Loving Kindness

Loving-kindness meditations help in building a love for oneself and others. It can be a difficult meditation to do, especially if you struggle with self-esteem and/or self-worth. Studies have shown that repeated readings of the loving-kindness meditation can actually rewire pathways in the brain, and therefore change one’s perspective on life. There are many adaptions of loving-kindness meditations. The following is written where you first send love and kindness to yourself, then to those who are close to you, then to those you may not know so well, then to all in the universe, then that love is returned to you. (Meditation modified from gozen.com)

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Start by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths in and out. Breathe comfortably. As I say these words, take them in, absorb them. . . even if you don’t fully believe them:

May I be happy, healthy and peaceful.
May I let go of sadness and bad feelings.
May I be free from anger.
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from difficulties.
May I be free from suffering.
May I be healthy, happy, and peaceful.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be at peace.

Continue to breathe. As you breathe, imagine that you’re unleashing the power you have stored up inside of you to the people you love, those you have guided you, helped you, who have shown their love to you. This power comes from your heart. You’re breathing out the warmth and glow to everyone you love. Imagine their faces as I say these words:

I spread this loving-kindness out.
I send love to those I love.
May they let go of sadness and bad feelings.
May they be free from anger.
May they be free from pain.
May they be free from difficulties.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healthy, happy, and peaceful.
May they be filled with loving-kindness.
May they be at peace.

As you breathe, feel the love and kindness filling your heart. Imagine you are glowing with the energy of love. You will now spread this energy to everyone you care about, even just a little bit. Maybe you can even smile a little bit as I say these words:

I spread this loving-kindness out.
I send love to my friends, to my classmates younger and older, to my teachers.
May they let go of sadness and bad feelings.
May they be free from anger.
May they be free from pain.
May they be free from difficulties.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healthy, happy, and peaceful.
May they be filled with loving-kindness.
May they be at peace.

Now, you are really going to see the magical ability of love. Your loving energy travels like light—it travels fast, far and wide. With your power, you’re going to send love to everyone on Earth and then the entire universe. Listen to these words as I say them and visualize them going out and going on:

I send love now to all the people–
Everywhere on Earth.
May they let go of sadness and bad feelings.
May they be free from anger.
May they be free from pain.
May they be free from difficulties.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healthy, happy, and peaceful.
May they be filled with loving-kindness.
May they be at peace.
May all beings in the universe be free from suffering.
May all beings in all universes, everywhere, be free from suffering.
May all beings of all kinds, in all directions, be happy and at peace.
Above and below, near and far, high and low,
May all types of beings: humans, animals, trees, birds, anything seen or not seen…
May all beings and creatures, with no exceptions…
May they all be healthy, happy, and peaceful.
May they filled with loving-kindness.
May they be at peace.

Now, everyone to whom you have sent your loving kindness is sending their loving kindness back to you. As I say these words, take them in, absorb them. . . even if you don’t fully believe them yet:

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