Loving Kindness for All Beings

Compassionate leadership teacher and coach, David Evans, guides this metta meditation progression from a loved one, you, through to all beings.

Transcript

So find a comfortable seat or if you're not comfortable sitting,

For LKM it's fine to lie down wherever you can be comfortable.

And take a breath and let your body feel heavy.

Just scan your body from the tips of your toes,

Noticing any tension where you're holding your body up.

And just breathe into that tension and let the floor or the chair just hold you up.

Working your way up your legs,

Breathing into any tension,

Just letting it melt away.

For your hips,

Just breathing into any tension.

Working your way up your torso,

To the base of your neck,

Past your shoulders,

Down your arms to your fingertips.

Breathing and relaxing any tension.

And working your way back up to your neck,

Up to the skull,

Balancing on top of your neck,

Just breathing into any tension in the scalp or face.

And just let your attention come to rest on your breath.

Watching your breath come in and out of your body.

There's nothing for you to do except watch your breath.

And focusing your attention on your breath moving in your chest,

The rise and fall of your chest.

The lungs expanding and contracting around your heart.

Simply bringing your awareness to the sensation in your heart.

Whatever it feels like right now is okay.

Just breathe and feel your heart.

And allow someone who you love,

Someone who just makes you smile,

Come into your mind's eye.

It might be a mentor or a child or a pet,

Any being who brings a smile to your face.

Bring them into your mind's eye.

And notice their good qualities,

What you love about them.

And bring your awareness to the sensation your heart feels for them.

The warmth,

The love.

And notice what you wish for them.

And then repeat these phrases,

These wishes for your beloved.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

And may you be free.

And repeat those phrases or whatever wishes you have for your beloved.

And notice the sensation in your heart.

Let go of that person now.

And bring an image of yourself into your mind's eye.

And know that you are no more and no less worthy of loving kindness than your beloved.

And offer yourself the same wishes that you offered your beloved.

You can say this in first person or second person.

So,

May I be happy.

May I be safe.

May I be well.

May I be free from suffering.

And continue to offer yourself the phrases,

Either may I be or may you be.

And bringing your attention to the sensation in your heart.

And letting that image of yourself go.

And focusing just on the words.

Happy.

Safe.

Well.

Free.

And now bringing into your mind's eye a neutral person.

Someone who you don't maybe even know very well.

Someone who maybe you even just catch out of the corner of your eye.

Maybe the person who served you at the place you went for dinner.

Someone who is neutral for you.

Neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

And knowing that just like you and your beloved they long to be happy.

Safe.

Well.

And free.

And offering that neutral person the phrases.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And continuing to offer the neutral person the phrases.

And bringing your attention to the sensation in your heart.

And the breath around your heart.

And letting that person go.

And just saying the words.

Happy.

Safe.

Well.

Free.

And now bringing into your mind's eye a difficult person.

Someone perhaps who you're currently in conflict with or someone you feel has wronged you in some way.

And noticing just like you they too long to be happy.

Safe.

Well.

And free.

And offering that difficult person your wishes.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And continuing to offer the difficult person your wishes.

Bringing your attention to the sensation in your heart.

And letting that person go.

And just focusing on the words.

Happy.

Safe.

Well.

Free.

Really feeling that sensation in your heart.

And with your mind's eye imagining it radiating to the north.

And with your mind's eye seeing all of the beings human and not human to the north.

Wishing them happiness.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And all of the beings to the east,

Young and old.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And seeing all of the beings to the south.

Rich and poor.

And wishing them.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And with your mind's eye seeing all of the beings to the west.

Male or female.

Neither male nor female.

And offering them your wishes.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be free.

And imagining that sensation.

Those wishes of loving kindness radiating in all directions.

Out from your heart.

To all beings.

And knowing just like me all beings long to be happy.

May we be filled with joy.

And just like me all beings long to be safe.

May we all be protected and safe.

And just like me all beings long to be healthy and strong.

May we all be well.

Just like me.

All beings long to live with ease.

May we be free from suffering.

May we all be filled with loving kindness.

And bringing your attention back to the sensation in your heart.

And as you return to this place and time.

Coming back with the open heart you've created through this practice.

And bringing your empathy and compassion to all beings you encounter.

Reviews

Well done!

Lovely meditation thanks

☺️❤️

This is much more aligned with the metta meditation I have been looking for, thank you 🙏🏼💚💖

Lovely. I like the emphasis on wishing all beings well, including other species.

Beautiful. Peaceful. Thank you.

Thanks so much. Very simple and to the point. Also was slightly different than the usual lkm. Loved it. Great tempo and pauses.

Good instructions beginning with breath

Love the simplicity. The phrases are ones I really like and use myself. It’s the full meditation from self to all beings.

Brilliant, head physically feels full of compassion

Thankyou, wonderful to do today, Christmas day, to wish all beings happiness, saftey, wellbeing, freedom, peace, selfworth & love 💗

Beautiful meditation focus. Lovely, calming voice.

Thanks this is beautiful - we will come back to this regularly 🙏🏼💕

Good mix of grounding body scan and then loving kindness to all beings.

Loved it ❤️. My anxiety has really decreased, and I feel calm, peaceful, and happy. Thanks you ❤️❤️.

I like the awareness brought in as preparation before beginning the LKM. Thank you!!

Well guided metta practice. With gratitude.

A beautiful meta meditation. Lovely voice and pacing. Thank you for sharing. Namaste. 💖🙏

Wonderful loving kindness for open heartedness and compassion. Metta.