Thanks Roseann: This is good step-by-step advice for the beginner practitioner. A good way to let go of our anger towards others (for example, a parent) and experience compassion instead ! Your comments are appreciated! Barbara

Hi Barbara,
I just “happened” across your blog–had to smile at this happenstance. I also have FMS and practice Tonglin. I hadn’t actually thought about FMS and Tonglin in a specific connected way, but only as a part of the whole of life. My teacher had a good suggestion, I think, when learning the practice of Tonglin, which is not so easy with all of human-kind sometimes He suggested we start out by “practicing” (i.e. Tonglin “practice”) by visualing someone we love very much and in meditation visualize ourselves taking in their pain, either psychic or physical. Then we visualize that pain flowing into our heart where we are holding the bright light of healing and compassion and wisdom (of the Buddha, or Jesus or a Universal being). Then as that pain is absorbed and the pain dissolves in the light we breath out that healing light to the other person we want to have happiness and healing . As we practice more and our compassion grows it becomes easier to step up our “practice” to those we feel more “neutral” about, and later to those who have caused pain to us or others by their actions or nature. The “practice” works. The compassion does grow, even for our selves. Another name for this practice is “Exchanging Self for Others.” Blessings to you as you grow. Roseann

Hi Robin:
You are right it has been many months since I wrote this blog. Now, I have come to a place where I have found answers: Mindfulness Meditation. It is where I belong in the meditation realm. Tied in to neuroplasticity, changing the brain, diaphragmatic breathing, motion, remapping the brain…I have learned so much these past few months thanks to all the wonderful neuroscience books. Thank you for your comments. I really appreciated them. Barbara

I teach beginning meditation classes, and I use a variety of methods. this is so people can choose what may work best for them. I am just preparing an introduction to Tonglin, which strikes me as a Tibetan philosophy, that follows along the lines of the kindness/compassion meditations (Also Buddhist in background).
I suggest that you practice focusing on the breath, then breathing in all the goodness the Universe has to offer, and breathing out compassion to others, before working on the Tonglin Method.

Or you can breathe in goodness, prana, etc, and learn to breathe out your pain, tensions, thoughts…before trying Tonglin.

As I see it’s been months since your original post, I would be curious to see if you tried it, and how well you did with that type of meditation. I will go to the later blog dates… RM

April 7/09
Do read the March 25/09 blog for more of my thoughts on all this! BK

Thanks Marian: Presumably Tonglin can also be used to incorporate our own stress and pain and develop empathy for ourselves? Too often those of us with fibro become angry with our body/mind for not being able to let go of the pain. Empathy begins from within and those with fibro have too much empathy for others and often do not have it for ourselves.
You are right, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be very helpful for fibro! Thanks for your comments! Barbara

Hi: Tonglin in its purest form is to breathe in all the pain and suffering of others and incorporate it into your own psyche so that you can understand that the stress, pain and anxiety you feel is felt by some degree by all human beings. The purpose of Tonglin is to gain awareness of and empathy for all human beings through our shared pain.

Having said all that, you could use mindfulness meditation for breathing in fibromyalgia pain and the releasing the pain with your exhale.

Don’t worry so much about completely letting go – just concentrate on your breath. In Out. In Out.

Good luck,
Marian