Loving Kindness Meditation by Karen Trueheart
This meditation is a gift from Karen Trueheart to the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Just prior to the passing of our 
Board Chair Karen Trueheart on September 2nd, the moving, inspirational CD “Dancing with Uncertainty” was produced by Victoria Harris that captures Karen’s powerful insights, moving stories, and life-enriching practices. It guides listeners to realize the true source of security, acceptance, and love.
Karen was a pioneer in East-West Spiritual Teaching that integrates the world’s leading religious and spiritual practices with science and psychology, popular culture, and sports. You can hear an excerpt and share your comments at dancingwithuncertainty.com. Please also help spread the word to your friends and family about this amazing CD.
May I be free from suffering.
When you want, you can end the meditation by gently opening your eyes. Then notice how you are feeling.
Variations on the Loving Kindness Meditation
Choose your own phrases. There may be phrases that you like better than the ones in the meditation above. Try some of them. Then settle into saying the same ones every time.
Offering Loving Kindness to Others
We know from experience that it is more difficult to be kind to others when we are consumed with worry or pain. This self-protective mechanism is normal and healthy. Yet we want to be able to give it to others. There are two ways:
First, practice being kind to yourself. As radical as this may seem, this practice directly benefits those around us. In a very real way you are practicing embodying nonviolence and being like Gandhi who nourished himself through meditation and prayer.
Second, offer this meditation to others. You can do this simply by changing “I” to the name of the person or group of people. It is best to start with someone you care about. As you become more secure in the practice you can offer it even to someone you hate or consider your enemy.
Using Loving Kindness Meditations in Your Daily Life
In every situation there is an opportunity to practice nonviolence by bringing kindness to that encounter. As you become familiar with the meditation you can use the phrases to help you relax in many situations. At the doctor’s office, in classes, in traffic…at the checkout counter, in encounters with difficult people.
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