Here’s a Sample of the “Loving Kindness Meditation Script” Guided Meditation Script:
You might take a comfortable meditation seat, and take three deep breaths. With each breath, say,
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out I know I am breathing out.
Bring a motivation to mind. It could be, “To be kinder, both to myself and others.” Or, “to accept myself as I am, and life as it is.”
Then say to yourself, either silently or quietly out loud:
May I be well and happy
May I be free from enmity, disease and grief
May happiness be my guard
You might say this 3 times in total.
We are going to focus on our body, bit by bit. With each body part, we’ll imagine a smile, a softening, and a soft, gentle, apricot-pink light – loving kindness – slowly filling that part of the body. This has the quality of hugging a small child in distress. Imagine that someone who really cares for you has placed their arm around your shoulders.
Say, either silently or quietly out loud:
Breathing in I am aware of the lips. Breathing out I smile at the lips.
Then do the same with the:
Nose
Eyes
Ears
Forehead
Jaw Muscles
Cheek muscles
Crown of the head
Back of the head
Back of the neck
Throat
Imagine the head and neck filling up with a gentle apricot–pink light, and loving kindness.
Say,
May I be well and happy
May I be free from enmity, disease and grief
May happiness be my guard
Next:
Breathing in I am aware of the shoulders. Breathing out, I smile at the shoulders.
Then do the same with the:
Upper Arms
Elbows
Lower Arms
Back of the Hands
Palms of the Hands
Fingers
Imagine the head, neck, arms and hands are filled with a gentle apricot–pink light and loving kindness.
Say,
May I be well and happy
May I be free from enmity, disease and grief
May happiness be my guard
Now:
Breathing in I am aware of the upper chest. Breathing out, I smile at the upper chest.
Then do the same with the:
Upper Back
Abdomen
Lower Back
Pelvic floor
Buttocks
Imagine the head, neck, arms, hands and torso are filled with a gentle apricot–pink light and loving kindness.
May I be well and happy
May I be free from enmity, disease and grief
May happiness be my guard
Breathing in I am aware of the thighs. Breathing out, I smile at the thighs.
Then:
Knees
Calves
Feet
Toes
Imagine the head, neck, arms, hands, torso, legs and feet are filled with a gentle apricot–pink light and with loving kindness.
How to use this script
This script suits anyone who wants a gentle, body-based loving kindness practice, and teachers who need a ready script to guide a group or a client. Read it aloud slowly. Pause after each phrase and after each part of the body, so the listener has time to follow. If a phrase feels stiff, say it in your own words; the meaning matters more than the exact wording. When you are guiding others, read through it once yourself first, so the pace feels natural when you speak.
The phrases come from the Buddhist metta tradition, which Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield have taught widely in the West. Many people find the practice steadying.
For more scripts to read aloud, browse the free guided meditation scripts library. To build your own delivery, the guide to how to lead a guided meditation covers using a script as a framework, speaking in your own voice, and leaving room for silence.
