Tonglen with Buddha Smiling Mudra – Meditation

*this meditation is rated as a Level 2 as it is not one for True Beginners. This is not a basic meditation practice and I would suggest being prepared for taking on challenging thoughts, feelings and experiences of oneself and others whom you might bring into this practice. However the benefit is a reward of being of service. There is a known and felt reward of ones own peace and healing through being of service. Compassion begins with the capacity to hold our own life wrapped in the arm of our loving heart. Our ability to self care is supported through the attention of our hurt and pain, the kinder words we speak to ourselves on a daily basis and how we physically get our needs met. When we care for ourselves in a tender way, compassion will naturally awaken within us, it is intrinsic to our nature. We open to unconditional willingness and reconnect to something within where we feel safe, loved, with belonging and connected to a loving presence. At the same time, when we can face our own shadow side with tenderness, our empathy for other's struggles becomes more potent and we can truly sense the humanity that...