--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In tonglen practice, when we see or feel…" description: "\"In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it. Then we breat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/pema-ch-dr-n-327_accepting_in-tonglen-practice-when-we-see-or-feel_3174287.png" --- # In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we… ![“In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it. Then we breathe out, radiating compassion, lovingkindness, freshness - anything that encourages relaxation and openness. So you're training in softening, rather…” quote by Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/pema-ch-dr-n-327_accepting_in-tonglen-practice-when-we-see-or-feel_3174287.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/pema-ch-dr-n-327_accepting_in-tonglen-practice-when-we-see-or-feel_3174287.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/pema-ch-dr-n-327_accepting_in-tonglen-practice-when-we-see-or-feel_3174287.png) > “In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we  breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it. Then we breathe out, radiating compassion, lovingkindness, freshness - anything that encourages relaxation and openness.  So you're training in softening, rather than tightening, your heart. In this practice, it's not uncommon to find yourself blocked, because you come face to face with your own fear, resistance, or whatever your personal "stuckness" happens to be at that moment.” [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tonglen invites us to breathe in suffering, accept it, then breathe out compassion, turning personal fear into openness. **In simple terms:** Breathe in pain, breathe out love, softening the heart. Key Takeaway Practice breathing in pain and breathing out compassion. Themes compassion mindfulness emotional resilience spiritual practice healing Mood calm hopeful cautious Type instructional spiritual therapeutic When to use this quote - meditation - counseling - stress management - personal growth Key Concepts tonglen acceptance heart‑softening Questions to Reflect On - What fear arises when you face your own suffering? - How can you safely practice compassion when feeling stuck? A Different Perspective The method can be overwhelming for those with severe trauma; professional support may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Freshness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freshness/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Lovingkindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovingkindness/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openness/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Relaxation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxation/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [One very powerful and effective way to work with this tendency to push away pain and hold on to pleasure is the practice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/one-very-powerful-and-effective-way-to-work-with-this-tendency-to/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Tonglen practice begins to dissolve the illusion that each of us is alone with this personal suffering that no one else can understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/tonglen-practice-begins-to-dissolve-the-illusion-that-each-of-us-is/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“The premise of tonglen is, at a very basic level, to breathe in suffering and breathe out joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/the-premise-of-tonglen-is-at-a-very-basic-level-to-breathe-in/) [Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/) > [i swore i could feel my lies slithering inside me like snakes, wrapping themselves around me and constricting. i felt they were squeezing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/i-swore-i-could-feel-my-lies-slithering-inside-me-like-snakes/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [“Tonglen practice has four stages: Rest your mind for a second or two in a state of openness or stillness. 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Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses, and sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/the-essence-of-life-is-that-it-s-challenging-sometimes-it-is-sweet/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [If we run a hundred miles an hour to the other end of the continent in order to get away from the obstacle, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-we-run-a-hundred-miles-an-hour-to-the-other-end-of-the-continent/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“But in this meditation technique, we are with the out-breath; there's no particular instruction about what to do until the next out-breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/but-in-this-meditation-technique-we-are-with-the-out-breath-there-s/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know. 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I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In tonglen practice, when we see or feel suffering, we  breathe in with the notion of completely feeling it, accepting it, and owning it. Then we breathe out, radiating compassion, lovingkindness, freshness - anything that encourages relaxation and openness.  So you're training in softening, rather than tightening, your heart. 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