Loving Kindness Meditation
by Amy Saltzman
This is a modified 30-minute Loving Kindness meditation, with a beautiful version of Pachelbel's Canon playing quietly in the background.
Transcript
This is a modified loving kindness meditation.
Arrange to be in a comfortable,
Comforting place where you will not be interrupted.
Position yourself in a stable,
Open posture that will support you for the duration of the session.
Use the breath to anchor yourself in the present moment.
Allow your experience.
Follow the instructions to the best of your ability and be curious about moments of distraction.
As with the yoga,
Work with gentle rigor at your limits and remember that your limits may change from day to day and moment to moment.
Trust your experience.
Breathe into it.
Open your heart to yourself and allow the process to unfold.
Go back in your memory and find an occasion when you felt deeply loved by someone,
When you felt really moved by the kindness,
Openness,
And generosity of love.
The person who loved you,
Your beloved,
Could be a mentor,
A teacher,
A friend,
A relative,
A child,
A pet,
Or a stranger in a moment of need.
Trust and work with whatever memory comes.
Do your best not to judge or second-guess.
Breathe and remember feeling loved.
You may wish to visualize your beloved and bring this person near to you now,
Or you may wish to say your beloved's name softly to yourself and recall his or her good qualities.
Remember a particular instance when this person showed you love and you felt that love vividly.
Take your time doing this.
Shaders Now,
Allow that feeling of being loved to arise again in your heart,
Infusing you with love and gratitude.
Feel again the truth that this person allowed you to experience,
That you are worthy of love,
Truly lovable.
Even though you may feel at times you have not been loved,
Or loved enough,
You are worthy enough,
You were loved genuinely on this remembered occasion,
And you are feeling that love now,
Surrounding you,
Infusing your entire being.
Feel the sensations in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Feel the emotions in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Feel the sensations in your body,
Your abdomen,
Your chest,
Your face.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward the person who loved you.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill this person.
Feel love returning to you,
Filling your heart.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving-kindness flow between the two of you,
Gently and simply.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and your beloved.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved be happy.
May she be peaceful and at ease.
May he be filled with joy.
May she experience love.
Perhaps the feelings of love or gratitude you are experiencing now seem very slight or even non-existent.
That is fine.
There is no need for it to be different.
Trust your experience.
Continue breathing.
Know that love is flowing,
However imperceptible it may seem.
Open,
Gently open.
Repeat the wishes with each out-breath,
Alternating ones for yourself and ones for your beloved.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved be happy.
May she be peaceful and at ease.
May he be filled with joy.
May she experience love.
Soften to your experience,
Weeping,
Smiling,
Numbness,
Joy,
Grief.
It's all okay.
Breathing,
Opening and repeating the phrases in your own time,
In your own way.
May I be happy.
Soften to your experience,
Weeping,
Smiling,
Numbness,
Joy,
Grief.
It's all okay.
Now,
Visualize yourself as a baby or small child.
Visualize this child's innocence and beauty,
Her bright eyes,
His sweet smile.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward this beloved child.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill the beloved child you were.
Feel love returning to you from this beloved child.
Let it fill your heart.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving kindness flow between the two of you,
Gently and simply.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and the beloved child you were.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved child be happy.
May he be peaceful and at ease.
May she be filled with joy.
May he experience love.
Be satisfied with your experience as it is.
Simply giving your attention to this practice is enough.
Continue to breathe and receive.
Allow the love to flow.
Open,
Gently open,
And repeat the wishes with each out-breath.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May my beloved child be happy.
May he be peaceful and at ease.
May she be filled with joy.
May he experience love.
May she be filled with joy.
Breathe into the feelings that accompany the repetitions of the wishes.
May I be happy.
May I experience love.
Now anchoring yourself in loving kindness,
Bring your attention to a trait or characteristic of yours which you dislike.
Judgment,
Arrogance,
Greed,
Fear,
Anger.
Remember a time when this trait or characteristic was prominent.
Visualize yourself judging or angry.
Feel into that experience.
Be aware of the physical sensations.
Note the thoughts.
Explore the layers of feelings.
Listen.
Allow your heart to open now and extend love and gratitude toward this beloved trait.
Let your warmth and love envelop and fill this beloved characteristic.
Do your best to stay with the practice.
Simply allow feelings of doubt and foolishness if they have arisen.
Breathe into your experience.
Open your heart as much as possible.
Let loving-kindness flow between you and the trait.
You may express a wish or prayer on behalf of yourself and the characteristic you dislike.
Let the phrasing be awkward.
Allow the practice to be humorous.
Continue to repeat the phrases with each out-breath.
No need to resist anything that arises.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May judgment be happy.
May judgment be peaceful and at ease.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment experience love.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Remain present for your experience as you repeat the phrases to yourself.
May I be happy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
You may also offer loving-kindness to other traits or characteristics.
Experiment with the phrasing.
Discover the words which allow you to experience love.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Remember the love you have touched here may be accessed at any time,
In any circumstance,
Simply by repeating the wishes or prayers.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May judgment be filled with joy.
Do this loving-kindness meditation as often as you wish.
Let it nourish you.
It will become more natural as you practice it.
And the sweetness it offers will be more accessible.
May judgment be filled with joy.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be filled with joy.
May I experience love.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful and at ease.
May all beings be filled with joy.
May all beings experience love.
May all beings be filled with joy.
4.6 (1 616)
Recent Reviews
Yasmin
September 7, 2025
Thank you so it was emotional π I felt emotional I allowed my emotions to be felt without judgment, that was so beautiful π€© thank you π I appreciate it I needed this loving kindness meditation π§ββοΈ to open my heart β€οΈ chakra and send love , kindness and compassion towards others and myself. Much love Namaste π
Tracy
July 16, 2024
This was a great meditation, much needed for where I am at the moment in my life π
May
May 14, 2023
Lovely and effective. Thank you.
Gina
June 23, 2022
Oh wow! How moving! Thank you and my you be happy, may you be filled with joy, may you be peaceful and at ease, and may you experience love. This was exactly what I needed at this moment.
Herv
March 19, 2022
Thank you, this was a lovely take on metta bhavana. This is just a gentle, humble (and inclusive) suggestion - it is possible to exchange pronouns βheβ and βsheβ for a neutral, inclusive βtheyβ. Just as metta is inclusive, our words can be too. With love ππ½π
Cagri
January 22, 2022
Thank you very much, this was very powerful and moving for me.
Jamila
January 3, 2022
This is one of my favorite guided meditation! Thank you for sharing it with us β€οΈπΉ
Karen
April 12, 2021
Amy that is an incredibly effective inner child meditation. Thank you I am ever so grateful ππ―π
Jorn
March 11, 2021
That was one of the most beautiful metta meditations I ever did. Thank you.
John
June 1, 2020
Felt amazing to make peace with my internal judger. I guess even he needs love.
Derwin
March 30, 2020
Such a beautiful loving kindness practice. I really touched in with my heart. Thank you!
Beth
March 5, 2020
Amazing! This will be my daily morning meditation. I feel wonderful. Thank you! β€οΈππΌβ€οΈ
Courtney
February 28, 2020
Wow, this one was powerful. I highly recommend. Nice spaces between to really feel the loving feelings and let those energies take over. Beautiful meditation. Thank you β€οΈ
oceana
January 21, 2020
I do this now most every morning. Some times I cry. Sometimes I spontaneously stretch into a new knowing. Mostly I emerge filled with love for myself and other. Gorgeous practice!
MΓ‘rcia
October 12, 2019
So beautiful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing! ππΌβ¨π
Vinnie
June 27, 2019
This meditation gives me a good warm feeling for the day. Excellent. Thank you π
Beata
May 2, 2019
I also cried. I guess there is a lot to release. I am ready to let go. Beautiful and peaceful
Linda
March 7, 2019
That was absolutely beautiful! Thank you!
Barbara
February 24, 2019
Wonderful. Thank you.
Barbara
December 20, 2018
I had a deep sense of love whilst doing this meditation