Loving-Kindness Metta Meditation: Cultivating Compassion

This guided Loving-Kindness (Metta) meditation invites you to cultivate compassion and unconditional love for yourself and others.

Through simple yet profound phrases, you’ll generate feelings of goodwill and connection, dissolving negative emotions and fostering a sense of warmth and community.

Take this time to open your heart and radiate kindness to all beings.

This meditation features royalty-free music by Christopher Lloyd Clarke, used under license. I have full permission to include this track in my offering.

Transcript

Welcome to this loving kindness meditation.

Today we'll focus on cultivating feelings of goodwill,

Compassion and connection.

This practice is a way to nurture your heart and your mind,

Rewiring your brain for greater resilience and emotional well-being.

Begin by finding a comfortable seated position,

Sitting tall with your spine long,

Your core gently engaged and your hands resting gently on your knees or in your lap,

And then closing down the eyes or softening the gaze.

Take a long slow deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through the mouth.

Inhaling deeply and fully once more,

Exhaling,

Releasing out through the mouth.

And one more time,

Inhale,

Open the mouth and sigh it away.

Then allow your breath to settle into a natural steady rhythm,

Feeling the ground beneath you supporting you fully,

Allowing yourself to arrive into this present moment and leaving behind any distractions,

Any thoughts or any concerns.

Bring your awareness to your breath,

Notice its natural rhythm as it flows smoothly out and in.

With each inhale,

Breathing into this present moment and as you exhale,

Letting go of all that doesn't serve you right now.

And then gently shift your focus to the centre of your chest,

Your heart space.

Visualise a soft radiant glowing green light at the heart centre.

This light represents the energy of Anahata Chakra.

And as you inhale,

Imagine this light growing brighter and warmer as it expands outward.

And with each exhale,

Feel the light softening and soothing any tightness or resistance in your chest.

Allow yourself to rest in this space of warmth and openness,

Knowing that this light is always present within you.

The Anahata Chakra is the bridge between the physical and the spiritual realms.

It connects the lower and the upper chakras.

And it is the space where we experience love,

Compassion,

Forgiveness and balance.

So as you continue to breathe,

Reflect upon these qualities.

And as you inhale,

Invite love and compassion into your heart.

And as you exhale,

Release any barriers or walls that may be guarding your heart.

Visualise the light at your heart centre expanding with these qualities.

Love.

Feeling a deep sense of unconditional love,

Starting with yourself.

Compassion.

Imagine this light extending outwards,

Touching others with kindness and understanding.

Forgiveness.

Allow the light to soften any lingering resentment or self-judgement,

Creating a space for healing.

Balance.

Feel a harmony of giving and receiving,

And of strength and softness within your heart.

And as you breathe,

Silently repeat these affirmations to yourself.

I am open to giving and receiving love.

I am compassionate with myself and others.

I am balanced and at peace within my heart.

Now let's continue by directing loving-kindness towards yourself.

Bring to mind an image of yourself.

As you breathe,

Silently repeat these affirmations to yourself.

I am open to giving and receiving love.

I am compassionate with myself and others.

I am balanced and at peace within my heart.

Now let's continue by directing loving-kindness towards yourself.

Bring to mind an image of yourself,

Perhaps as you are now or as a younger version of yourself.

Imagine yourself sitting in front of you,

Looking back with warmth and understanding.

Silently repeat these phrases and allow the words to resonate deeply within you.

May I be safe.

May I be happy.

May I be healthy.

May I live with ease.

And as you repeat these phrases,

Noticing any sensations in your body.

If it feels challenging to offer kindness to yourself,

That's okay.

Simply allow the intention to be there,

Even if the feelings take time to grow.

Visualize warmth or light radiating from your heart,

Surrounding you with a sense of safety and love.

Breathe into this feeling of kindness,

Letting it fill your entire being.

Now bring to mind someone you care about deeply.

This could be a family member,

A close friend or even a pet.

Picture them in your mind as clearly as you can and imagine them sitting in front of you.

Silently repeat the same phrases directing them towards this person or pet.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

Visualize the warmth or light from your heart extending outward,

Surrounding this person with love and compassion.

Imagine them receiving your well wishes,

Their face softening with peace and gratitude.

Take a moment to notice how it feels to offer kindness to someone else.

Allow this feeling to nourish your own heart as well.

Now bring to your mind someone neutral in your life.

Perhaps someone you see regularly but don't know well.

Maybe it's a colleague,

A neighbor or a shop assistant.

Picture them in your mind and imagine them sitting in front of you.

Silently repeat these phrases directing them towards this person.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you live with ease.

And if it feels difficult to generate feelings of kindness for this person,

That's okay.

Simply hold the intention of goodwill and let the practice unfold naturally.

Imagine the light from your heart extending to them,

Surrounding them with warmth and compassion.

Now bring to your mind someone you find challenging.

This could be someone you've had conflict with or someone who has caused you pain.

Picture them in your mind sitting in front of you.

This part of the practice can feel difficult,

So approach it with gentleness and with patience.

Silently repeat the phrases directing them towards this person.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

And may you live with ease.

If resistance arises,

Simply notice it without judgment.

You don't have to force any feelings here.

Just hold the intention of goodwill even if it feels distant.

Imagine the light from your heart extending to this person,

Softening any tension or resentment.

Remember this practice is as much for your own peace as it is for theirs.

Finally,

Expand your circle of loving-kindness to include all beings everywhere.

Imagine the light from your heart growing brighter and wider,

Spreading across your community,

Your country and the entire world.

Silently repeat these phrases.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be healthy.

May all beings live with ease.

Feel a sense of connection to the world around you,

Knowing that your practice contributes to a greater sense of compassion and harmony for all.

Take a moment to return your focus to yourself.

Notice how you feel after this practice.

Perhaps there's a sense of warmth,

Of calm or connection.

And then take a full deep breath in through your nose,

Open your mouth and sigh it away.

And then slowly taking some deeper breaths,

Introducing some movement,

Wiggling the fingers,

Wiggling the toes,

Stretching,

Twisting and moving the body in whichever way feels good for you as you begin to come back to full awakened consciousness.

And then bowing your chin down,

Bringing your hands to the centre of your chest,

Just to bring your practice to a close.

Offering yourself gratitude and compassion for your dedication and your commitment to your practice.

And when you are ready,

Slowly opening the eyes,

Lifting the head and taking a look around you.

Carry the sense of loving kindness with you as you move through your day,

Offering goodwill to yourself and to those around you.

Thank you for taking this time to nurture your heart and your mind.