Magic in the Time of Coronavirus: Mass Meditation for Healing and Compassion

”Breathe in for all of us and breathe out for all of us.“ —Pema Chödron

This meditative ritual, which can be done any time, in coordination with others or alone, empowers individuals to heal themselves and their loved ones. Simultaneously, it helps each of us increase compassion for ourselves and others in our time of chaos, anxiety, and uncertainty.

Think of this simple practice as a heart sanitizer.

The ritual is ecumenical, and can be done by anyone of any spiritual tradition (or none). As with all of the rituals and meditations I have created, view this as “open source” and tweak or alter to fit your tradition. Options and variations will be forthcoming.

The first coordinated mass working of this ritual will start at 11pm EDT on Tuesday, March 24th, 2020. Please join us then if you can!

P.S. I’ve added a link to a bonus meditation at the bottom of this page, Andrew Weil’s 4–7–8 breath. It can be a literal lifesaver, so please watch the video and commit the (very simple) practice to memory. Do it any time you feel stressed, anxious, scared, or uneasy. It’s also helpful when you can’t sleep. It works within minutes and is incredibly powerful. Seriously–just skip to it now if you’re anxious and give it a try!

Description and Background: This ritual was created in the tradition of a Buddhist meditation called Tonglen, which can be translated as “sending and receiving.” In brief, you breathe in the pain and suffering of yourself and your loved ones, then exhale calmness, compassion, love, and healing. As you do the practice regularly, you begin to expand the circle of healing out to your community, and ultimately your world.

For those who wish to go a bit deeper into the practice, you can start with this article by Joan Halifax. But for now, simply follow the directions below as best as you can.

All of us are feeling—to some level—anxiety, fear, and unease, and this ritual is designed to help us confront those unpleasant feelings and transmute them into compassion and love for ourselves and others. As Halifax writes:

Tonglen is one of the richest and bravest practices that we can do. In teaching this practice for more than twenty-five years, I have been told again and again that this one practice has helped many people immeasurably in attending to their own fears around pain, suffering, dying, and loss and has given them a real basis for the joining of compassion and equanimity . . . .

We begin the practice with a heart that is truly committed to helping others and to working openly with our own situation. When we look deeply into how this can actually happen, we see that to help others, we must relate with kindness toward our own suffering, our rage, helplessness, and frustration, our doubt, bitterness, and fear.

The practice of Sending and Receiving helps us to get in touch with the obstacles that prevent us from understanding and caring. Through our own experience with suffering and the development of an atmosphere of openness toward it, we can begin to accept and be with others and ourselves in a more open, kind and understanding way. Our own difficult personal experiences then become the bridge that leads us to compassion and to giving no fear.

As Pema Chödron summarized the practice:

Breathe in for all of us and breathe out for all of us.

Use what seems like poison as medicine. Use your personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.

Breathe in for all of us and breathe out for all of us.

Instructions (v1.3)

Ready to give it a try? Read over the instructions first then find a quiet spot and get your flowers, white candle, and matches (or a lighter) ready.

Components:

• White candle (any size) and matches or lighter
• Fragrant flowers or herbs, a naturally-scented candle, spice, or other strong, plant-based scent that you love and will not trigger allergies. You can fill a small container with healing herbs, resins, flowers, etc. Be creative.
• Quartz (or other stone) or other small, sacred/meaningful object (optional)

1. Find a quiet space. This is a great meditation to do outdoors as well, especially in sun- or moonlight. But any quiet spot is fine. Place the candle and flowers/herb in front of you. Put the crystal or object (if you’re using one)next to the candle.
2. Sit comfortably with your back straight (if physically possible), on the floor or in a chair. You can also lie down, but do Step 3 (light the candle) before lying down.
3. Light your white candle. Watch the flame for a few moments as you breathe slowly and deeply through your nose with mouth closed. You can call on God(dess) or a deity to be with you and bless you, or just do your best to feel at one with the Universe and connected to something bigger than yourself. Relax more with each breath.
4. If it feels comfortable, hold in your hands in the typical prayer posture against your chest. If you’re using a small crystal or object, hold it within your clasped hands. You can also rest your hands in your lap, or in your preferred mudra.
5. Recite the following:
   
   May I be free of suffering; may I be at peace.
   May you be free of suffering; may you be at peace.
   May all beings be free of suffering; may all beings be at peace.
   May all be healed and blessed.
   Amen. (Or so be it or so mote it be)
6. The following steps take place with your eyes closed. For now, practice the breathing and visualizations as you read them. The whole process is really very simple.
7. Breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, slowly and deeply. As you do, imagine you are drawing in, through your breath, all the anxiety and suffering within your body. Visualize it as gray smoke being pulled into your heart. Really let yourself feel it and don’t be afraid to experience it in its rawness.
8. Exhale slowly through your mouth, with your lips pursed (like you’re blowing a kiss or whistling). As you do, visualize your heart glowing brightly with healing power. That energy flows from your fiery heart through and out of your mouth as you exhale. When the bright white light leaves your mouth it forms a misty glowing sphere around you. This sphere protects you and carries healing and peace.
9. Repeat the breathing and the visualization for a few minutes. Each time you inhale, feel all your anxiety and fear, like dismal fog, being pulled into your heart. When you exhale, blow out a sphere of healing energy around you, watching it become thicker and more solid with each breath. Do it until you feel like you’ve built up a brightly glowing cloud of healing and protection around you and all the gray fog/anxiety in your body has been transformed.
10. Now we’ll extend our circle of compassion and healing with each breath.
11. Now, as you breathe in, draw in the suffering, anxiety, worry of those in your present environment (these days, likely your home or workplace). Pets included. Feel all that pain and suffering going up your nose as smoky plasma into your heart. Visualize each one of them, and understand their pain and fear, and pull it into your center.
12. Exhale through pursed lips as your heart swells with bright white light. The stream of cool, healing, calming energy—originating in your heart and blowing out of your mouth—builds a protective, healing sphere around you and your loved ones. See each of them, now calm, and healthy, and at peace.
13. Inhale, drawing in the suffering and pain and fear from your larger living or working area—the collective miasma that has built up. As you exhale, experience healing and peace flowing from your breath to your family members, roommates, animals, plants. By transforming your suffering and their suffering into compassion, you are healing them and bringing them peace. This will heal you.
14. Do it for a few minutes and with each exhalation, visualize the cooling, healing, bright energy increasingly filling your home/apartment and calming all beings within it. Including yourself.
15. Inhale slowly and deeply in from that cloud of cool, healing energy around you. Feel it entering and fixing and cleaning your cells. THEN: Open your eyes. Exhale slowly. Pick up the flowers and hold them directly beneath your nose.
16. Close your eyes. Inhale slowly and deeply from the flowers. Feel their cleansing, life-giving, affirming energy going through your nose, into your brain, and penetrating all of your cells and DNA. Your body is blazing with the energies of spring and sunlight and love.
17. Continue for three inhalations, then put the flowers (and your crystal if you have one) down.
18. Bring your hands back to prayer position. Recite one more time:

May I be free of suffering; may I be at peace.
May you be free of suffering; may you be at peace.
May all beings be free of suffering; may all beings be at peace.
May all be healed and blessed.
Amen.

Open your eyes and sit with the candle quietly for as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, blow out the candle, ending the ritual.

Advanced Practice: Go Bigger

You liked that? Ready to go deeper? Here’s how.

• Expand the Circle. Inhale the suffering of your entire block. Your apartment building. Your city. Bioregion. Planet. Start slowly but don’t be afraid to go big. This is the goal of Tonglen: to ease the pain and suffering of all sentient beings, starting with yourself.
• Experiment. When you feel comfortable with the above meditation, feel free to experiment. Play with it. Visualize pink or green for the color of your heart’s glow. Exhale bright blue.
• Work on Specific Beings. Is your dog anxious? Your child? Your sister who lives in another country? Work specifically with an individual in need. You can do on-the-spot Tonglen when you see someone suffering without any other way to help.

Q&A

What does this have to do with stopping COVID-19?

The aim of this ritual is not to stop the flow of the virus—in my experience, it is hard to work magic against relentless viral mathematics. Others are certainly focusing on that goal, and I support them wholeheartedly. This ritual meditation serves a critical purpose: to alleviate suffering of sentient beings while empowering each of us to be healers and peacemakers.

We’re facing an unimaginable level of uncertainty and fear. Mistrust. Anger. Anxiety. Exhaustion. Despair. We need to learn to process those emotions and mental states, so we can help those around us.

So it’s not a healing ritual?

This ritual also employs energy work designed to heal us physically as well as emotionally. But do all your regular physical activities: eat well, take walks in the sunshine, and get plenty of restful sleep.

How often should I do it?

Once a day is fine, or whenever you feel compelled.

What if i can’t visualize?

Not a problem. Just imagine. Describe what’s happening to yourself via internal monologue.

Will I be okay?

Who knows? But one thing is certain: compassion builds strength and resilience so you can take better care of yourself and others.

Is there a cheat sheet?

Yes. 1. Inhale suffering, exhale healing. 2. Repeat. 3. Expand the circle. 4. Be sure to smell the flowers.

***BONUS: LIFE SAVING BREATHING TECHNIQUE!

Andrew Weil’s 4–7–8 Breath: Please watch this and share—it could save your life!

https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/the-4-7-8-breath-health-benefits-demonstration/