A Loving Kindness Meditation Script for Basic Practice

Loving-kindness meditation, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity are rigorous meditation practices, used for the most part cultivate one-pointed concentrated attention. Who wouldn’t want a love that encompasses everything? We have all been looking for that feeling of affection that comprehends thoroughly— no exceptions, no ifs, and buts. In this article, we will end that hunt for absolute love. I will teach you why it’s been there all along by guiding you with a loving kindness meditation script.

Before you continue you might like to consider our free worksheet on exploring “Escaping Self-Sabotage”. Please download this worksheet here.

Basics of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM)

Lovingkindness or Heartful Meditation is a special meditation practice that intends to promote absolute humane attitudes towards self and others, focusing on the generation of kind thoughts to oneself and the world. As easy as it may sound it does have its challenge. The thing is when you first try it you will find that: it is a lot easier to send loving-kindness to others than it is to myself. According to Benjamin Decker, this challenge is the actual reason why LKM starts and ends with the self. We will understand more of this when you try this mindfulness practice later in this article.

Benefits of LKM Backed by Scientific Researches

This kind of meditation has been used and evaluated in different studies as an intervention and the following are its noted benefits:

1. Reduced pain and overall good physical health A study showed that the practice of LKM significantly reduced chronic low back pain and that clinicians recommend how loving-kindness meditation can be helpful in the treatment of patients with persistent pain and thus with the presence of more positive emotions, this resulted in better physical health.
2. Decreased stress, increased positive emotions Research showed that the practice of this specific meditation significantly reduced chronic low back pain and that clinicians recommend how loving-kindness meditation can be helpful in the treatment of patients with persistent pain as it also aids in decreasing anger, emotional tension, and psychological distress.Another study even encouraged more studies to confirm that their use of Loving Kindness Meditation for veterans with PTSD resulted in overall increased positive emotions over time.
3. Lessened inflammation Further investigations showed that one of the impacts can be noted on the body’s inflammatory and neuroendocrine system. Results showed that the frequent practicing LKM meditators showed lesser inflammation compared to the low-practicing and non-practicing group.
4. Improved communication and empathy to others Researchers observed that there was an increase of gray matter in the brain of LKM meditators. These areas are essential for regulation an empathic response, anxiety, and mood and are also important in the understanding of social contexts and verbal communication.
5. Self-compassion and acceptance Loving Kindness Meditation starts and ends with the giving and receiving of love to oneself. This involves a deeper look within yourself that helps practice self-forgiveness and self-acceptance. These are powerful concepts to aid in a powerful healing experience that will help curb our sense of self-sabotage and self-judgment.
   1. Life longevity Relatively short telomere length may serve as markers of accelerated aging, and shorter telomeres have been linked to chronic stress. A study done on LKM practitioners showed that they have longer relative telomere length than does who do not practice it.

6. With slowed down aging and lesser stress…

   Could LKM be the answer to graceful aging?

An Easy Guide to Practice LKM

Like the other mindfulness practices, this loving-kindness meditation involves increasing self-awareness, but the difference is that it also includes looking into the untapped capacity of our hearts for greater love—a love that is more than what we are used to giving and receiving.

The following are the steps for practice and included is one of the guided meditation scripts that can be used:

For this meditation we will use the mantra below that is to be memorized, and repeated throughout, this is the script from Benjamin Decker’s book Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier Calmer You:

May your mind knows the truth and your hear know love.

May you be free from harm and free from causing harm

May you and all your relations be strong, healthy,

happy, and fulfilled, for the benefit of all beings.”

1. The meditation begins by encouraging a sense of self-acceptance and total love for your true self.
   Your true self is that part of you that not everyone knows about it. It is the most authentic part of you that includes looking into and being open and accepting of one’s:
   • Perceived imperfections
   • Personality weaknesses
   • Past mistakes, regrets, and shortcomings

   It might be tempting to give negative self-talk, give harsh criticisms even harbor self-hatred as you become aware of the above faults, BUT, this first step will all be about making amends with yourself and your past failures.

   This is all about opening your heart to a greater understanding and compassion for yourself.

   You have to create a zone of love within yourself—and for yourself. It is easily said, but do try to not be too hard on yourself. Open your heart and self to that kind of love that is pure.

   You will repeat the mantra over and over again until your heart is ready to receive the love that you deserve to give yourself.

1. When you are done with yourself, you will invite to mind the people that
   you care for deeply like family, close friends— even your pets!As you are inviting them into your mind, you now will then encompass them inside the “love zone” that you created on the first step. Repeat the loving kindness meditation script over and over until you have covered everyone into that pool of love within you.
2. You will now invite your casual acquaintances into your thoughts.
   These are your colleagues, coworkers, neighbors. You pull them into the area of love and understanding of which you initially opened only for yourself and your close ones. You will repeat the mantra until you have opened your heart and mind to the possibility that they can be included too in the love that you thought were only for some.
3. Invite to mind strangers, public figures, even those whom you have had difficulty with.
   Breathe through any resistance. This is the time that you could practice compassion, understanding, and forgiveness for other people. Think of those in pain, send them loving-kindness, repeat the mantra until you are ready to take in more into that pot of love that you have.
4. Think of all the people in the world, all the animals, plants, land formations, water bodies, cities, planets, and all the stars.
   Think of everything and encompass them with love, repeat the mantra for them all, give out loving-kindness to the whole life that is outside you.

Breathe deeply, look into how you are connected to everyone and everything.
Look how a seemingly small pool of love that you once deprived yourself of is greater than it looks. Realize how in this practice it has encompassed the whole universe and everything else there is. Focus on yourself and repeat the mantra once more.Rest into a mindful stillness that focuses on your breathing until you feel like you are done and ready.

The love that encompasses everything, the love that

we’ve all been looking for… is inside ourselves.

I used to look for love through people and worldly things, I believe that I am empowered now that I know that the love inside me is greater than anything else or anyone else has to offer, and the catch is, I know that I deserve that kind of love. I only now have to share it with the world.

By trying the above loving-kindness meditation wording I hope that it has helped you realize too that the comprehending love that we long seek can only be given to us by ourselves through self-acceptance.

This loving kindness meditation is designed to help us enhance our happiness and improve the way we perceive our internal and external environments. May we all continue to learn how to accept the love we so deserve.

 

If you’re ready to deepen your self-compassion and release any self-sabotage, download our free Escaping Self-Sabotage Workbook here.