Loving Kindness Meditation

This is a loving kindness or friendliness meditation, designed specifically for people who can find it hard to be kind to themselves. This formulation was developed for the Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) programme which helps people to overcome addictive behaviours.

Transcript

Loving Kindness Meditation This meditation offers an opportunity to develop gentleness and kindness to ourselves and others.

Qualities that are essential to the practice of mindfulness.

Awareness requires this kind of compassionate attitude for mindfulness to truly flower and this friendly and compassionate approach will allow us to practice all manner of mindfulness exercises more deeply.

So to begin find a position that's comfortable for you to settle into for this period of practice.

Allowing your body to be at ease and allowing any tension you detect to be released.

As best as you can,

Just softening.

Shoulders,

Belly.

Letting go of any tension in the face.

And taking a moment to connect with your intention,

Your reason for being here and engaging in this practice.

Feeling your body against the floor,

The chair or cushion.

Feeling the solidity and stability of the ground beneath you.

And allowing yourself to settle into this posture as well as you can.

And now bringing to mind someone that you know,

Who you find it easy to feel warmth towards.

Somebody you find it easy to love.

Maybe not someone who you have a conflicted or complex relationship with.

But maybe a friend or child,

Grandchild or even a pet or grandparent.

Or somebody who has been a spiritual guide to you.

It doesn't have to be exactly the right person.

And the person you brought to mind first or are thinking about right now should be just fine.

So settling on them now.

This person with whom you feel an easy warmth and friendliness.

Who naturally makes you smile.

This person you like to be around.

Staying with them in your mind's eye.

You might even wish to imagine that this person is sitting by your side or in front of you.

If you're not such a visual person and can't picture them,

Allow yourself to focus on the feeling of being around them.

Sensing into their presence.

Feeling the experience of being with this person.

Feel free to take a few moments to notice how it feels to imagine that this person's close by.

Maybe they're smiling at you.

Noticing where in the body you experience feelings towards this person.

There might be a sense of care and compassion.

Or maybe no sensations are present at all.

You might feel something in your chest or tummy.

And noticing if no emotion arises.

Just staying with whatever's present for you.

Not trying to or expecting to have any particular thing happen.

Bringing this person back to mind over and again.

Maybe dwelling on their positive qualities.

Noticing if you experience warmth in the body.

Maybe the face,

Cheeks.

Your heart,

Your belly.

Whatever emotions you experience towards this person.

Putting your attention on that.

Noticing where the feeling is centered.

Or just keeping your focus in the area of your heart.

Noticing if there's anything that you can sense there.

And now,

In whatever way works for you.

Beginning to send this person warm thoughts.

You might like to use particular traditional phrases in offering this person well wishing.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be free from fear.

May you be at peace.

Or any image or phrase that's meaningful to you in sending this person your well wishing.

You can do this softly and steadily.

Repeating these words to yourself in the back of your mind.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be free from fear.

May you be at peace.

Again and again.

Giving up any expectations.

Just using these well wishes or inventing your own.

Whatever feels right for you.

Continuing to send these well wishes to the person that you feel easy and warm towards.

May you be well and happy.

May you be free and at peace.

We're not trying to make anything happen in doing this.

We're just simply sending our best wishes.

The way you might wish somebody well who's going on a journey.

And if you notice other thoughts coming in,

Pulling your focus away from your intention.

Just noticing these thoughts and guide yourself gently back to the well wishing sentiments.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be free from fear.

May you be at peace.

If you notice frustrations arise,

Just come back to the exercise as well as you can.

Again and again.

Reminding yourself that there is nothing in particular that you're supposed to feel.

Just allowing the experience to be what it is.

So now moving on to imagine that this person is sending you the same well wishing.

They're saying to you,

In their own way,

May you be well.

These kind thoughts directed to you now.

May you be happy.

Accepting this well wishing as best as we can.

This person saying to you,

May you be free from fear.

Allowing the kindness to flow back to you.

And if this seems difficult,

Just allowing it as well as you can to continue.

This person that's dear to you,

Sending you well wishing.

And when you're ready,

You might explore directing these wholesome good wishes towards yourself.

May I be well.

May I be happy.

May I be free from fear.

May I be at peace.

Using whatever images or phrases work for you,

To send yourself well wishing.

What do you notice in your body?

Just allowing your experience to be whatever it is.

And coming back as best as you can to these well wishing sentiments.

May I be well and happy.

May I be free and at peace.

If it helps,

You might even imagine yourself as a young child receiving these well wishes.

Particularly if you're having difficult judgmental thoughts.

Remembering the innocent young child and wishing that child well.

Happiness.

Freedom.

Peace.

Allowing any resistance to soften as well as you can.

Seeing if you can have compassion to your experience,

Whatever it is.

Just as it is.

And continue to experiment with this for just a few more moments.

Noticing how your body responds.

How you are emotionally.

How your mind is up to you.

Just noticing these things.

And knowing that you've struggled in life.

And done the best you can with the circumstances you've been given.

Wishing yourself well in all of that.

May I be well.

May I be happy.

May I be free from the fear.

May I be at peace.

Coming back to sending yourself wholesome wishes again and again.

Now you might begin to send those warm compassionate thoughts outside of yourself.

To those around you.

To friends and family.

Neighbours.

Strangers.

To anyone it needs to go to.

May they be well.

May they be happy.

May they be free from fear.

And at peace.

Even people you have difficulty with.

Knowing they've struggled in life too.

May they be well and happy.

May they be free and at peace.

Sending these compassionate thoughts out wherever they need to go.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be free from fear.

May you be at peace.

Using whatever sentiments work for you and extending this well wishing out as far as you want.

Not trying to force anything.

Not trying to achieve anything.

Just as best as you can allowing yourself to wish well to yourself and others.

Allowing this well wishing to go out as far as it will.

To all beings that struggle.

Near and far.

In towns and in the country.

Rich and poor.

Including the whole planet.

And beyond if you like.

Knowing that you're connected in some small way even to the most distant star.

And take a few moments to settle into the body.

Coming back to your immediate experience.

The breath in the body.

However you are right now.

With kindness and gentleness.

Thank you.

Reviews

Very healing , I felt a great connection to my loved one.

This is my favourite metta meditation ever. I’ve been doing it for years and always find it so powerful and intimate. Thank you 🙏🏻

Thank you, Devin. There was nothing I didn't love about this guidance. Your tone and pace, the space and visualisations. So powerful and, for me, very moving. Will return for sure 🙏🏽🌸

really enjoyed this meditation. great length and greay practice.

thankyou

Extraordinary metta bhavana! Thank you.

Wonderful practice, thanks very much:)

Simple, centering.

I just finished meditating today and it was absolutely amazing meditation, I wanna thank you so much for this amazing experience. Cheers from Toronto Canada
Alfredo. 🕉 🧘🏼‍♂️ 🙏

One of my favourites❣️

Beautiful heart opening meditation

Lovingkindness affirmations for self and others

Bookmarked thank U✌️❤️&🤸

Deep understanding

Ouch, that was like pulling teeth for me this morning...good meditation...

This meditation helps me to feel softer and kinder towards myself and others. Thank you Devin. May you be happy.

Really great piece with easy instructions, no nonsense things, clear recording and pleasant calming voice. I would say it’s an advanced level meditation that goes all the way to sending love to strangers, which might be challenging to people who had never done loving kindness meditation before.

Beautiful words! May you be well, loved, in peace!

Perfect. Thank you!

Thank you! This is exactly what I need right now. I had a huge personal insight this morning and I am going to keep working on that.

Gentle and kind thoughts to one's self..a beautiful way to start the day.