Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta)

The loving kindness meditation is a way of calming yourself and increasing goodwill toward yourself and others. You can use traditional statements or create your own statements. You can repeat the statements silently or out loud. I like that you start by wishing yourself well, and only after taking care of yourself do you move on to wishing others well. The English translation of 'metta' is 'loving kindness'.

You wish the blessings for yourself, for someone you feel neutral toward, for someone you love (and are not in conflict with), for someone with whom you have a conflict, for all beings, and then again for yourself. An example of what you might say is as follows.

May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be well.
May I be at ease.

May (someone you feel neutral toward) be happy.
May (someone you feel neutral toward) be peaceful.
May (someone you feel neutral toward) be well.
May (someone you feel neutral toward) be at ease.

May (loved one) be happy.
May (loved one) be peaceful.
May (loved one) be well.
May (loved one) be at ease.

May (someone you are in conflict with) be happy.
May (someone you are in conflict with) be peaceful.
May (someone you are in conflict with) be well.
May (someone you are in conflict with) be at ease.

May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be at ease.

May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be well.
May I be at ease.

Create Your Own Blessings

You can use other blessings. Find the words and intentions that work for you. You can create your own blessings or use some of the alternative ones below.

May I be healthy.
May I be compassionate (loving, spacious, embracing, accepting, daring, adventurous, etc.).
May I live with ease.
May I know peace (love, etc.).
May I learn the lessons that I need to learn as easily as possible.
May I live with fierce joy.
May I rest gently in compassion.
May I be caught softly when I fall.
May I be truly alive.
May I experience the fullness of joy.
May I experience the fullness of life.
May I live my purpose.

If At First You Don’t Succeed...

Generally, the more you practice anything, the better you get at it and the easier it is to use the skill when needed. This is true for meditation. It may seem difficult or awkward at first. You might find that it does not work as you expect it to. Feeling more comfortable with the loving kindness meditation and experiencing its benefits may come with more regular practice.

If meditating makes you feel more distressed, please find someone who can help or try something else.

About Me

I am a therapist/counselor in Sunnyvale, California. I primarily work with individual adults. (LMFT Lic. # LMFT40414)

Please visit my therapy home page for more information about me.

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Call me or email me at stacy@stacyoleary.com to ask any questions you have or set up an appointment. You can also schedule a free phone consultation with me.