You are listening to a meditation from Sound Science Soul.
The chanting you hear in the background,
Om Ah Hum,
Is a way to purify your environment,
Yourself and all beings or things around you.
Om represents the body or form,
Ah the speech or essence of sound and Hum the mind.
This meditation is based on the Tibetan practice of Tonglen meditation,
A practice of compassion.
Tonglen means giving and taking or sending and receiving and is about exchanging the self with other.
Typically it's used to take in the pain of others and send out whatever will benefit the other.
It can also be used with the self by envisioning two versions of self,
The higher self and the hurting self.
Let's begin.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
If sitting,
The ideal position is to sit cross legged,
The back of your hands resting on your knees and your first two fingers touching your thumbs.
It's beneficial to begin with breath with any meditation practice as the breath ties the soul to the body and becoming aware of our breath reminds us of the temporary nature of our physical body.
Focusing on our breath also helps us to slow down and center.
Let's start with six breaths,
Breathing in for a count of six,
Holding for three and breathing out for six.
Breathing in one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Holding for a count of one,
Two,
Three.
Breathing out for a count of one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
If you can't breathe into six that's okay,
Just take in as much breath as you can.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold one,
Two,
Three.
Breathe out,
One two three,
Four,
Five six.
Breathe in,
One two three,
Four five six.
Hold one,
Two three,
Breathe out,
One two three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Then 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Hold,
1,
2,
3.
Breathe out,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Breathe in,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Hold,
1,
2,
3.
Breathe out,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
One last time.
Breathe in,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Hold,
1,
2,
3.
Breathe out,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Now completely relax.
Sit with your mind and examine it.
How does your mood feel?
Does it feel subtle?
Does it feel anxious?
Does it feel heavy?
If it feels heavy or anxious or unsettled or in pain,
When you breathe in naturally,
See and feel these heavy uncomfortable feelings.
But as you breathe out,
Visualize expelling peace,
Love,
Joy,
Purifying your mind and your environment.
Now visualize dividing yourself into two entities.
The first entity is the highest version of yourself.
This version is whole,
Loving,
At peace,
Warm,
Open,
Secure,
Full of light and life and ready to wrap their arms around you with no judgment,
No matter your mistakes or shortcomings.
This entity is likely what you will visualize outside of your physical body.
Then see the second entity of self.
This version is the hurting,
Angry,
Negative,
Bitter one,
The one that feels wronged or misunderstood,
That has suffered abuse or trauma or neglect.
This is likely coming up as your wounded inner child and how you feel in your physical body.
On each breath in,
Imagine your higher self opening up their heart completely,
Extending warmth and compassion and accepting all of your other self's suffering and pain.
As you visualize this,
See the pain and suffering start to melt away.
On each breath out,
Imagine the higher self sending out to the hurting self love,
Comfort,
Peace,
Joy and healing.
Feel completely embraced.
Sit with this feeling,
Breathing in and out and repeating this sequence,
Expelling the breath loudly if needed to completely infuse love and peace to the hurting self.
Take several deep breaths,
Visualizing the higher self completely accepting and healing the hurting self.
During this practice,
It may be helpful to place both of your hands over your heart so you can connect into your heart space.
And it may help if you hug yourself tightly,
Envisioning the higher self as the one hugging the hurting self.
You can even rock side to side or back and forth.
Babies love to be rocked in part because it helps to slow the heart rate and induces a sense of peace.
Cradle yourself as you would a crying child.
Seeing this version of self may bring up difficult feelings,
Especially if you weren't nurtured and cared for as needed in childhood or throughout life.
If you connect to that inner child or any hurt piece of yourself,
Hold it as long as it is needed to feel safe and cared for.
Sit quietly in this space of peace and safety as long as is needed.
I wish you peace and healing.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved.
