Brief Instructions for Loving-Kindness Meditation
Watercolor by Carla Rose
To practice loving-kindness meditation, sit in a comfortable and relaxed manner. Take two or three deep breaths with slow, long and complete exhalations. Let go of any concerns or preoccupations. For a few minutes, feel or imagine the breath moving through the center of your chest - in the area of your heart.
Metta is first practiced toward oneself, since we often have difficulty loving others without first loving ourselves. Sitting quietly, mentally repeat, slowly and steadily, the following or similar phrases:
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful
and at ease.
After directing loving-kindness toward yourself, bring to mind a friend or someone in your life who has deeply cared for you. Then slowly repeat phrases of loving-kindness toward them:
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful
and at ease.
As you continue the meditation, you can bring to mind other friends, neighbors, acquaintances, community, strangers or animals.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful
and at ease.
Next bring to mind a person or people with whom you have difficulty. Again, repeat these words or modify them as you wish, accepting any and all emotions that may come.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful
and at ease.
Finally, we can bring to mind all beings, sending loving-kindness out to the whole world.
May we all be happy.
May we all be well.
May we all be safe.
May we all be peaceful
and at ease.
Excerpts gratefully reprinted from the book The Issue at Hand by Gil Fronsdal, guiding teacher of Insight Meditation Center.