Tonglen practice for families and groups

Young children can be invited to draw during this practice and use their creativity to channel compassion.

1. Sitting in stillness with eyes closed. Generate open awareness as you watch the breath go in and out, inviting the desire to fully awaken to compassion. Bring your attention to the heart and welcome feelings of love — this could be a golden light, an image of the Buddha, a “feel-good” being, or just an overall feeling of warmth. You may also choose to place your hands on your heart.

2. Visualization of a person’s suffering using the breath and sensations. Breathing in and out, welcome an awareness of your or someone else’s suffering. Name the suffering (sadness, grief, pain). See the situation as it is in as much detail as you wish.

3. Receiving and taking in suffering. Focus on the situation by seeing an image of the suffering. Use the inbreath to receive the image and with the out-breath, transform it into something more positive. You may try using smoke changing into a healing white light. You can also see the person as being in pain and then visualizing their face turning into a smile. As you do this, recite several times: May this pain and suffering be released. Expanding compassion by extending it out to all who are in the same situation. Using the same inand-out breath practice described above, visualize and welcome an awareness of all who feel the same kind of suffering. On each out-breath offer them the mantra: May this pain and suffering be released. 5. Conclusion of the practice. Sit in silence for several more breaths, enjoying the feeling of release and transformation. Recite the final mantra: May all beings be well and live with ease. When ready, open your eyes slowly, bringing awareness back to the space you’re in, noticing your surroundings and all sensations that are present within you. 4.

(Please note that mindfulness and meditation are not substitutes for medical therapy.)