As we near the end of June, I’m thrilled so many of my readers are giving meditation some serious consideration. Hearing from people who thought they could never sit still, and yet, they’re finding it possible to do just that for a few minutes every day. We’ve explored many different types of meditation this month, and I didn’t want to move on to July’s goal without mentioning two more: Tonglen and Guided Death meditations. Two practices that I’ve found invaluable for me, my clients, and their caregivers.
There is a moment, familiar to anyone who has sat bedside with a dying person, when stillness envelopes the room. Words run out. Reassurances ring hollow. The hand we’re holding is connected to someone crossing into territory where we cannot follow — not yet.
What do we do with that helplessness?
For centuries, Tibetan Buddhist practitioners have had an answer: breathe into it.
Tonglen, a Tibetan word meaning “giving and taking”, is a meditation practice at the heart of what many traditi…
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