Tonglen Guided Meditation: Breathe In Suffering, Send Compassion

Tonglen — the Tibetan Buddhist practice of "taking and sending" — transforms your breath into an act of compassion. In this 4-minute guided session, Lama Tsultrim Allione leads you through the complete Tonglen practice: breathing in suffering, flashing on emptiness, and exhaling love. Tonglen begins where it's often hardest: with yourself. Lama Tsultrim guides you to breathe in your own pain and self-judgment, open to the spaciousness of emptiness, and release love and compassion into your body. From there, the practice expands outward — to those around you, to your community, and to all loved ones. This practice is suitable for complete beginners. You may keep your eyes open or closed. No prior meditation experience is required. The session is just over four minutes — enough time to feel the shift. Tonglen is one of the core practices of Tibetan Buddhism and has been taught in the West by Lama Tsultrim Allione for decades. Research on compassion-based practices suggests that cultivating compassion for others, when combined with self-compassion, can reduce emotional distress and increase feelings of well-being. 0:00 What Is Tonglen? Introduction to Taking and Sending 0:35 How Tonglen Uses the Breath: The Three-Part Structure 1:05 Beginning with Self-Compassion: Breathing In Your Own Suffering 2:36 Tonglen for Physical Pain and Illness 3:18 Expanding Compassion to Others Around You 4:15 Widening to Community, Family, and Loved Ones 🔗 Learn more about Lama Tsultrim Allione and Tara Mandala: https://taramandala.org 🔗 Explore the Feeding Your Demons practice and other teachings: https://taramandala.org/teachings 🔗 Learn about Tonglen and Tibetan Buddhist compassion practices: https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-prac... Lama Tsultrim Allione is an American-born Tibetan Buddhist teacher, author, and founder of Tara Mandala Retreat Center in Colorado. She was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1970 and later received full authorization to teach from Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. She is the author of Women of Wisdom and Feeding Your Demons, and is widely recognized as a leading voice bringing authentic Tibetan Buddhist teachings to Western practitioners. Subscribe for guided meditations, dharma teachings, and compassion practices from Lama Tsultrim Allione and the Tara Mandala community. #Tonglen #TibetanBuddhism #CompassionMeditation