In this guided meditation, you can practice cultivating loving kindness, the wish to become happy for the benefit of others, while also experiencing joy for the experience of this practice.
Sit comfortably in a quiet place, either indoors or out, and find a posture that feels stable and comfortable. You can use the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” or any other sacred name or phrase that inspires you.
Notice the body and its sensations. Notice how the body feels to be sitting, and notice the feeling of your eyes and ears. Allow your attention to move through your whole body.
Begin by noticing your own thoughts. You may notice that you feel upset or you notice your frustration, your desire to get something done, or your anger. Just notice that thought and the feelings that arise with it.
When you notice that your mind is racing, gently take your attention back to the sensation of the breath. Breathing deeply can help you calm the mind.
At the same time, keep your attention on the mantra. Repeat it over and over until the mind settles.
After a few minutes, invite the feeling of kindness and compassion into the heart.
Begin by offering a simple phrase like “May you be safe and happy.” You can do this phrase with every inhale and exhale.
As you repeat the phrase, it becomes more alive as you offer it. This feeling of kindness will come more from the heart than the head.
Continue repeating this phrase until you feel the connection to the word. As you repeat the word, feel it as a source of strength.
You can also offer a phrase of kindness with each exhale like “May you be safe and happy.”
Allow the mind to settle and focus for a moment, remembering that you are working with a mantra.
Now shift your attention to the person you would like to be kind toward. Offer a phrase like “May you be safe and happy.”
Continue saying this phrase as you offer kindness and compassion to that person.
When you offer these phrases, you can also offer them to yourself, to the entire world, and to the divine.
Be aware of how you feel with the kindness offered to others and how you feel when you offer the phrases to yourself.
When the mind settles, you can invite the feelings of joy, peace, and contentment to fill your heart.
Invite your eyes to close and your body to relax.
Many of us struggle with feelings of inadequacy. We worry about what others think of us and feel unworthy of being happy. We may think we need to make big changes in order to become worthy of love.
Mindfulness meditation can help you develop self-compassion. By accepting yourself the way you are right now, you can learn to appreciate yourself fully and build positive self-esteem.
Choose a comfortable posture, like sitting or lying down. Bring awareness to the body’s sensations.
Imagine a warm and gentle flame inside of you. Think of this flame as an energy of kindness. As you inhale, imagine that the flame of kindness rises up, filling you with loving-kindness.
Allow the flame to grow, and it begins to fill you with positive energy. As you exhale, visualize the flames of kindness descending upon you.
Now, in the middle of your breath, think of somebody you love. Imagine that you are sending your positive energy out to them. Think of their name, your connection with them, and what they do that you admire.
In your mind, send them a message of loving kindness.
Think of a person you might like to work with more. Imagine sending that same energy of kindness to them.
Think of someone you admire. Imagine sending them your energy. Think of your family or friends. Imagine sending them your kindness.
Send that energy to everybody and everything you can think of. When you are finished, return your focus to your breath.
When you are ready, return to your body and to your breath.
As we grow up, we hear words that tell us who we are and how we are. These words can give us a false sense of who we are.
We may believe they define our worth or make us special. But as we become adults, we can recognize that they are not who we are. We can learn to see ourselves in a different way.
Through meditation, we can learn to look at ourselves with kindness and acceptance. We can learn to value the good things we do and accept our flaws.
The practice of loving kindness is a way of taking the power out of the judgmental voice in the head. As you learn to offer loving kindness to yourself, you can stop feeling that you are separate from others.
Close the eyes and begin by inviting gentleness into the body from the beginning. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
When you are ready, invite the presence of kindness into your mind. As you inhale, imagine you are taking in kindness. As you exhale, imagine you are sending kindness to yourself. You can do this three times.
When you are ready, invite kindness into your heart. Again, imagine the kindness as it comes into you, filling the heart. Imagine that you are sending kindness to yourself, your family, and your community. Continue doing this for as long as you are comfortable, imagining that you are sending kindness to yourself as well as to others.
After a few minutes, turn your attention to the body. Do you feel more relaxed? How does the mind feel? Are you able to stay focused? How does the body feel?
For the next few minutes, focus on what is happening in your body. Is there anything that you are noticing? Is there any discomfort or tension?
Think about whether you feel more comfortable, less comfortable, or just about the same.
After a few minutes of paying attention to your body, open your eyes and continue the rest of the meditation.
In the first half of the meditation, you imagined taking in kindness and sending it to yourself. In the second half, you imagined kindness coming to you from yourself and being sent out into the world. Now, in the final stage, you can extend this practice of sending kindness out into the world.
Recognize that you have hurt yourself in some way. Ask yourself how you can make amends. You might write a letter, call a friend, or simply think of a way to offer yourself kindness.
Close the eyes and begin by welcoming gentleness into the body from the beginning. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
As you are ready, think of a situation where you have harmed yourself. Imagine that you have been trying to forgive yourself and making amends. Think about what kind of kindness you can offer yourself in the future.
After a few moments, invite kindness
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