This guided meditation—part of the system of practices known as the "four applications of mindfulness"—is focused on experiencing our physical sensations directly, without conceptual overlays and proxy mental images. By removing the interfering projections, we train in the skill of clearly discerning different layers of our mental activity: perceptual and conceptual. This increases clarity of vision and makes us less reactive.

Guided meditations

Mindfulness of the Body: Dropping the Projections | Guided meditation

This practice of body scan is embedded into the broader context of the four applications of mindfulness: it not only helps us to become more familiar with our body, but slowly leads us towards a new type attitude towards our physical energy as a network of interdependent events. This method, though simple in itself, often precedes other types of "mindfulness of the body" meditations.

Also available on YouTube and InsightTimer

Mindfulness of the Body: Body Scan | Guided meditation

The traditional approach to cultivating equanimity in the Tibetan tradition entails analysing our tendency to divide beings into three categories—and then opening our hearts boundlessly for all. In this practice, we combine this analytical approach with the act of experiencing our interbeing with all.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_xqz9i--Ks

InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/brotherlobsang/guided-meditations/equanimity-towards-beings

Equanimity towards beings | Guided meditation

This practice of tenderness and loving kindness (two interconnected qualities known as "tsewa" and "jampa" in the Tibetan Dharma vocabulary) takes us through the stages of cultivating progressive levels of warm-heartedness for ourselves as a person. It might be especially helpful for those who are cultivating a kind attitude towards themselves or need a firm foundation for kindness towards others.

Narrated by Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube

Diving into Tender Love for Ourselves | Guided meditation

This practice for cultivating conative intelligence (wise discernment with regards to our aspirations, wishes, and intentions) is centered around the qualities of wisdom and compassion – around their ability to protect us from overwhelming greed, hatred, and ignorance. By fine-tuning our intentions every day, we would gradually transform our habitual behaviour and become agents of healing in this world.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa.

Conative Practice: Wisdom and Compassion

This brief 5-minute exercise in equanimity towards experiences — a balanced attitude equally free from grasping, aversion, and indifferent ignorance — entails cultivating the equanimous attitude of curiosity and then strengthening the foundational aspiration for wisdom and compassion.

Equanimity Exercise

This Buddhist meditation, embedded in the context of the four applications of mindfulness and extracted from a live teaching, is centered around the exploration of the four elements—four properties of matter that manifest as solidity (earth), cohesion (water), movement (air) and heat/cold (fire). Discerning these components in our tactile experiences, we gradually let go of our tendency to reify our body as something permanent, singular, and self-existent. 

Narrated by Lobsang Tenpa and also available on YouTube and InsightTimer.

Guided Meditations

Mindfulness of the Body: Noticing the 4 Elements | Guided meditation

This loving kindness practice takes us through the standard step of cultivating benevolence towards ourselves and then invites us to offer kindness to all beings living on this planet, outside of our habitual anthropocentric view. In this way, we gradually condition our mind to think of other inhabitants of the Earth without assessing their right to be happy from a strictly "human" perspective.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

EcoDharma Practice: Loving Kindness for the Beings of the Earth

This practice of the Golden Tara of Auspicious Interdependence — Tashi Donche in Tibetan ("She Who Makes Things Auspicious") — comes from the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and is used to strengthen our connection to our basic goodness while also stimulating everything positive and establishing a greater sense of balance. 

Combining Tara's visualised form with her root mantra (OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA) and wisdom, we are tapping into an inherent sense of wellbeing. 

Guided by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.
Artwork of Tara Tashi Donche by Vladimir Novikov

Golden Tara of Auspiciousness – Tashi Donche

Nyurma Pamo (Swift Heroine) is one of the multiple red forms of Tara, the female buddha of enlightened activity. Meditation on this particular form helps us connect to the profound dimensions of bodhicitta–the awakened attitude in its conventional and ultimate forms—supercharging our being with the altruistic, wise resolve to be of benefit to all beings. 

This practice comes from the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism (in the tradition of Jigme Lingpa). Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.
Artwork of Tara Nyurma Pamo by Vladimir Novikov.

Red Tara of Bodhicitta – Nyurma Pamo | Guided meditation

This short Tibetan Buddhist meditation helps us focus on the qualities of wisdom and compassion represented by Green Tara—the female embodiment of awakening activity, fearlessness, and skillfulness in benefitting beings. In this specific meditation we use Tara's form, her mantra, and her compassionate wisdom to invite positive interdependence for ourselves and any other beings that might urgently need some help.

Green Tara Short Meditation – Inviting Tara's Help

This practice of mindful exploration, related to the "four applications of mindfulness" system, is an invitation to look at the pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral tones of our experience, known as vedanā ("feelings" or "feeling tones"). 

By carefully observing the changes in the feeling tone related to our bodily experiences, we learn to be less reactive and more wise, which paves the way for further insights about our emotional responses to reality.

Mindfulness of Feelings in the Field of the Body | Guided meditation

This entry-level training for connecting to the four energetic centres (chakras) in the body comes from the Vajrayāna tradition of Buddhism and uses a combination of creative imagination (that is used to visualise the form and enlightening activity of Buddha Vajrasattva), patient observation, and natural biofeedback loops. 

A Vajrayāna form of the “mindfulness of feelings”, this practice primarily aims to connect us to our subtle nervous system and to balance that system to bring greater peace.

Exploring the Four Centres to Connect to Bliss | Guided meditation

This gentle practice is centered around reparenting ourselves by attending to our body, speech and mind with affectionate and compassionate awareness. Although worded in a way most appropriate for queer practitioners, it can be used by anyone, and would provide long-lasting effects when done repeatedly and combined with practices of loving kindness for ourselves.

Guided by Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Queer Practice: Reparenting Our Body, Speech And Mind

This guided practice takes us through the three stages of spacious rest, tender awareness towards our body-mind complex, and proper loving kindness for ourselves, generated through benevolent thoughts and supportive imagery. Led by Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and SoundCloud.

Resting in Spaciousness, Tenderness, and Kindness | Guided meditation

Expanding loving-kindness limitlessly starts with ourselves – and by holding our body and mind in affectionate awareness and the aspirations for greater happiness, we cultivate the foundation for both personal wellbeing and universal altruism. In this practice, we combine aspirational thoughts with simple visualization to access more of our inner resources and make the experience more heartfelt.

Loving Kindness for Ourselves: Inviting Positive Imagery | Guided meditation

This guided practice combines the training in two essential components of having an open heart: tenderness (in Tibetan, "tsewa") and loving kindness ("jampa"). These are gradually uncovered and projected towards three circles: ourselves as a practitioner, our extended community, and then all who live. 

This practice is excerpted from a live session hosted by the Jamyang London Buddhist Center (https://jamyang.co.uk). See other resources from the series here: https://lobsangtenpa.com/four-immeasurables

 Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Three-step Practice of Tenderness and Loving Kindness | Guided meditation

This conative practice (a practice for cultivating intelligence in the domain of desires, intentions, and aspirations), originally formulated by Dr. Alan Wallace, combines inquiry into our own deepest aspirations with loving kindness towards ourselves. It can be applied daily—for strengthening genuine loving kindness—or on occasion, to realign ourselves with our deepest goals and desires, which include realising profound types of wellbeing and offering valuable service to others.

This practice is excerpted from a live session hosted by the Jamyang London Buddhist Center (jamyang.co.uk). See other resources from the series here: lobsangtenpa.com/four-immeasurables

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Conative Practice: Fourfold Vision Quest | Guided meditation

This slow-paced 30-minute practice takes us through the process of generating tenderness and compassion for ourselves, a friend, a stranger, and an enemy—and, eventually, all beings. Exercising the skills of compassionate attention, we strengthen our kindness, our ability to focus, and our connection with our own basic goodness.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on Insight Timer and YouTube.

Compassion Immersion | Guided meditation

This Dzogchen-flavored refuge practice, based on the instructions from Tsoknyi Rinpoche, helps us to connect to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as sources of safe direction in our life. Having entrusted ourselves to these Three Jewels, we then practice the inner level of refuge by performing a practice to purify our body, speech, and mind. The meditation concludes with resting in non-referential clarity, bringing us closer to our ultimate spacious nature.

Narrated by Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha | Guided meditation

This Tibetan Buddhist practice takes us towards cultivating equanimity—impartial openness of the heart—through a guided meditation on the qualities of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. By accessing his form, mantra and wisdom, we allow our own qualities of understanding and kindness to unfold.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Finding equanimity through the Buddha of Compassion | Guided meditation

This self-compassion meditation (extracted from a live session) relies on the original definition compassion in Buddhism: "a wish for a being to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering". By strengthening this wish towards ourselves, we gradually alter our perceptual habits and generate a profound state of benevolence that can slowly become a habit. 

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa.

Self-Compassion Practice | Guided meditation

Video version: https://youtu.be/lKMoWSzViAU?si=hCIwPrGgw4ucgnoO

A ten-part course with Michael Lobsang Tenpa on the Seven Points of Mind Training (Lojong Döndünma), hosted by the Sangye Yoga School (https://www.sangyeyoga.com). Additional materials for the course available here: http://lobsangtenpa.com/seven

Mind Training Talks

Seven Points of Mind Training, Part 1

Many people breathe mostly with the upper part of their chest, and many training modalities encourage us to instead train in abdominal breathing. By contrast, this specific practice of mindful breathing, based on the techniques of the Indo-Tibetan tradition, explores the mid-section of the chest: the often overlooked area around our lungs and heart that can also become more nourished if we bring our gentle attention there while allowing the breath to flow. 

Through occasionally (or regularly) doing this exercise, we can connect to our breath and our somatic field in deeper ways.

Middle Breath Exercise | Guided meditation

This meditation, coming from the system of practices known as the "four applications of mindfulness", combines observing the flow of mental activity with an inquiry into the absence of an inherently-findable "me" or "mine". A gentle, curious exploration of the theme of selflessness has the power to gradually undo some of our habitual reification, bringing in a sense of greater clarity, lightness and freedom.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on Insight Timer and YouTube.

Mindfulness Of The Mind: Discerning Selflessness | Guided meditation

This breathing exercise, rooted in the breath-focused teachings of the Tibetan tradition, explores the space around our abdomen. Through applying attention to this area and, in small ways, experimenting with gentle breath retention, we can train the muscles related to abdominal breathing, nourish and soothe our nervous system, and establish a greater degree of groundedness in our somatic field.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on YouTube and Insight Timer

Lower Breath Exercise | Guided meditation

The purification practice of Vajrasattva, or "Dorje Sempa" in Tibetan, is a skillful psychological method of the Indo-Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, often practiced daily before going to sleep. Using the four psychological factors known as "the four opponent powers" together with visualization and mantra (OM VAJRASATTVA HUM), help us to go deep into our psyche and gradually eliminate the unwanted energy traces, or karmic compulsions, created by our unskillful actions of the past. 

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Vajrasattva Purification Practice | Guided meditation

This Buddhist practice of Green Tara (as the dynamic expression of enlightened activity) can be used to create positive interdependence for the recently deceased sentient beings. Based on traditional lineage instructions, it includes such practice elements as taking refuge, generation of bodhicitta, seven-limb practice, visualisation and mantra recitation—all meant to help us connect to the profound qualities of wisdom and compassion and then extend those to beings who, in their time of. transition, could always use some help and positive connectivity. 

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Green Tara Practice For The Deceased | Guided meditation

This meditation on Orange Manjushri—a quintessential embodiment of wisdom, described in Tibetan Buddhist scriptures as both a bodhisattva and a buddha—combined with the recitation of his mantra (OM A RA PA TSA NA DHIH) is traditionally used to increase mental clarity, strengthening our discerning intelligence and removing some of the obstacles for the full uncovering of our inborn wisdom. With renewed understanding of interdependence, we then continue applying ourselves to compassion and kindness in everything that we do.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Orange Manjushri Meditation

This Tibetan Buddhist practice of Red Sarasvati (seen in Buddhism as a female embodiment of the speech of all the buddhas and a counterpart to Manjushri) is focused on uncovering the wisdom, eloquence and abundance already present in our innate goodness. By relying on the combined power of visualisation, mantra and samadhi related to Red Sarasvati, we can create cooperative conditions for connecting to our buddha nature.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Red Sarasvati Meditation For Wisdom, Eloquence and Abundance

This visualization practice of Green Tara—the female Buddha of Enlightened Activity—uses the "seven branches" originally described in the Flower Ornament Sutra.  These are the seven mental actions that allow us to purify and strengthen our mind, cultivate virtuous qualities and dedicate our positive potential to full awakening while also building a bridge to our own buddha nature. By strengthening our connection to Tara, we will see her qualities becoming more easily available in our thinking and actions.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on InsightTimer and YouTube.

Connecting to Green Tara Through Seven Branches | Guided meditation

This guided meditation (excerpted from a live teaching session) focuses on Yulle Gyalma – one of the red forms of Tara, the female buddha of enlightened activity. This particular embodiment of wisdom and compassion is especially associated with dispelling the dangers and causes of war, both in the outer world and in our own psyche, and comes from the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. The mantra recited is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA.

Narrated by Lobsang Tenpa (lobsangtenpa.com) and also available on Insight Timer and YouTube

Red Tara Dispelling Wars – Yulle Gyalmo | Guided meditation

This gentle vipaśyanā (insight) practice focuses on the mind, and, in particular, on its property of not involving any true, inherent selfhood. By observing the mind and looking into its nature of selflessness, we can gradually undo some of the knots of grasping that keep us so strongly bound to our disturbing mental states.

Mindfulness Of The Mind: Discerning No-Self (Version 2) | Guided meditation

This vipashyana (insight) practice combines training in tenderness (Tibetan: tsewa) and loving kindness with a process of inquiry into the mental activity's quality of no-self, or selflessness. As we move between the two wings of wisdom and love, we both undo the knots of our reification and establish a foundation of restful warm-hearted ease.

Narrated by Michael Lobsang Tenpa and also available on Insight Timer and YouTube.

Tenderness And No-Self | Guided Insight Meditation

Michael Lobsang Tenpa is a Buddhist translator, meditation instructor, Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) trainer and EcoDharma student

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