Your Mindful Coach

Today I offer the practice of Tonglen, which loosely means “sending and receiving” in the Tibetan language. It is different from a lovingkindness practice which primarily offers our wishes for the wellbeing of ourselves & others. In Tonglen, we begin by taking on the suffering of a person or persons who may be hurting. Suffering and compassion reside in the same area deep in our heart, our soul. In a sense, this practice offers a refuge for this suffering and creates a space to apply compassion as healing. As we transition to exploring our own suffering, we may recognize the universality of our experience. We may also recognize the impermanence of our feeling states (anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness), even though circumstances may not change. One day our suffering is debilitating, the next, it is an opportunity.