Loving Kindness Meditation: A Practice for Self-Love & Healing

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.”
The Dalai Lama

What is Loving Kindness Meditation?

Loving Kindness Meditation (also known as “Metta”) is a  Buddhist meditation technique. In this simple, yet profound practice the practitioner repeats a series of statements (mantra) known as the Metta Prayer. The purpose of the mantra is to give the mind a place to focus on while cultivating love, kindness, compassion & caring attitudes towards oneself & others. 

How Practicing Loving Kindness Supports Self-Love & Healing

Though gentle, Loving Kindness Meditation is an empowering practice that invites the practitioner to receive the benefits of mindfulness meditation while extending heartfelt intention towards oneself, others & the world at large.  Although it may sound trite, it would be remiss to not mention the adage that without love for oneself, it’s difficult to love others. This practice encourages the practitioner to observe, and in time come to understand, the deeply relational nature between our  feelings towards self & our feelings towards others. These attitudes about self & others often have a large impact on perceptions and beliefs about the world &  one’s place in it! Simply put, implementing Loving Kindness Meditation as a spiritual practice is a profound & accessible way to increase our capacity for love. Increasing the capacity to accept & express love is always the pathway to true healing.

How to Practice Loving Kindness Meditation

As with any meditation practice, ideally the practitioner would spend an uninterrupted period of time in a quiet & serene space. Often, our busy lives don’t afford this luxury. The beauty of mindfulness meditation is that it is beneficial when coming to these practices for short, intentional times throughout the busyness of our day to day lives. In fact, regularly weaving moments of meditation into the seemingly mundane is a marker of spiritual awareness, healing & growth. A Loving Kindness Meditation practice could look like repeating part, or all of Metta Prayer to oneself while getting ready in the morning, or silently sending the intention of the Metta Prayer to the gas station attendant during a morning commute. With that said, here are some ideas of how to incorporate this practice on the quest of mindfulness, self-love & healing: 

1. Find a comfortable position (either lying down or seated)
2. Bring awareness to the breath
3. While following the inhale & the exhale, allow the body to become relaxed 
4. Draw awareness to the heart 
5. Continue to breathe and begin reciting the Metta Prayer
6. Visualization may be used as the Metta Prayer is repeated (sending the intention to oneself, a loved one, or the world at large)
7. Stay with each step as long as needed or comfortable

Here is further guidance from renowned Meditation Teacher, Tara Brach: Guided Meditation: Metta (Lovingkindness) (11:48 min)

Sacred Sedona Stupa for meditation and prayers

Metta Prayer

There are many variations of the Metta Prayer used in Loving Kindness Meditation. Once experienced in repeating the traditional version(s) of the Metta Prayer, it may be fun for the practitioner to create heartfelt & unique versions. 

Here is an example of the traditional Metta Prayer:

May I be peaceful.

May I be happy.

May I be safe.

May I awaken to the light of my true nature.

May I be free.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you awaken to the light of your true nature.

May you be free.

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May all beings be free.

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SpiritQuest Sedona Retreats Supports the Path of Loving Kindness & Self Love:

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• Spiritual Practice:
  • Learn to avoid self-destructive thought patterns that keep you stuck.
    Discover secrets of spiritual renewal for your overall health and balance.