Mindfulness, metta and tonglen meditation
Tonglen, pain
The roots of mindfulness meditation go back to Buddhism [Directly connected with this mindful attitude is Metta, a characteristic attribute of Buddhism and meditation form of its own. Metta linguistically originates from Pali meaning “goodness of heart”, or “loving kindness” [A further development of Metta Meditation is Tonglen Meditation, which emphasises the compassionate interpersonal relationship (for review, see McKnight, 2012). As the central element is breathing, it is also called “heart breathing”. The exhalation corresponds to the emission of visualized heart warmth, benevolence and compassion (Metta). The inhalation corresponds to the absorption and resolution of negative aspects (e.g., pain) by the attentive and compassionate heart warmth [Research on Tonglen Meditation indicates improvement in the areas of self-compassion and general humanity [