The High Vibe Guide

GUIDED MEDITATION: Transforming Pain into Compassion through Tonglen

Subscriber Episode Jenna Miller

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This Tonglen meditation invites you to open your heart and cultivate compassion by embracing the practice of giving and receiving. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhist teachings, this guided meditation helps you connect with your inner light, transform difficult emotions, and extend love and kindness to yourself and others. Perfect for moments when you need to feel grounded, centred, and connected to the world around you.

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Speaker 2:

Welcome to this week's guided meditation inspired by the Buddhist practice of Tonglen, a meditation technique used to unlock love and compassion within us. So let's begin by finding a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes or, if you prefer, just soften your gaze. Rest your hands gently in your lap or on the knees, take a deep breath in through the nose and let it out slowly through your mouth, allowing yourself to settle into this moment, releasing any tension in the body. As you continue to breathe, let your breath find its own natural rhythm, gentle and steady.

Speaker 2:

As we begin this meditation, understand that the practice of Tonglen invites us to breathe in the discomfort, the pain or the struggles of ourselves or others, and then to breathe out love, peace and ease. It's a practice of deep compassion, a way to soften our hearts and extend kindness to ourselves and the world. We aren't holding this pain within us, but instead we're transforming it. So take a moment to set your own intention for this practice. You might choose to focus on a personal challenge, someone you care about, or even the collective struggles of the world. We'll start with reflecting on our own pain or discomfort, then on someone else's, and then extending this out even further. So let's begin with the breath. Take a deep breath in through your nose, imagining it drawing in healing energy, drawing in light and spaciousness and, as you exhale, releasing any heaviness or tension, sending out peace and warmth.

Speaker 2:

Now let's begin to shift your awareness. As you inhale, imagine breathing in the difficulties. Perhaps it feels like darkness or heaviness, or a sense of tightness or constriction. And as you exhale, imagine transforming that into light, love and comfort, sending it out into the world around you. There's no right or wrong way to visualize this. Just simply allow your intention to guide the breath.

Speaker 2:

So let's begin with yourself. Picture your own struggles, any fears, pain or feelings of inadequacy you might be carrying With each inhale. Breathe in that discomfort, Acknowledge it and fully allow it to be here and with each exhale, send yourself kindness, warmth and ease. Imagine wrapping yourself in a comforting embrace of love and acceptance and as you inhale, repeat silently to yourself I see my pain. And as you exhale, repeat silently to yourself I send myself love, Breathing in the pain, breathing out love.

Speaker 2:

Now let's bring to mind someone that you care about, A friend or a family member or a loved one who may be struggling. Visualise them clearly as you inhale. Breathe in their pain or their challenges. Imagine like you are helping them to light or their challenges. Imagine like you are helping them to lighten their burden. As you exhale, send them peace, send them comfort and healing energy. Picture it like a soft light that surrounds them, bringing ease. As you inhale, repeat to yourself I see your pain and as you exhale, I send you love.

Speaker 2:

Now let's extend this practice to a group of people. Perhaps it's your community, a particular group, or maybe a family facing challenges, or maybe you'd like to take this wider and extend it to the whole world. Breathe in their collective suffering. Imagine it dissolving into your heart. Then exhale the light, the compassion, the healing energy, spreading it far and wide. The powerful light that resides in your heart has the ability to transform this pain into light and love. As you inhale, repeat silently I see your pain. As you exhale, I send you love.

Speaker 2:

Now, bringing the attention back, return your focus to yourself. Breathe deeply. Breathe deeply, Imagining your heart filled with light and spaciousness. Let that light spread throughout your entire being, filling every corner with warmth and compassion. Just take a moment here and take the moment now to honour yourself for showing up today, for embracing this practice of courage and love. Notice how your body feels, how your heart feels and how your breath feels. When you're ready, gently start bringing your awareness back to the room. Wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes and open your eyes. Be sure to carry this sense of compassion with you as you move through your day. Be sure to carry this sense of compassion with you as you move through your day. Thank you for practicing this very special Tonglen meditation with me today. May you be well, May you be happy and may you be free from suffering you.