Loving Kindness Guided Meditation

Overview of Practice

Loving Kindness Meditation, often referred to by its Pali name Metta Bhavana, is the cultivation of an open and compassionate heart—a heart that extends unconditional goodwill toward oneself, toward God, and toward all creation. When framed within a Christian contemplative context, Loving Kindness becomes not merely a psychological tool but a spiritual discipline. It invites the practitioner to be filled with divine love and to become a vessel of that love in the world.

This meditation unfolds in five progressive movements:

Quiet the Mind and Still the Body: Stillness is the gateway to interior awareness and divine encounter.
Open the Heart Center: Through breath and prayer, we gently open the emotional center of love and compassion.
Feel Love for Yourself: As we receive God’s love, we also learn to extend kindness and mercy to ourselves.
Feel Your Love for God: The love we have for the Creator is expressed through reverence, surrender, and trust.
Feel Your Love for Everyone: We extend that love outward—to family, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies, just as Jesus taught (Matthew 5:44)[¹].

Introduction – 5 Minutes

Creating a sacred space is essential for entering into deep meditation. These preparatory steps transition us from the ordinary to the holy.

Prepare the Room and Relax

Light a Candle: This act symbolizes the divine light of Christ and prepares the heart for sacred stillness[²].
Listen to Music: Gentle sacred music or contemplative chants can quiet the mental noise and usher in spiritual awareness.
Top-to-Bottom Body Scan: Move your awareness slowly from head to toe, noticing each part of the body and inviting it to relax. This practice grounds you in the body and brings you into presence[³].
Focus on Deep Breathing: Deep, diaphragmatic breathing calms the nervous system, aligns heart and mind, and anchors the soul in the present moment[⁴].

The Meditation – 30 Minutes

This meditation is offered in two parts, beginning with a posture of awareness and gratitude and culminating in union with the loving presence of Christ.

Part One: Eyes Open – Breath and Awareness

Bring Your Attention to the Object of Meditation: Love

Let the very feeling of love become your focal point—not an idea, but an experience in your body and soul.
Scan the Surroundings

Gently gaze at your environment without clinging or analyzing—just observe. This grounds you in your space and opens your senses.
Focus on the Breath in the Nose

Direct your attention to the coolness of the in-breath and the warmth of the out-breath. This simple act draws you into embodied awareness.
Become Mindfully Aware

Let each breath remind you of your existence in God. As you breathe, you become a living prayer.
On the In-Breath: Silently think, “God loves me.”

Accept that this is not based on merit but on grace (Romans 5:8)[⁵].
On the Out-Breath: Silently think, “I love God.”

Let this become your offering, your surrender, and your response.

Repeat for several minutes, allowing this sacred dialogue to deepen with each breath.

Part Two: Eyes Closed – Heart Union with Christ

Close Your Eyes and Be Still

Let the visual world fade. Withdraw gently inward, to the center of your heart.
Feel the Presence of Jesus

Visualize or sense Jesus standing before you, reaching out to you. Open your heart in return. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20)[⁶].
Draw His Energy into Your Heart

Imagine His love entering your chest as warm light or radiant energy, filling every cell of your being.
Feel and Sense Love

Let this love expand—not just as an emotion but as a sacred knowing. You are seen, known, and cherished.
Feel Your Love for All Creation

Extend this love outward, first to those you care for, then to those with whom you struggle. Let love grow spacious and universal.
End the Practice and Give Thanks to Jesus

In prayer or silence, offer heartfelt gratitude to Christ, the source and embodiment of perfect love.

Conclusion

Loving Kindness Meditation transforms the heart by rooting it in the love of God. As we receive divine love, we learn to love ourselves rightly and to extend that same grace outward to others. In this way, the practice becomes not only meditative but incarnational—a way of embodying Christ’s presence in the world.

Footnotes

The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:44, ESV: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Joan Chittister, The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life (Thomas Nelson, 2009), p. 36.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living (Bantam, 1990), pp. 75–78.
Herbert Benson, The Relaxation Response (HarperTorch, 1975).
The Holy Bible, Romans 5:8, ESV: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The Holy Bible, Revelation 3:20, ESV: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

Loving Kindness Guided Meditation

Overview of Practice

Introduction – 5 Minutes

Prepare the Room and Relax

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The Meditation – 30 Minutes

Part One: Eyes Open – Breath and Awareness

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Part Two: Eyes Closed – Heart Union with Christ

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Conclusion

Footnotes

About Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation

Other Types of Mediation

Teachers of Meditation