Loving Kindness Meditation
A guided Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation with Katie
Loving Kindness Meditation Script
In this meditation, we will cultivate loving-kindness, or metta. This is a practice of generating warm, compassionate feelings, first for ourselves and then radiating outward to others and to all beings.
Allow yourself to approach this practice with patience and openness, without needing to force any particular emotion. Simply invite a sense of kindness, care, and connection to arise naturally within you.
Let’s begin.
Find a comfortable seat, either on the floor or in a chair. You can close your eyes if that feels safe, or bring your gaze towards the earth. Connect to the rhythm of your natural breath.
Notice your sit bones grounded into the floor or the seat beneath you.
Align your heart over your pelvis, and the crown of your head over your heart. Relax the shoulders away from the ears. Create space between the teeth to soften the jaw.
Inhale deeply, exhale completely.
Bring your attention inwards. Become deeply aware of the person you are today, deeply aware of your authentic being.
As I guide you through this Loving Kindness meditation, you will send loving kindness to the self, to others, and finally to the world as a whole. I will speak a phrase and I invite you to repeat the phrase out loud or silently to yourself.
If at any time you notice your thoughts creeping in, gently, and with compassion, bring your attention back to the words.
Begin with the self. If you find it difficult to send love to yourself, think of an act of kindness you’ve done recently - maybe something small - and speak the words from this place of goodness.
Repeat each phrase either out loud or silently to yourself.
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be safe.
May I know love.
Inhale deeply, and exhale completely.
Now think of someone you are close to, someone with whom you share your life - maybe a friend, partner, a child, or a pet - a being you love. Picture them sitting in front of you, and send them loving kindness.
Repeat each phrase either out loud or silently to yourself.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be safe.
May you know love.
Inhale deeply, and exhale completely.
Now think of someone you have neutral feelings about. This may be someone you cross paths with in your neighborhood sometimes, someone who works at your local coffee shop. Sit them down in front of you and speak loving kindness to them.
Repeat each phrase either out loud or silently to yourself.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be safe.
May you know love.
Inhale deeply, and exhale completely.
Now picture a person you have negative feelings towards or negative memories about. Maybe someone you’ve had a disagreement with, a long standing grudge, or a brief moment of disrespect. It could be an ex-partner or friend, a partner, a sibling, or a colleague. This one can be the most challenging next to sending love to yourself. So maybe you imagine this person as someone you don’t know so well, or imagine this person as a child. Speak as though they are sitting in front of you and you are speaking directly to them, sending them loving kindness.
Repeat each phrase either out loud or silently to yourself.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be safe.
May you know love.
Inhale deeply, and exhale completely.
For this final round, we will send loving kindness to all living beings. Speaking to all life, to all beings everywhere. Imagine your family, your friends; think about people you might meet one day, people you might never meet; people in your neighborhood, in your town; people across the country, people on the other side of the world. Send loving kindness to all beings, including your self.
Repeat each phrase either out loud or silently to yourself.
May we be happy.
May we be peaceful.
May we be safe.
May we know love.
Inhale deeply, and exhale completely.
Take the next few minutes in quiet meditation. Maybe focus on your breath, maybe continue to send love and kindness to your self, to someone you know, or out into the world.