Tonglen Meditation for All

Tonglen is a Tibetan word which means "giving and receiving." Tonglen meditation is a breath based Tibetan Buddhist practice designed to take in and transform suffering for the benefit of all beings. Tonglen practice is generally introduced to people who already have a meditation practice and are familiar with using the breath in meditation; however, one can begin a Tonglen practice without former meditation experience. In fact, Tonglen is a practice holding such strong appeal for many of us who desire to help ourselves and others that it can ignite a true passion for meditation in a complete beginner. It feels like making a difference with our meditation, even though ALL meditation makes a positive difference! Those who have experienced prayer may feel a connection with Tonglen.

So what is the practice? How do you do it? If you can breathe with awareness, Tonglen is not a difficult technique. Sit comfortably with a straight spine and rest your hands in your lap (no particular hand position is mandatory). You can also practice lying on your back folding your hands over your heart. Close your eyes and draw your awareness to your breath. Once you establish a rhythm of your comfortable and complete in-breath and out-breath, feeling settled and focused on inhaling and exhaling, you are ready to practice Tonglen.

1. Form an intention to receive darkness and suffering, and to generate and send out light, mercy, compassion and healing. (This applies to your own suffering as well as that of others.)

2. Breathe in whatever you are feeling, and accept it. Breathe out well-being.

3. Visualize all suffering as black smoke and all well-being as white light. Imagine breathing in black smoke and breathing out white light; you are transforming suffering with your breath.

4. Apply this practice to the suffering of loved ones (people you know) and also to strangers, people in your community, in your state, in your nation and across the world who are experiencing hardships and suffering.

5. Concentrate your attention on the particular experience of suffering you wish to alleviate, and engage in the breathing practice above.

There is no particular professed faith or religious affiliation required to practice Tonglen. It can feel a lot like prayer, since you are using your intention to generate compassion, bestow mercy and initiate healing transformation--but you don't need to believe in the power of prayer to use this practice.

For those familiar with Christianity, Jesus on the cross is symbolic of the transformation inherent in Tonglen practice. In his act on the cross, Jesus exchanged the sins, pain and suffering of all for salvation. The Greek root words sōzō, sōtēr, and sōtēria, "save," "savior," and "salvation" are the foundation of the Christian creeds. Biblical scholars tells us these words have different literal meanings than what we find in most Bible translations. To be "saved" is closer in meaning to being made whole, a "savior" is one who makes whole, and "salvation" is therapeutic restoration. This is the basic intention of Tonglen practice.

Even if the only difference Tonglen makes is your own healing and peace of mind in the midst of suffering, it is well worth any effort and time you put into it.

Come Home

A baby, emerging into the world,
takes a first breath. From this moment,
the breath is home.

The health of the body is nourished and sustained by the breath.

The state of the mind is reflected in the state of the breath.

As we breathe, so we are.

Whatever is happening inside or outside,
the breath is present.

When we sleep, we breathe. When we work, we breathe.
When we laugh, and when we cry, we breathe.

In each moment, when we come home to ourselves, we come home to our breath.

When we leave this world, we breathe our last breath.

As long as we live, we cannot escape the presence and the power of the breath.

To consciously breathe is to come home to who we are.

Our breath knows us intimately. Our breath knows us better than we know it.

Let the breath be your guide and your refuge. Keep your focus on your breath,
experiencing the wonder of your being, the miracle of your life.

The powerful simplicity of concentration on the breath is a blessed remedy to our ills.

Come home to your breath, and rest.

Balancing Brain and Mood with Yoga

Did you know that one side of your brain is more associated with anxiety, depression and antisocial behavior than the other? 

High stress and various types of trauma can cause the right forebrain to become excessively dominant. Some people are born with this type of forebrain asymmetry. With frontal asymmetries in the brain, many people have difficulty concentrating, lack social skills, feel disconnected and have poor impulse control. These individuals often experience a high level of negative thoughts and emotions. 

We can address asymmetries in the brain through physical movements which naturally balance activity between the left and right hemispheres, across the corpus calossum. Contralateral movements synchronize opposing limbs on their respective sides, and crosslateral movements cross the midline of the body with opposing limbs. Practicing these sorts of movements in conjunction with the breath in a yoga practice has been shown to balance mood and decrease anxiety and depression. Additionally, these practices enhance the attention network in the brain and nervous system. 

This video demonstrates a few yoga poses which may be quite familiar, yet you may not have known that in doing them, you were balancing your mood and brain hemispheres! 

There are many styles of yoga using these types of movements, and in any good yoga class you will be instructed in breathing and relaxation techniques to address mental and physical imbalances. To find a practice that addresses your particular imbalances, seek out a qualified teacher to custom design a program for you.

Advent Meditation for Joy

Sitting comfortably with your body supported, close your eyes. Notice your breath and the way it feels in your body. Allow yourself to be fully present where you are, at home in yourself. Say silently to yourself, "welcome home." Being here, now, begin to soften internally. Let your breath become smooth and even, cuing your muscles, your organs, your nervous system, and even your brain, to soften and open up. Soft and yielding, we are opening to the Lord's coming.

In this season of Advent, we are opening to receive the Lord's light. In this third week of Advent, we are opening to receive the Lord's joy.

Invite spiritual joy into your being. Breathing joy in, and breathing joy out, turn your attention within, awakening the joy already present within you. Envision joy as points of light, within and all around you.

See the color of joy.

Feel the texture of joy.

Experience the aroma of joy.

Savor the presence of joy.

As you breathe joy in, feel the light of joy illumine your body, moving from the crown of your head, to the space between your eyebrows, to your temples, to your ears, your jaw, your throat, your neck, collarbones, feeling the warmth and light of joy spread across your chest, resounding deeply in your heart, spreading through your upper arms, forearms, wrists, into your hands to the tips of your fingers...breathing sweetly into your belly, feel the warmth of joy spread through your abdomen, across your back, down into your low belly, into your hips, pelvic region, and lower back...feel joy moving down your legs, to your knees, the muscles on the fronts of your legs, the backs of your legs, your ankles, spreading into your feet, into each of your ten toes. Feel your feet on the floor, and your seat on the chair, grounding you into the presence of joy. Feel the lift of your head and your spine rising up to greet within you and all around you the presence of joy as you inhale and exhale, embraced by the presence of holy joy.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him." And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." Matthew 2:8-10

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. 1 Peter 1:8


Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. Psalm 16:9

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Christian Meditation for Advent

Christian meditation and contemplative prayer have a long history, even if meditation is something many people do not associate with Christianity. Early Christian monks and nuns spent many hours in prayer, meditating on scripture and waiting in silence upon the spirit of the Lord. In Christianity's more recent history, theological analysis has overshadowed the more internal, quiet practice of meditation.

As modern Christians gather in community and cultivate their shared faith, much solace and solidarity can be gained from coming together to meditate.

Many passages from the Bible refer to personal spiritual practice and quiet time spent with God. There are too many to list in one place. My favorites: "When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place…"(Matthew 6:6), and "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

Our faith is one of action, focused on shining the Light of Christ into the world through performing the works exemplified by Jesus: helping people in need, healing the sick, championing the downtrodden, being good stewards of the Earth, and, of course, worshiping God.

Meditation is a practice that counterbalances all of the external acts we perform as Christians. Especially at this time of year, we are busy preparing for the Holidays, collecting items for the needy, preparing food and gifts, planning church events, traveling to see family, celebrating after hours with co-workers, practicing for Christmas Chorales... In the Bible, we read about the many times that Jesus retreated into solitude to commune with his Father, God. He showed us by example that we are called to do so as well.

Christian meditation differs only from any other meditation in its focus upon calling in the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit, waiting upon the presence and inspiration of God, and allowing the silence to be filled up with these Holy gifts. Otherwise, the practices are the same: sitting comfortably with a straight spine, focusing on the breath, stilling the busy mind, and usually using a mantra (repeated phrase to anchor the mind back to the meditation). Many Christian meditators use the mantra, maranatha, an Aramaic word meaning, "Come Lord." Another prayer phrase can also be chosen, or you can choose to say a prayer at the beginning of your meditation and use mindfulness meditation in the quiet that follows, waiting upon the Lord.

What follows is a brief guided meditation prepared for the season of Advent, a time when we wait patiently for the Light of Christ to be revealed in the darkness of Winter. With so much literal and metaphorical darkness in our world at this time, calling in the Light in our meditation is a healing respite and a balm for our hearts. Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life"(John 8:12).

Find a comfortable seat where you can be at ease in your body. Bring the hands together in prayer at the heart. Gently close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your breath. Allow your breath to slow down and deepen, naturally soothing you and calming your body and mind. In this reverent, peaceful position, allow your focus to turn to the Holy One. Turn your heart towards God. Silently recite the Lord's Prayer to yourself, or another prayer of your choosing. Focus on the meaning of each line of the prayer. After you close your prayer with Amen, bring your hands to rest gently in your lap. 

Begin silently repeating the mantra, "Maranatha, Come Lord," to yourself. You can repeat Maranatha as you inhale, and Come Lord as you exhale. If you'd like to choose another mantra, you can chose a word, Love, Hope, Peace or Joy, breathing love in and breathing love out, breathing peace in and breathing peace out... Without judgment, let all other thoughts come and go as you bring your awareness consistently to your mantra and your breath. 

With each breath, feel more grounded in the presence of the Lord. With each heartbeat, experience your connection to the heart of Christ. 

Feel the inner Light of Christ expand through your heart, through your chest, throughout your entire being. 

Envision the Light of Christ surrounding you here and now, encircling your body and radiating from your core. 

As you continue breathing and sitting here, in the stillness, imagine the Light of Christ emanating from you, spreading beyond your body, beyond this room, beyond this building, spreading out into your community, your country, your world, even into the whole of the Universe. Feel your deep connection to the God of the Universe and all of His creation. 

Rest here in this glorious space. 

99 Problems But You Are Not One

You may have problems needing solving or fixing, but you, my friend, do not need someone or something to fix you, change you or make you over.

Because I teach yoga, I see a lot of fitness and diet trends (why would that be? because our society equates yoga with fitness and attractive bodies). I think of yoga as a tool for physical, mental and spiritual health. Fitness is a part of that, no doubt. But fitness is not more important than the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga, AND the physical aspect is not just about fitness. It's about the health of your nervous system, your immune system, your endocrine system, your spine...and so much more, folks.

I respect the work of fitness professionals, traditional and alternative doctors, practitioners of complimentary medicine...there's a long list of people I respect, admire and collaborate with on many levels in my job as a yoga teacher.

However: I want to set myself apart from the people trying to fix you!

I took part in a recent discussion around body image, illness and aging. Along with nine other yoga teachers, I shared how my practice has informed my feelings about my body. We all agreed on one thing: we love ourselves just as we are. One teacher used the metaphor of courtship, engagement and marriage for her relationship with her body. She is in love with her body and she is not an abusive spouse. Another teacher spoke of a colleague who had committed suicide after struggling with body image. She was emaciated and had plastic surgery for breast implants, then a few years later, she killed herself. No one likes to talk about those stories which happen to other people, even when in the midst of our own body image struggles. We need to kill the body image struggles rather than killing ourselves. This needs to be said.

I've been hearing a lot about Cross Fit lately. "Work out so hard that nothing in the office scares you," is one post I have seen, along with mentions of pain and bruises in a positive context of self-improvement. I've also seen a lot of advertisements on social media and television for a diet and exercise program called the 21 Day Fix. I like the program from the sounds of it: portion control and strengthening exercises you can do at home. But the marketing seems centered around concepts like fixing your body so you can look good, and sticking to a diet without "cheating." If you love yourself, why would you cheat on yourself? And why would you think you need fixing? During the holidays the onslaught of diet and fitness advertisements will increase. Halloween was a good one to get people motivated: work off those treats! Have a plan to counteract Thanksgiving dinner! God forbid you enjoy yourself and not have a counterattack in the works!

Why do these advertising tactics succeed? Why do people yo-yo diet? Why do they want to hurt themselves in their workouts? No pain, no gain? What do all of these "health" and "fitness" trends say about the relationship we have with our bodies? Sounds a lot like spousal abuse to me.

We have to get to know our bodies before we can develop lasting love for them. We need to take time to connect: to our breath, our feelings, our energy. A relationship not based on love, trust and respect is doomed to fail.

Practicing yoga is a process of self-inquiry, involving all aspects of the self. The health of the mind and spirit are inextricably linked to the health of the body. All parts of us work together, ideally in harmony. Insult one part of yourself and you insult the whole. Deprive one part of yourself and you deprive the entirety of who you are.

You don't need to be fixed. You need to be loved. You need to be appreciated. You need to be treated well. Solve your problems, remedy your ills, fix your broken parts, but don't ever confuse all of those for who you really are.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:14

Five Obstacles Obscuring Our Light

Traditional Yoga philosophy claims that all we truly need for our own peace and happiness lies within us. Every individual possesses an unshakable inner wisdom to illuminate the path of enlightenment. Yoga itself is not something outside of us; instead, Yoga is the natural unified state of our consciousness with universal consciousness. Yoga means "union." The teachings of Yoga tell us that we are already whole; all we need to do is realize that wholeness. 

The thought that I am already yogic inside and don't have to chase after enlightenment uplifts, inspires and encourages me!

The second chapter of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras presents the yogic methods to attain liberation. According to Patanjali, there are five major obstacles, the kleshas, regularly obscuring our latent brilliance. These are:

1. Avidya/Ignorance

2. Asmita/Egoism

3. Raga/Desire

4. Dvesa/Aversion

5. Abhinivesa/Fear of death

The translations given for the Sanskrit words above are rough. I will briefly explain each obstacle:

The obstacle of ignorance has to do with a case of mistaken identity. Avidya is mistaking what is false for what is true, what is not me for what is me, what is impure for what is pure. This type of ignorance obscures us from seeing our true self. Instead, we mistakenly believe that we are what we have, what we do, or what others think of us. Wayne Dyer gives a beautiful explanation of this false sense of identity we develop in the film, The Shift. 

Asmita is the type of egoism that preoccupies us with defining ourselves and defending our idea of who we are above all else: think labels, comparisons, judgments. Again, in The Shift, Wayne Dyer talks about this type of ego as EGO, Edging God Out. 

Raga is not a healthy kind of desire. Some desires are, of course, healthy! Raga is an imbalanced craving or attachment that keeps us chasing after one thing or person or another, in our minds, our thoughts and our actions. Raga keeps us on the run, constantly chasing fulfillment. 

Dvesa is the flip side of raga, the aversions that keep us running away or pushing away from people, places and things. Where do you find your dvesa? Fill in these blanks: "I can't stand ____. I won't be around ____. I am terrified of ______. I refuse to _____." What else can you think of that brings up your aversion? Try being with the feeling of aversion rather than acting on it. This is something we work on in both our postural and meditation practices. 

The final obstacle, fear of death, refers also to a fear of living your life to its fullest. It is a fear of impermanence, a sort of rigidity that makes us like stiff corpses. We try to make our existence fit into a neat little box by avoiding new experiences, staying perfectly safe within tired routines, shying away from sharing our love or gifts. Instead of truly living, we die little deaths every day, wanting to keep things just the way we like them in our tepid comfort zone. 

The most powerful book passage I can find about these obstacles obscuring our light is from When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron. 

We think that if we just meditated enough or jogged enough or ate perfect food, everything would be perfect. But from the point of view of someone who is awake, that's death. Seeking security or perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self-contained and comfortable, is some kind of death. It doesn't have any fresh air. There's no room for something to come in and interrupt all that. We are killing the moment by controlling our experience. Doing this is setting ourselves up for failure, because sooner or later we're going to have an experience we can't control: [fill in with your favorite examples of tragedy and disappointment].

The essence of life is that it's challenging. Sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses and sometimes it relaxes or opens. Sometimes you have a headache, and sometimes you feel 100% healthy. From an awakened perspective, trying to tie up all the loose ends and finally get it together is death, because it involves rejecting a lot of your basic experience. There is something aggressive about that approach to life, trying to flatten out all the rough spots and imperfections into a nice, smooth ride. 

To be fully alive, fully human and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again. From the awakened point of view, that's life. Death is wanting to hold onto what you have and to have every experience confirm you and congratulate you and make you feel completely together. So even though we say [abhinivesa] is fear of death, it's actually fear of life. 

Acceptance of ourselves and our circumstances, an ability to be present to our life, and a deep and abiding self-love will emerge from the darkness the more we become aware of our obstacles.