Time required
15 minutes every day
Loving and kind meditation:
Relax your body:
Close your eyes. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. Relax your whole body. Close your eyes throughout the visualization and bring your consciousness inside. Don’t be nervous or focused, relax and follow the instructions gently.
Take a deep breath.
Pay attention to the warmth of your heart
Close your eyes and think of the people near you who love you so much. It could be someone from the past or present. Someone who is still in life or someone who has passed away. It could be a spiritual teacher or guide. Imagine standing on your right hand and sending your love to you. He sends hope to you for your safety, for your happiness and happiness. Feel the warm wishes and love that come from him towards you.
It reminds you of the same person and others who take great care of you now. Imagine someone standing on your left side in search of your health for your health and happiness. Feel the kindness and warmth that comes to you from that person.
Now imagine you are surrounded on all sides by all the people who love you and who love you. Imagine all the friends and loved ones surrounding you. They send you hope for you in search of your happiness, happiness and health. Immerse yourself in the warm wishes and love that come from all sides. You are filled with warmth and love.
Send loving kindness to your loved one
Now bring your consciousness back to the person standing on your right. Start sending the love that will return to that person. You and this person are similar. Just like you, this person wants to be happy. Send that person all your love and warm wishes.
Gently repeat the following phrase:
May you live easily, may you be happy, and may you be free from pain.
May you live easily, may you be happy, and may you be free from pain.
May you live easily, may you be happy, and may you be free from pain.
Focus your attention on the person standing on your left now. Start to direct the love within you towards that person. Send him all your love and warmth. You are similar to that person. Just like you, the person wants a good life.
Gently repeat the following phrase:
May you live in peace and happiness, as I wish, as you are safe, as you are healthy.
May you live in peace and happiness, as I wish, as you are safe, as you are healthy.
May you live in peace and happiness, as I wish, as you are safe, as you are healthy.
Now imagine another person you love, perhaps a relative or friend. This person wants to live a happy life just like you. Send a warm wish to that person.
Gently repeat the following phrase:
May your life be full of happiness, health and happiness.
May your life be full of happiness, health and happiness.
May your life be full of happiness, health and happiness.
Send something loving to neutral people
Think of people you know now, people you don’t know well, and people you don’t have any special feelings to. It’s like you and this person want a good life for you.
Send the person all wishes for happiness, repeat the following phrase and quietly send it:
May you live easy and happy, as I hope.
May you live easy and happy, as I hope.
May you live easy and happy, as I hope.
It reminds you of another acquaintance who you feel neutral now. It could be a neighbor, a colleague, or someone else you’re looking around but don’t know much about. Like you, this person wants to experience joy and happiness in his or her life.
Send all your good wishes to the person, repeat the following phrase, quietly:
May you be happy, may you be healthy, and may you be relieved of all pain.
May you be happy, may you be healthy, and may you be relieved of all pain.
May you be happy, may you be healthy, and may you be relieved of all pain.
Send a loving parental flavour to all living creatures
Now expand your consciousness and imagine the whole earth in front of you as a small ball.
Send a warm wish to all living creatures on earth who want to be happy, just like you:
May you live in easy, happy and healthy, as I wish.
May you live in easy, happy and healthy, as I wish.
May you live in easy, happy and healthy, as I wish.
Take a deep breath. Then take another deep breath and let it go. Notice your state of mind and how you feel after this meditation.
When you’re ready, you can open your eyes.
This article was adopted by Greater Good in Action, a site launched by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre. The exercise is based on a guided meditation created by researcher Emma Seppala, director of the science department of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and is the author of Happiness Track (Harper One, 2016) and Sovereign (Hayhouse, 2024).
