"I choose peace instead of this" is one of my favorite lines from A Course in Miracles. I always find myself taking a deep breath whenever I utter those words. And no other meditation, I have found, is as potent as Tonglen meditation to take me to that space of peace. Whenever something comes up within me, or around me, something I see and don't like, that makes me angry, sad or makes me feel helpless, this use of the mind, the intention and the breath has a powerful way of neutralizing that.
Beloved teacher Pema Chodron is the master who introduced Tonglen to me. Here she is in this short video introducing Tonglen. Do it for as long or as short as you wish and watch yourself transform.
Pema Chodron Tonglen Meditation
She teaches us to use the God-given power of mind, breath and body to do this. I am grateful.
The very first and basic steps of Yoganidra are designed for deep relaxation of the body so that the psyche can work at deeper levels of consciousness. This is necessary for the healing of the body and mind and coming into alignment with spirit.
The optimum state of functioning is when the body and the mind are perfectly aligned. From this space we can go about our everyday living with a sense of calm productivity. This short meditation paves the way for a practice to get there. Let us minimize stress.(9 min.)
