Tonglen is a Tibetan word, that means “giving and taking” or “sending and receiving.” It is a long-standing Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice, and in our time has been taught by figures like the Dalai Lama and Pema Chödrön.

It’s a way of meditation that cultivates a compassionate heart and helps us to see others with an eye of kindness and care. It is a way of anchoring yourself in bodhichitta, which means the Buddha-mind or enlightened-mind.