Loving Kindness Guided Meditation
Mindfulness, visualization, and compassion for self and others are all powerful strategies for a variety of life’s challenges such as stress and anxiety. The below loving kindness mindfulness meditation incorporates all three of these approaches.
A guided meditation is one of the many ways that we can practice mindfulness, which is all about bringing one’s attention to the present moment in an openhearted and non-judgmental fashion. Scientific research studies have shown that mindfulness can help us better manage heightened stress, reduce anxiety levels, and improve overall well-being among other benefits.
Visualization involves using our minds to imagine scenes that can aid in relaxation. The term visualization, however, does not capture the entirety of this relaxation technique. That’s because the visualization approach includes more than simply seeing a better scene with our mind. Rather, visualization encompasses all the five senses as we imagine a helpful experience.
Compassion is an exceptionally effective alternative to harsh and overly critical thoughts. Self-deprecating thoughts, for example, are often associated with feelings of guilt and shame and can exacerbate symptoms of stress and anxiety. Compassionate thoughts, on the other hand, allow us to better understand our struggles and explain (but not excuse) the times we may act in ways that are inconsistent with our personal values. This deeper understanding can help us make choices in the future that are more values-driven.
Transcript:
Thank you for joining this loving kindness mindfulness meditation. Visualization and compassion for self and others are also integrated into this mindfulness practice. I’m Dr. Jennifer McManus, a licensed psychologist, and I’ll be your guide. I regularly incorporate mindfulness, visualization, and compassion into the therapeutic work I do with psychotherapy clients.
For safety reasons, please only join me in this guided meditation when you can find a quiet time to relax. For example, it’s not safe to do this when you’re driving.
Now that you have found a quiet time to relax, simply find a cozy spot, listen to my voice, and follow my guidance.
To begin this meditation, please bring your kind awareness to how your belly, chest, and head each feel when you reflect on this topic,
the emotions that you can associate with these visceral feelings,
the positive or negative impact of any stories you believe in regarding this topic,
the fact that many others are feeling similarly about this topic as you,
how you might feel with increased awareness around this topic,
and when you can apply increased mindfulness to this topic in your daily life
Now, as you sit in a quiet place where you can be free from distractions
Let your hands rest comfortably in your lap
Close your eyes or gaze softly out ahead of you
And spend some time with attention on your breath
Breathing slowly in and out
Without forcing, gently nudge your way into a longer inhale breath, and a much longer exhale breath
Let the breath get quieter as your body softens a bit and as your mind, too, gets quieter
And now, at the center of your heart,
Imagine a source of radiant, soft, warm white light
A light that is alive, vibrating, pulsing
Feel the light with your body
Its warmth, its movement, its energy
It's the limitless source of love, positivity, and wellbeing within you
And because it is limitless, you can share
Invite before you someone with whom you’d like to share this light
Someone you know.
Someone for whom you care.
Someone you love.
Sit them directly across from you.
They are sitting just as you are.
Their hands comfortably in their lap.
You can see them breathing, you can sense the rise and fall of their chest
And now because you love this person so much,
You decide to also send them four wishes,
As you send them your light.
You silently say to yourself:
May this person have happiness and all the causes of future happiness.
As you send them this wish, you also imagine light traveling across all space and time from your body to theirs - filling them up with light.
And then you say to yourself:
May this person be free from their pain and suffering, and all the causes of their pain and suffering.
And as you send them this wish, you equally send them more light. The light now filling their entire torso with wellbeing.
And then you say to yourself:
May this person never be separated from joy. May they always be immersed in joy, never touched by pain.
Again, imagining more light sent over with this wish. The light has now filled up their arms and their legs.
And then you say to yourself:
May this person live always in a state of contentment, free from all of their grasping, and free from aversion.
And as you send over more light with this wish, it fills up their neck, it fills up their head. Their entire body is now glowing with light.
Because of all the well wishes you sent, your loved one is now glowing.
You see them, having received your wishes, and you understand that they are happy, free from pain, joyful and content.
Their light is so bright that it bounces back to you. Your own light, now, even brighter.
Sit now, in the presence of this light.
And rest in the sensation in your body.
How does it feel, to see your loved one, so happy and so free?
Recognize that it’s by sharing with others, that we experience fullness.
Recognize that you are whole, you are perfect, and you have everything that you need.
Dr. Jennifer McManus is a licensed psychologist who regularly integrates the practices of mindfulness, visualization, and compassion into her therapeutic work with psychotherapy clients. If you think you may benefit from psychotherapy, please contact the practice of Dr. Jennifer McManus to learn more about available support. You can schedule a complimentary consultation, email, or call the office at 866-706-3665.
