We don’t sit in meditation to become good meditators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll be more awake in our lives.
One very powerful and effective way to work with this tendency to push away pain and hold on to pleasure is the practice of tonglen. In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it.
Tonglen is a way for you to be with people who need you - beginning with yourself.
