Transforming Anxiety Into Peace: A Guided Meditation on Compassion

This meditation journey encourages listeners to confront anxiety with compassion through the practice of Tonglen. By transforming personal suffering and extending empathy towards others, we discover the inner strength and peace that resides within us all. 
• Introduction to the practice of releasing anxiety 
• Noticing and acknowledging feelings of tension 
• Incorporating the Buddhist practice of Tonglen 
• Sending compassion to oneself and others 
• Embracing the stillness at our core 
• Concluding with gratitude and the power of breath

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Chapters

• 0:24 Meditation for Anxiety and Compassion
• 9:10 Present Moment Peace and Gratitude

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Hey there, today's meditation is for releasing anxiety and it's also about offering compassion. The reason I chose to do this today is that there's so much going on in the world that we can't control, and sometimes there's a feeling that there's nothing we can do about it. So we meditate to help ourselves feel centered. But I wanted to share with you this practice of Tonglen that I learned through the Buddhist practice, which can help you also feel like you are doing something by sending out an offering of compassion, so I'm going to incorporate that into this practice. So, when you're ready, take a deep breath in and just let it go. Settle into this moment. Feel the support beneath you, holding you steady. Allow your shoulders to relax, your jaw to soften and your hands to rest gently. There's nothing to do right now. Simply be here with me. Bring your attention to your breath. Take a slow, deep breath in feeling the air enter your body and exhale fully, releasing any tension that you've been holding. Breathe in again steady and calm, and exhale, letting your body soften even more more With each breath. Feel yourself settling deeper into this moment, into the steady, beautiful rhythm of your breath.

Speaker 1: 3:14

Now take a moment to notice any anxiety, any stress or any tension within you and draw awareness around where you feel it in your body. Is it in your chest? Maybe it's in your stomach or your shoulders? Maybe it's in your mind. Wherever you feel it, simply notice it, without trying to push it away, without judging it, simply acknowledge it gently. This is where I feel. Stress it gently. This is where I feel stress. This is where I feel anxiety. This is Now. Let's transform this energy using the Buddhist practice of tonglen, a practice of taking in suffering and sending out relief for yourself and for others. Imagine your breath as a channel of healing, one that connects you to all beings.

Speaker 1: 5:03

With your next inhale, breathe in the anxiety, pain or tension that you are feeling and, as you breathe in, imagine it as a dark, heavy cloud entering your heart, not to burden you but to be transformed. Pause for a moment in the space between breaths and feel the power of your heart, a space so vast and so luminous that it can hold and transform anything. As you exhale, release light, release relief, release and send out compassion. Imagine sending out a warm, bright light to yourself and to anyone who may also be feeling this kind of pain. Now, bring to mind others who may be feeling the same way as you Breathe in their anxiety, fear or uncertainty as you inhale. Imagine taking their suffering into your heart, just as you did your own. Pause for a moment, holding this with and feel it dissolve into light as you exhale. Send out peace, calm and love. Imagine this light spreading outwards, touching everyone who needs it, offering relief to those who are struggling. With each breath, you're transforming not only your own pain, but contributing to the healing of the world. Say to yourself I breathe in suffering. I breathe out peace. I breathe in fear. I breathe in anxiety. I breathe out calm.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Now bring your attention back inward, to the stillness that resides at the core of your being. Feel the strength of your heart, the part of you that is vast, unshakable and full of compassion. No matter what happens around you, this stillness remains. Say to yourself no matter what I face, my heart is steady. No matter the chaos around me, I remain whole, whole. I am connected to all beings and together we can transform pain into peace.

Speaker 1: 9:10

Bring your awareness back to your breath now. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Notice the sensations in your body, the weight of your hands, the grounding of your feet. You are here right now, in this moment. The past is behind you, the future is not yet here. The future is not yet here. In this moment, you are full, you are safe. In this moment, you are steady.

Speaker 1: 10:29

Say to yourself I am present, I am whole, I am at peace. Take a few breaths here, embodying this feeling. And now, before we close, take a moment to thank yourself, thank yourself for showing up, thank yourself for offering kindness to yourself and to others. Feel the gratitude for the strength of your heart and the power of your breath. Now, as you prepare to return to the day, know that this practice is always available to you. You can return to it whenever you need to, to release stress and reconnect to your inner calm. And, when you're ready, gently bring your awareness back to the room. Wiggle your fingers and toes, feel the support beneath you, beneath you and, when you're ready, open your eyes and carry with you the knowing that you are both strong and compassionate and that your heart has the power to transform not only your own suffering but the suffering of others. Take a deep breath in and let it go. You are free, you are at peace, you are connected. I'm so very grateful for you, my friend Namaste.