A 12-Minute Meditation for Self-Compassion and Loving-Kindness

This week, Melli O’Brien invites us to immerse ourselves in a meditation designed to soothe the nervous system and cultivate self-compassion through deep relaxation and warm, gentle affirmations.

By Melli O'Brien May 22, 2024 Calm

Today, I invite you to immerse yourself in a self-compassion and loving-kindness meditation. This practice is designed to soothe the nervous system and cultivate self-compassion through deep relaxation and warm, gentle affirmations.

We’ll begin with some mindful breathing, and then, as we ease into a state of calm, the practice transitions into a loving-kindness meditation where we’ll repeat phrases of compassion and kindness towards ourselves. 

The intention of this practice is to help you replace self-criticism with kindness, and harshness with compassion, creating a soothing and supportive mental environment. Embrace this opportunity to nurture your inner well-being, and let the warmth of self-compassion guide you towards a more peaceful and grounded state of mind.

A Guided Meditation for Self-Compassion and Loving-Kindness

Begin by taking a few moments to really settle into your meditation posture. Make yourself as comfortable as possible. Let the eyes gently close, and bring awareness into the physical body.  As you tune into the body, see if there are any areas where you might be holding tension. Notice if there’s any tension in the jaw, shoulders, scalp, and so on. See if you can soften it, even if it’s just a little bit. Take three deep, slow, full breaths. Take a deep breath in, and release it fully. Then take two more breaths in the same way. With each exhale, see if you can soften any remaining tension in the body, just letting the body be relaxed and letting the mind relax into the here and now. At the end of the third exhale, let go of any control of the breath. Let the breath find its own rhythm now. Continue to feel the flow of the breath in the body and where you can feel the breath most easily.  Now we’re going to be introducing a practice traditionally known as loving-kindness or Metta practice. We will be working with some phrases that you say to yourself mentally as a way of training in self-compassion and kindness. Make sure to let that inner voice have a warm, friendly, and kind tone to it. Mentally repeating these phrases after me: May I have peace in my heart. May I be free from suffering. May I be healthy. And may my life flow with ease. May I be filled with compassion and kindness. May I be free from fear. May I be happy.  Continue this practice on your own. You can repeat some of the phrases that you’ve heard, or you can repeat any phrases that resonate with you personally. Choose whatever words of love or compassion you’re naturally drawn to.  One thing to note: we’re not doing this practice as affirmations or manifesting a certain outcome, other than the outcome of just using these phrases to generate feelings of kindness towards ourselves. We’re wiring in kindness instead of criticism, compassion instead of judgment and harshness. Continue a little longer, repeating these phrases mentally with a soothing, warm tone in that inner voice.  As the practice now draws towards a close, take a deep breath in. Exhale as you gently begin to wiggle the fingers and toes. Take a moment to notice how you feel after practicing being kind to yourself. When you’re ready, if you care to, you can open your eyes. 

Thank you for practicing with me today. I wish you ease and happiness in the day ahead.