens of compassion to include all beings.
Breathing in the collective pain of all beings.
Breathing out whatever they may need to feel relief.
Working with each breath to transform suffering.
Breathing in pain.
Breathing out healing.
Breathing in hate.
Breathing out love.
Breathing in anger.
Breathing out compassion.
Breathing now for a few moments.
Breathing pain and suffering in your own heart.
Sending out love and compassion.
Now letting your breath relax.
Settling back into your own body.
Feeling the good that you have sent out into the world.
Sensing the relief you have wished for yourself and others.
Feeling the earth's support below you.
Feeling the strength the earth gives to your heart's compassion.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
Om Mani Pe Me Ho.
