Tonglen for Our Own Suffering: 7 Variations on an Ancient Practice

Tonglen is a classic spiritual practice for awakening and strengthening compassion. We expand the heart to embrace everything in the human experience. Swami Girijananda’s approach, which blends elements from both the Buddhist and Hindu tantric traditions, focuses on releasing us from our own suffering through what she calls “breathing in the dark and breathing out the light.” Breaking down the steps of tonglen, she shows us how to face, befriend, and transform our darkness into light. First...