Loving-Kindness Meditation for Yourself and the World

Written by Jennifer Stanley

You don’t need anyone to tell you that the world is an increasingly hostile place. News of war and violence scream at you from headlines daily, even if you do your best to avoid them — they show up in your email, on gym televisions, on your Uber driver’s satellite radio.

It’s enough to make anyone feel more than a little hostile themselves.

However, yogis know peace begins within, by cultivating mindfulness and taking responsibility for what you can control — yourself. You can calm your body and mind through breath and movement, and in doing so remain serenely courageous through chaos.

Better, you can begin to shift the energy within you towards that of peace, creating a ripple effect that spreads to others, as attitudes are contagious. Practice this loving-kindness meditation for yourself and send good vibrations to a world that sorely needs them.

Postures for Sitting or Lying in Meditation

The best posture for this loving-kindness meditation or any meditation session is whatever makes you the most comfortable. There is no one “correct” meditation posture — it’s highly individualized. However, here are some classic poses to consider:

• Vajrasana: This kneeling posture is similar to the hero's pose in yoga. Kneel on the floor, allowing the feet to separate. This pose may help with keeping your spine straight if other seated meditation postures
• Sukhasana: This easy seated posture is similar to the criss-cross-applesauce pose you might have used as a kid sitting on the floor. Simply fold your legs in front of you, legs folded, with one slightly forward.
• Lotus or a variation: Lotus is an advanced meditation posture that can help with spinal alignment, but it isn’t kind to everyone’s knees. You can also take a half-lotus, crossing only one leg on top of the other with the ankle toward the groin.
• Savasana: Some people prefer to lie down during meditation (I’m one of them). If taking corpse pose or savasana, try keeping your head straight, as letting it fall to one side encourages sleep. It also helps to place a pillow or bolster beneath your knees, especially if you have lower back, hip, or knee pain.

Setting the Mood for Your Meditation

Experienced meditators can reach a contemplative state nearly anywhere, but most mere mortals do best in an environment conducive to relaxation. Dim the lights, perhaps using colored LEDs to create a rosy glow. Adjust the temperature and have a blanket handy, as you often become cool when seated or lying for extended periods. A little aromatherapy doesn’t hurt — rose, ylang-ylang and lavender are good scents to use for this meditation, as are any scents you find relaxing and nurturing.

Suggested Guided Loving-Kindness Meditation

Begin by taking several slow breaths, elongating your exhales slightly. You can center your awareness by counting backward from ten as you count your inhales and exhales, such as this: “Inhale, ten, two, three, four,” and, “exhale, ten, two, three, four, five.” Continue breathing this way until you reach one, repeating if necessary until you feel calm and relaxed.

Pro-tip: it sometimes helps to burn off physical energy before sitting in meditation. Going for a run followed by a stretching cooldown or practicing an invigorating vinyasa routine into deeper restorative stretches can mitigate stress hormone levels and get you in a better mindset — try it if you feel too restless to sit.

Once you feel a sense of inner peace descend, draw your awareness to your heart chakra, the center of your chest. Explore the sensations there. Can you feel your heart beating for you?

Next, visualize someone you love dearly. It may be a pet — I often reflect on the pure love that Poe, and all beloved pets, teach. Let that feeling of love build and grow.

As your aura of loving-kindness grows, extend that feeling of acceptance and compassion to yourself. Picture a rosy glow filling every cell of your body, energizing every fiber. Gradually extend this sense to others, beginning with those nearest and dearest to you. Visualize the light of love spreading to your neighbors, colleagues, and even those people you find distasteful.

Continue letting this feeling of loving-kindness grow and emanate from you. Visualize it spreading so that it envelops the entire world, entering the hearts of those engaged in war and violence and transforming them with awareness. Imagine a planet in peaceful coexistence as if it were reality.

Gradually reconnect with the world around you by wiggling your fingers and toes as you exit your meditation. Take several deep, 3-part breaths, letting first your belly, then your diaphragm, and finally your chest expand before parting your lips and sighing your exhale. Blink your eyes open and smile warmly at the world.

Spread Love to Yourself and the World With This Meditation

You can repeat this meditation any time the world’s ugliness tears at your soul. Think of it as defensive armor for your soul, safeguarding against the bitterness that can easily creep in when news of death and despair bombard you.

Peace and loving-kindness begin within each one of us, and you can’t spread what you don’t feel. By generating compassion for ourselves and others on the mat, we can’t help but carry that emotion forward into daily life, spreading serenity, acceptance, and joy to everyone we touch.

Ease Into Your Meditation With a Little Yoga for Peace



Do you need to burn off a little restless energy before meditation? Try this yoga for peace routine to gradually calm your central nervous system and induce a more peaceful mental state in yourself before spreading it to others.