Loving-Kindness Meditation
Cultivate the practice of unconditional compassion for self and others with this Loving Kindness Meditation. The simple sentences, when paired with visualization, aim to foster compassion and a sense of connection while reducing bias, anger, and anxiety. Use it to tune your heart toward kindness and compassion, to foster a deeper connection to others and acceptance of self. I hope it can become part of your regular self-care routine. This meditation contains the copyright-free song "Forever", by Liborio Conti
Transcript
Hi,
And welcome.
It's so good to have you here.
My name is Susan Guttridge and today I'll be leading you through a meditation designed to help you cultivate compassion both towards self and others.
Using five broad statements that relate to wellness in your daily life,
I'll start by focusing on self-compassion.
Just picture what I'm saying in your mind's eye.
Picture being true in your life.
Really use this time to quietly and gently reflect on your own intention to be happy,
Your kindness,
Your generosity.
Generate love and compassion for yourself to the best of your ability.
Then partway through the meditation,
We'll shift our focus from self toward others,
Directing your loving kindness towards someone you know.
Perhaps somebody that you care very much for.
And lastly,
We'll finish our practice today by directing our loving kindness,
Our compassion outward even further to the larger world around you.
Make sure you're in a safe place where you won't have many interruptions.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
Shift your body so that you feel the weight of your body resting comfortably in your bed if you're getting ready for sleep.
Or if you're sitting,
Take a moment to feel your feet flat on the ground,
Shifting them so that you anchor into that connection.
Feel your sit bones connected on the chair.
And whether laying down or sitting up,
Notice that your body is supported.
You can relax your shoulders down and back and tune into your breathing.
Notice the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and breathe out.
If it's okay for you,
Let your eyes close.
Relax your whole body.
Slowly bring your awareness inward without strain and just allow yourself to gently follow my voice,
Picturing each idea throughout this practice together.
Know that it's okay if your mind wanders at some point.
If it happens,
Just notice with kindness,
Maybe placing a hand over your heart for a tactile anchor and acknowledging with the words,
There I go again,
And then return your awareness back to my voice.
You might find it helpful to set an intention for your practice today.
If you're not sure of what that could be or if you haven't tried setting an intention for a loving kindness practice before,
Some examples might be things like,
I'll try my best.
I'll bring myself to present as often as I need.
I will be kind to myself.
I will try to include myself in my caring.
And just thinking now,
What intention might you like to set for yourself?
When people have shared their feedback with me about this meditation,
Sometimes they've shared that it's awkward to receive loving kindness for themselves.
So to help with that,
I'd like to offer you a suggestion.
Think for a moment of someone in your life who cares about you because we can do anything with our imagination.
Imagine that person is here with you now,
Right there with you in the room,
Sending you their care and compassion.
If it feels easier to imagine it being a pet,
You can do that too.
This is your practice.
Adjust it to fit you.
As you picture that person or pet in the room with their care and compassion for you,
Allow your heart to open,
To feel the warmth of their love,
Their wishes for your safety,
For your wellbeing,
For your happiness.
Take a deep breath in and out.
There are many sides to all relationships and for now,
We are only going to focus on their desire for you to be happy,
For your wellbeing and for your safety.
If any sticky thoughts arise during this practice,
Just notice them,
Give a little acknowledgement and allow the thoughts to pass.
As you exhale,
You might want to picture those sticky thoughts just exiting your mind and your body.
It's okay to let them exit.
They won't serve you during this loving kindness practice.
Allow yourself to linger longer with an open heart,
Basking in the warm wishes from either the person or the pet that you care for or yourself.
And let's begin.
As I say the following phrases,
Repeat them to yourself quietly in your mind.
You don't have to say them out loud.
I'll phrase them now in a personalized format so you can repeat them exactly as you hear them.
Sincerely wish each phrase for yourself,
Reflect on each one,
What it would look like to have it in your life.
Picture yourself living it.
Repeating after me,
May I be safe.
Breathe in and out.
Follow your breath as it flows in all the way to your abdomen and release through your exhale.
Notice the feelings and sensations that arise,
Just noticing,
Letting them pass.
Allowing in the words and repeating them,
May I be safe.
Sincerely wishing these words for yourself,
Bathing in them,
Allowing them to surround you.
Safe in mind,
In body,
In life.
Breathing in and out,
Repeating again the words,
May I be safe.
Picturing what that could look like in your life.
Heart open,
Mind curious,
Just letting your thoughts flow as you connect with safety in this one moment.
Breathing in and release.
Now repeating for yourself,
May I be happy.
Breathing in,
Allowing yourself to sincerely wish this for yourself,
To feel moments of happiness,
To be peaceful,
To embody your love and understanding.
Inhale in and release.
Savor these words as you repeat them again,
May I be happy.
Contemplate what this truly means for you in your daily life.
Notice what sensations arise in your body,
In your thoughts,
In your emotions,
Just with curiosity and kindness and without judgment.
Noticing the desire for your heart to know peace.
Appreciate the words,
Feeling their ability to warm and open the heart.
Breathing in peace,
Breathing out tension.
Quieting the inner critic,
Creating space for self-acceptance.
And repeating after me again,
May I be happy.
Picturing this for yourself,
Having balanced thoughts,
An open mind,
Knowing you can grow and heal and learn,
That you have the power and the courage to forgive,
That you can connect with just this one moment.
Letting go of worries,
Allowing in self-healing,
Soothing,
Directing sweetness toward self,
Allowing your mind to rest,
Your body to relax.
Inhaling in and exhaling out.
Repeat these next words for yourself.
May I have physical happiness.
May I be healthy.
Allowing yourself to picture living healthy.
Drinking in these words,
This image of wellness.
Picture perhaps being a friend of your body.
Noticing any sensations as they arise in your body,
In your thoughts,
In your emotions.
Just with curiosity and kindness and without judgement.
Just noticing and allowing them to be there and to pass.
Repeating one more time,
May I have physical happiness.
Just picturing you,
Your body,
Healthy and well.
As you are here listening and creating space for your heart to open and soften,
Know that there's no right or wrong way to be mindfully here.
Letting your breath flow in slowly and deeply and then exhaling out.
Picturing your wellness,
Your health,
Your strength of body.
Repeating the words one more time,
May I have physical happiness.
Picturing health in your daily life,
What would it look like for you as you move about,
As you interact with others,
As you pace yourself throughout your day.
Genuinely feel that image and the words.
Noticing their ability to warm and open your heart.
Breathing in peace,
Breathing out tension.
And now repeating the words,
May I have ease of well-being.
May I live in peace.
Breathing in,
Allowing these words into your heart.
Sincerely wishing this for you to live with peace,
To release negativity as it arises.
Noticing,
Acknowledging,
Allowing your generous and selfless love to be present,
To comfort you.
Breathing in and exhaling out.
Repeating again,
May I live in peace.
Cultivate unconditional kindness towards yourself.
Breathing in and out.
Resting here with a peaceful heart,
With an open,
Curious heart.
Repeating the words one more time,
May I live in peace.
Allowing the words to resonate and sincerely wishing them for yourself.
If your mind wanders,
Just gently coming back to the sound of my voice,
The image of living in peace.
Feeling the comfort of the words as you inhale and exhale.
And repeating now for yourself,
May my heart be filled with love and kindness.
Inhaling in,
Exhaling out.
Allowing your acceptance of loving kindness throughout your life.
Noticing how it feels when your heart is open.
Radiating your love and kindness.
Inhaling in,
Releasing negativity as you exhale out.
Repeating again,
May my heart be filled with love and kindness.
May your heart know peace.
Just noticing sensations as they arise in your body,
In your thoughts,
In your emotions.
Without judging,
Just being curious and kind.
Noticing and allowing those thoughts,
Sensations and emotions to move through you and pass.
One last time repeating and wishing these words for yourself.
May my heart be filled with love and kindness.
Picturing what this means for you as you live your life.
Your heart curious,
Your mind open,
Your body relaxed.
Inhaling in,
Exhaling out.
Enjoying any sensations of relaxation or calm there in your body.
Linger longer with an open heart,
Basking in the loving kindness you've just cultivated here.
Now draw your attention outward from yourself to think of somebody in your life that you care about.
You can think of a few people if you'd like so that you don't have to choose between who to send this kindness to.
Think of that person or people now.
It can be helpful to say their name to yourself or look at a picture of them or just imagine them nearby where they can feel the warmth of your words and hear the kindness you're generating for them.
Remember we can do anything with our imagination.
I love giving my thoughts of loving kindness a color and then picturing with my imagination the color flowing through the miles that separate us and entering into the ears and hearts of those I love.
Warming and soothing them in times of stress or loneliness.
Take a moment now and think about the person that you care about.
The person or persons that you want to direct your loving kindness to.
Picture them now in your mind's eye.
Reflect on their goodness,
Their attempts to do their best in this life.
Reflect on their wish to be happy,
Their desire to be healthy.
Repeating this after me and sending your love,
Your kindness and warm wishes to that person.
May you be safe.
Picturing what that would look like in their life.
Safe in their mind,
In their body,
In their life.
Inhaling in,
Exhaling out.
Picturing the person you care about and repeating after me,
May you be happy.
Genuinely wishing these words to that person.
Noticing what it could look like in their life.
Balanced thoughts,
An open mind,
The ability to grow and heal and learn,
To cope and buffer stress,
To have the power and the courage to forgive,
To perhaps touch into a moment of joy regardless of what their day may hold.
Breathing in,
Exhaling out.
Repeating after me,
May you have ease of well-being.
May you live in peace.
Thinking of that person you care about and picturing them living with peacefulness.
What could it look like for them to live with ease?
Breathing in and out.
Repeating after me,
May your heart be filled with love and kindness.
Picturing that for them now,
Their connection to love and kindness.
Inhaling in,
Exhaling out.
Just noticing and enjoying any sensations of relaxation or calm that are there now in your body or in your heart and in your thoughts.
Lingering longer with an open heart and basking in the loving kindness that you've cultivated.
Drawing your attention now outward from yourself and from the person that you care for to the larger world around you.
Letting into your awareness all the people,
Our earth,
Plants,
Animals,
All living things.
Allow your love and kindness to be present to radiate outward from you toward the larger world around you.
Breathing in and out.
Repeating these words after me and sending your love and kindness to all living things in our world.
May you be safe.
Breathing in,
Exhaling out and directing your loving kindness to the whole world around you.
May you be happy.
Picturing your kind wishes flowing out of you to all living things around you.
Repeating after me,
May you have physical happiness.
May you be healthy.
Pick your mind.
Picturing that for all as you inhale in and exhale out.
Repeating after me,
May you live in peace.
Breathing in and exhaling out.
And repeating after me,
May your heart be filled with love and kindness.
Just allowing that image of compassion flowing from you to all living things and the world around you and including you.
Breathing in,
Exhaling out.
Place a hand on your heart to acknowledge your gratitude.
Thank you for taking time for this practice today to tune your heart with loving kindness.
Enjoy any sensations of relaxation or calm that are there now in your body or in your heart or in your thoughts.
Just lingering longer with an open heart,
Basking in the love and the kindness that you have cultivated here today for yourself,
For someone you care for and for the world around you.
This is a beautiful practice that you can use anytime to open yourself up for connection,
For caring,
For inclusion and for gratitude.
It settles you into an open hearted state,
One where you can more authentically receive love and kindness and also to radiate outward toward others.
If this was a break for you from the busyness of your day,
Then slowly let your eyes open and reorient to the room around you.
For those of you using this to settle down for sleep,
I wish you a good night and sweet dreams.
Take care today.
