Loving Kindness Meditation Script: 5 Scripts to Read Today
A loving kindness meditation script is a short spoken guide that walks a listener through silently offering warm wishes, such as "may you be safe" and "may you be at ease", first to someone easy to love, then to themselves, and gradually outward to other people. It suits coaching clients who are self-critical, stretched thin by caring for others, or stuck in resentment, and it works for groups as well as one-to-one sessions. Below are five complete scripts: 5, 10 and 20 minutes, a trauma-sensitive version and a group version. Every one is written to be read aloud today, with pause cues in brackets, and all of them are free to use with your clients.
If you want clients to practise between sessions, record your favourite version once. In Coachful you can upload that recording as an audio resource, place it inside a program week, a course or a paid offer, or send it straight to one client, then pair it with a daily habit and a short check-in so you can see how practice is going. We make Coachful, so the delivery section later in this guide uses it as the worked example; the scripts themselves work anywhere, including a phone voice memo.
What is loving kindness meditation, and who is it for?
Loving kindness meditation (often called metta, from the Pali word for friendliness) is a practice of repeating phrases of goodwill while holding a person in mind. A review from Boston University researchers describes it as an exercise "oriented toward enhancing unconditional, positive emotional states of kindness and compassion" (Hofmann, Grossman and Hinton, 2011).
The classic sequence moves through six people or groups: a benefactor (someone who has been kind to you), yourself, a good friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and finally all beings. Many modern teachers start with the benefactor rather than the self, because sending warmth to a grandmother or a pet is easier than sending it inward. The scripts below follow that order.
For a mindfulness or wellness coach, the practice is most useful with clients who:
- speak to themselves harshly and want a gentler inner voice (pair it with the self-compassion worksheet);
- care for others all day, as parents, carers, nurses or managers, and feel depleted;
- feel lonely or disconnected and want to soften toward people around them;
- are holding a grudge or working through a strained relationship;
- already meditate with breath or body practices and want something warmer (the mindfulness worksheet is a good companion).
Coaching is not therapy. These scripts are wellbeing practices, not treatment for depression, trauma or any mental health condition. The safety section below covers when to adapt the practice and when to refer.
Which script should you use? A quick guide
Pick by the time you have and the person in front of you. A first-timer in a discovery call needs the 5-minute version; a retreat group can sit with the full 20-minute practice.
| Script | Length | Stages covered | Best moment to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Script 1: Five-minute daily practice | 5 minutes | Benefactor, self, all beings | First session, end of a call, daily homework |
| Script 2: Ten-minute classic | 10 minutes | Benefactor, self, friend, neutral person, all beings | Weekly practice after the client knows the basics |
| Script 3: Twenty-minute full practice | 20 minutes | All six stages including a difficult person | Workshops, retreats, experienced clients |
| Script 4: Trauma-sensitive version | About 8 minutes | Pet or place, benefactor, self (optional), all beings | Clients who find closed eyes or self-focus hard |
| Script 5: Group circle | About 12 minutes | Self, the people in the room, community, all beings | Group programs, cohorts, team sessions |
A note on the cues: [pause 5 seconds] means stop speaking and count silently. Most new guides rush, so trust the cue even when the silence feels long. Lines in italics are optional and can be dropped to shorten a script.
Script 1: Five-minute loving kindness meditation (daily practice)
Use it when: a client is new to meditation, you have five minutes at the end of a session, or you want a short daily recording for homework.
Find a position that feels comfortable. You can sit on a chair, a cushion or the edge of your bed. Let your hands rest wherever they land.
If it feels okay, close your eyes. Or let your gaze rest softly on the floor in front of you. [pause 3 seconds]
Take one slow breath in. And let it go. [pause 3 seconds]
One more. In. And out. [pause 5 seconds]
Now bring to mind someone who has been kind to you. It could be a friend, a teacher, a grandparent. It could even be a pet. Choose someone who is easy to feel warmly toward. [pause 5 seconds]
Picture them clearly. Notice their face. Notice how it feels to think of them. [pause 5 seconds]
Silently, offer them these wishes. You can repeat them after me.
May you be safe. [pause 3 seconds]
May you be healthy. [pause 3 seconds]
May you be happy. [pause 3 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 8 seconds]
Now notice that this person would wish the same for you. Let their kindness turn toward you. [pause 5 seconds]
Offer the same wishes to yourself.
May I be safe. [pause 3 seconds]
May I be healthy. [pause 3 seconds]
May I be happy. [pause 3 seconds]
May I live with ease. [pause 8 seconds]
If the words feel flat, that is fine. You are planting a seed. You do not need to feel anything for it to count. [pause 5 seconds]
Finally, let the circle widen. Think of everyone in your home, your street, your town. And then everyone, everywhere.
May all beings be safe. [pause 3 seconds]
May all beings be healthy. [pause 3 seconds]
May all beings be happy. [pause 3 seconds]
May all beings live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
Take a breath in. Feel your feet on the floor. And when you are ready, open your eyes.
After the practice, ask one question: "Which part was easiest, and which was hardest?" The answer tells you which script to try next.
Script 2: Ten-minute classic loving kindness meditation
Use it when: a client has tried the short version and is ready to include a friend and a neutral person, which is where many people first notice the practice changing how they treat others.
Settle into your seat. Let your back be upright but not stiff. Rest your hands on your thighs or in your lap. [pause 3 seconds]
Close your eyes, or lower your gaze. [pause 3 seconds]
Notice the weight of your body. Notice where you touch the chair, the floor. Let the ground hold you. [pause 5 seconds]
Breathe in slowly through your nose. And breathe out a little longer than you breathed in. [pause 5 seconds]
Again. In. And a long, easy breath out. [pause 8 seconds]
Place a hand on your chest if you like. Feel the warmth of your palm. [pause 5 seconds]
The benefactor. Bring to mind someone who has supported you. Someone whose kindness you never doubted. [pause 5 seconds]
Imagine they are sitting in front of you. Smiling. [pause 5 seconds]
Silently say to them:
May you be safe and protected. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be healthy and strong. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be happy. [pause 4 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
Yourself. Now picture yourself as you are right now. Sitting here. Doing your best. [pause 5 seconds]
May I be safe and protected. [pause 4 seconds]
May I be healthy and strong. [pause 4 seconds]
May I be happy. [pause 4 seconds]
May I live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
If a critical voice shows up, notice it. You might say to it, "thank you, I've got this." Then return to the phrases. [pause 5 seconds]
A good friend. Bring to mind a friend. Someone you enjoy. Picture them on an ordinary day. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be safe and protected. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be healthy and strong. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be happy. [pause 4 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
A neutral person. Now think of someone you see but do not really know. The person at the coffee counter. A neighbour you nod to. A colleague from another team. [pause 5 seconds]
They have worries you will never hear about. They want to be happy, just as you do. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be safe and protected. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be healthy and strong. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be happy. [pause 4 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
All beings. Let your attention open out. Everyone in this building. Everyone in this city. Every person and creature on the planet. [pause 5 seconds]
May all beings be safe and protected. [pause 4 seconds]
May all beings be healthy and strong. [pause 4 seconds]
May all beings be happy. [pause 4 seconds]
May all beings live with ease. [pause 15 seconds]
Let the phrases go. Simply rest. Notice whatever you feel, even if it is nothing in particular. [pause 15 seconds]
Take a fuller breath in. Wiggle your fingers and toes. When you are ready, open your eyes and come back to the room.
Script 3: Twenty-minute full loving kindness meditation (all six stages)
Use it when: you are leading a workshop or retreat, or a client has practised for a few weeks and wants to work with a difficult relationship.
Tell the listener before you begin that the difficult person should be someone mildly irritating, not someone who has harmed them. That one sentence prevents most bad experiences with this stage.
Arriving (about 3 minutes). Welcome. Let's take a few minutes to arrive. [pause 3 seconds]
Find a posture that is steady and comfortable. If you are on a cushion, let your knees rest lower than your hips. If you are on a chair, let both feet rest flat. [pause 5 seconds]
Close your eyes, or rest your gaze a little way ahead. [pause 3 seconds]
Notice the sounds around you. Near sounds. Far sounds. You do not need to do anything with them. [pause 10 seconds]
Notice your breath. You are not changing it. Just feeling it come and go. [pause 10 seconds]
Let your face soften. Your jaw. The space between your eyebrows. Your shoulders. [pause 10 seconds]
Bring to mind why you are here. Maybe to be a little kinder. To yourself. To others. Hold that intention lightly. [pause 10 seconds]
The benefactor (about 3 minutes). Picture someone who has wished you well. Someone who made life easier simply by being in it. [pause 8 seconds]
See them clearly. Their eyes. Their way of standing. Remember one specific moment of kindness from them. [pause 10 seconds]
Offer them these phrases, slowly, in your own time.
May you be safe from harm. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be healthy in body and mind. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be truly happy. [pause 5 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
Repeat the phrases on your own now. Let them carry the warmth you feel. [pause 30 seconds]
Yourself (about 3 minutes). Now imagine your benefactor turning toward you. They see you. They wish you well too. [pause 8 seconds]
Let their good wishes reach you. And add your own.
May I be safe from harm. [pause 5 seconds]
May I be healthy in body and mind. [pause 5 seconds]
May I be truly happy. [pause 5 seconds]
May I live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
Some people feel resistance here. That is common. If it helps, picture yourself as a young child, and offer the phrases to that child. [pause 10 seconds]
Continue on your own. [pause 30 seconds]
A good friend (about 2 minutes). Bring to mind a friend. Picture them laughing, or at ease. [pause 8 seconds]
Now picture them on a hard day. They have struggles too. [pause 8 seconds]
May you be safe from harm. May you be healthy in body and mind. May you be truly happy. May you live with ease. [pause 30 seconds]
A neutral person (about 2 minutes). Think of someone you barely know. A face you see often but whose name you may not know. [pause 8 seconds]
This person wakes up each day hoping things will go well. Just like you. [pause 8 seconds]
May you be safe from harm. May you be healthy in body and mind. May you be truly happy. May you live with ease. [pause 30 seconds]
A difficult person (about 3 minutes). Now, only if you feel ready, bring to mind someone you find mildly difficult. Someone who irritates you. Not someone who has hurt you deeply. [pause 8 seconds]
You do not have to approve of what they do. You are not excusing anything. You are simply noticing that they, too, want to be happy and free of suffering. [pause 10 seconds]
May you be safe from harm. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be healthy in body and mind. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be truly happy. [pause 5 seconds]
May you live with ease. [pause 10 seconds]
If this feels too much, go back to your benefactor, or to yourself. You can return here another day. [pause 20 seconds]
All beings (about 3 minutes). Now gather everyone you have held in mind today. Your benefactor. Yourself. Your friend. The neutral person. The difficult person. Picture them standing together. [pause 10 seconds]
Let the circle grow. Everyone in your neighbourhood. Your country. Every continent. Every creature that breathes. [pause 10 seconds]
May all beings be safe from harm. [pause 5 seconds]
May all beings be healthy in body and mind. [pause 5 seconds]
May all beings be truly happy. [pause 5 seconds]
May all beings live with ease. [pause 30 seconds]
Closing (about 1 minute). Let the words fall away. Rest in whatever is here. [pause 20 seconds]
Take a deeper breath. Feel the floor beneath you. Notice the room around you. [pause 5 seconds]
As you move into the rest of your day, see if you can carry one of these phrases with you. When you are ready, open your eyes.
Script 4: Trauma-sensitive loving kindness meditation
Use it when: a client finds closed eyes uncomfortable, struggles to direct warmth toward themselves, or has told you about a hard history. It keeps eyes open, offers choices at every step and makes the self stage optional.
This practice is yours to shape. You can keep your eyes open the whole time. You can move, stretch or stop whenever you like. [pause 3 seconds]
Look around the room. Find three things you can see. Maybe a colour you like. A window. A plant. [pause 8 seconds]
Feel your feet on the floor. Press them down a little. Notice that the floor holds you. [pause 5 seconds]
Now think of something that brings you a small sense of comfort. It could be an animal you love. A place in nature. A song. It does not have to be a person. [pause 8 seconds]
Hold it in mind. Offer it these words, or any words that feel right.
May you be safe. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be peaceful. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be well. [pause 8 seconds]
If you like, bring to mind a person who has been kind to you, even in a small way. Maybe someone who helped you once. If no one comes to mind, stay with your animal or place. Both are fine. [pause 8 seconds]
May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be well. [pause 10 seconds]
Now there is a choice. You can offer the same words to yourself. Or you can skip this part and simply rest. [pause 3 seconds]
If you choose to, you might say: May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be well. [pause 10 seconds]
Or, if that feels like too much, try: May I begin to feel safe. Or simply: I am here. [pause 10 seconds]
Let your attention widen to people everywhere who are looking for a little peace today. [pause 5 seconds]
May all of us be safe. May all of us be peaceful. May all of us be well. [pause 10 seconds]
Look around the room again. Name one thing you can see and one thing you can hear. [pause 5 seconds]
Thank yourself for taking this time. That is the end of the practice.
Check in afterwards with an open, non-leading question such as "How are you feeling now, on a scale of comfortable to uncomfortable?" If the client reports distress, stop the practice, ground them with the senses again, and see the referral notes below.
Script 5: Group loving kindness circle
Use it when: you run a group program, a cohort call, a corporate wellbeing session or a workshop. It turns the "neutral person" stage into the people in the room, which builds connection fast.
Welcome, everyone. For the next twelve minutes, we will practise together. Nobody will be asked to share anything unless they want to. [pause 3 seconds]
If you are online, you are welcome to turn your camera off. If you are in the room, feel free to sit however you like. [pause 3 seconds]
Close your eyes or soften your gaze. [pause 3 seconds]
Take three breaths with me. In. Out. [pause 4 seconds] In. Out. [pause 4 seconds] In. Out. [pause 6 seconds]
Yourself. Start with the one person you can always reach: you. Picture yourself arriving here today, with whatever you carried in. [pause 5 seconds]
May I be safe. May I be content. May I be kind to myself today. [pause 15 seconds]
The people in this group. Now become aware that you are not practising alone. Other people are here too, on their own cushions and chairs, in their own rooms. [pause 5 seconds]
Each of them came here with hopes. Each of them has had a hard week at some point. [pause 5 seconds]
Silently, offer the group the same wishes.
May you be safe. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be content. [pause 4 seconds]
May you be kind to yourselves today. [pause 15 seconds]
And notice that, right now, others in this group are offering the same wishes to you. Let yourself receive them. [pause 15 seconds]
Your wider community. Think of the people waiting for you after this call. Family. Colleagues. Clients. Neighbours. [pause 5 seconds]
May you be safe. May you be content. May you be kind to yourselves today. [pause 15 seconds]
All beings. Let it widen as far as you can imagine. [pause 5 seconds]
May all beings be safe. May all beings be content. May all beings be kind to themselves today. [pause 20 seconds]
Let's take one more breath together. [pause 4 seconds]
When you are ready, open your eyes. If you would like to, type or say one word that describes how you feel right now.
The one-word share at the end works well in a chat box or a cohort community thread, and it gives you a quick read on the group without putting anyone on the spot.
How do you deliver a loving kindness meditation well?
Speak more slowly than feels natural, drop your pitch slightly, and leave every pause in full. The script carries the content; your pacing carries the safety.
Voice and pacing
- Read at about two-thirds of your normal speed. Short sentences in the scripts above are there so you can breathe between them.
- Lower the end of each phrase. A rising tone sounds like a question; a falling one sounds settled.
- Count the pauses silently. Most guides cut pauses in half without noticing. Use a clock or a soft timer if you need to.
- Use "you can" and "if you like". Invitations land better than instructions in a practice about kindness.
- Rehearse once out loud. Mark any phrase that trips your tongue and change it to your own words.
Setting
Dim the lights a little, silence notifications and tell the listener how long it will last. For in-person sessions, offer a chair as well as a cushion so nobody feels they are doing it wrong. Keep a blanket nearby: people often cool down when they sit still.
Group, one-to-one, in person or online
| Format | What works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| One-to-one, in person | Watch breathing and posture, adjust pace in real time, debrief immediately | Clients may feel observed; sit slightly to the side rather than directly opposite |
| One-to-one, online | Invite camera off, use a good microphone, ask for a thumbs-up at the start and end | Lag and background noise; ask the client to wear headphones |
| Group, in person | Shared silence is powerful; the group circle script fits well | Someone may get emotional; agree in advance that anyone can step out |
| Group, online | Mute everyone, keep cameras optional, use the chat for a one-word share | You cannot see distress; offer a private message route for anyone who needs it |
| Recorded audio | Clients can practise daily at their own time; you record once | No real-time adjustment, so add a spoken safety line at the start |
For a recorded version, add one sentence at the top: "If anything in this practice feels too much, you can open your eyes, stop the recording and come back another day." It costs five seconds and makes the recording safer for listeners you cannot see.
Who should skip or adapt this practice, and when should you refer?
Most people find loving kindness meditation pleasant, but not everyone, and a coach should screen gently before using it. A systematic review of 83 meditation studies found that adverse events, most often anxiety and low mood, were reported in 8.3% of participants overall and "may occur in individuals with no previous history of mental health problems" (Farias and colleagues, 2020). That review covered meditation in general, not loving kindness alone, but the lesson carries over.
A 2014 meta-analysis of kindness-based meditation also noted that "exposure to KBM may initially be challenging for some people" (Galante and colleagues, 2014). In practice, the self stage and the difficult-person stage are where clients most often struggle.
Adapt the practice when a client
- feels uneasy with eyes closed or with long silence (use Script 4, eyes open, shorter pauses);
- has no "easy" person to start with, often after loss or family estrangement (start with a pet, a place or a public figure they admire);
- cries, tenses or says "I don't deserve that" during the self stage (skip it for now and offer "may I begin to feel safe");
- is grieving the benefactor who comes to mind (let them choose someone else, or gently allow the grief without pushing on);
- gets angry during the difficult-person stage (return to the benefactor; leave this stage for later sessions).
Refer to a licensed mental health professional when
- a client mentions thoughts of self-harm or suicide (follow your emergency protocol and local crisis services first);
- they describe flashbacks, dissociation or feeling "not real" during or after practice;
- symptoms of depression, anxiety or trauma are getting in the way of work, sleep or relationships;
- they are already in therapy and the practice brings up material their therapist should know about;
- you feel out of your depth. That feeling is information, not failure.
Write a short scope statement into your coaching agreement: you offer wellbeing practices, not diagnosis or treatment, and you will suggest a licensed professional if their needs go beyond coaching. Our guide to ending a coaching session well includes language for closing gently when a session has been emotional.
What does the research say about loving kindness meditation?
The evidence is encouraging but modest: loving kindness meditation reliably raises positive emotions in the short term, with smaller, less certain effects on other outcomes. Most studies are small, and many compare the practice with no intervention at all rather than with another active practice.
| Study | What was studied | Main finding | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fredrickson et al., 2008 (University of North Carolina) | 139 working adults, half randomly assigned to start loving kindness practice | Increases in daily positive emotions, which predicted gains in mindfulness, purpose in life and social support, then higher life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms | One sample of working adults; self-reported outcomes |
| Hutcherson, Seppala and Gross, 2008 (Stanford) | A brief lab exercise directed at strangers | "Even just a few minutes" increased feelings of social connection and positivity toward new people | Lab setting; short-term effect only |
| Galante et al., 2014 (meta-analysis) | 22 randomised controlled trials of kindness-based meditation | Moderate reductions in self-reported depression and increases in mindfulness, compassion and self-compassion against passive controls | Low to moderate study quality; results inconclusive against active controls |
| Zeng et al., 2015 (meta-analysis) | 24 studies, 1,759 participants, self-reported positive emotions | Medium effects on daily positive emotions; loving kindness focus did better than compassion focus; session length did not change the effect | More studies needed on clinical groups and active ingredients |
| Kearney et al., 2013 (VA Puget Sound) | Open pilot, 12-week course for veterans with PTSD | Practice "appeared safe and acceptable"; self-compassion rose and PTSD and depression symptoms fell at follow-up | No control group; participants also received other treatments |
Two findings matter most for coaches. First, Zeng and colleagues found that how long people meditated did not change the effect size, which supports giving clients a short daily practice rather than demanding long sits. Second, the same review found that studies without a teaching component showed smaller effects, so explaining the practice before playing a recording is worth the extra minute.
The Boston University review concluded that these practices "may provide potentially useful strategies" for problems involving relationships and emotions "when combined with empirically supported treatments" (Hofmann et al., 2011). Note the careful wording. The research does not show that loving kindness meditation treats depression or PTSD on its own, and you should not tell clients it does. A fair summary for a sales page or intake call: "Studies suggest regular practice can increase positive emotions and feelings of connection; it is a wellbeing practice, not a treatment."
Variations by audience and goal
The same structure flexes to almost any coaching niche. Change the people in each stage and the wording of the phrases, and keep the order.
| Audience | Goal | Script to start with | Change to make |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burned-out professionals | Soften self-criticism after work | Script 1 | Phrases: "May I rest. May I know I have done enough today." |
| Parents and carers | Refill after caring for others | Script 2 | Benefactor stage first, then self; add "may I care for myself as I care for others" |
| Couples or relationship clients | Ease resentment toward a partner | Script 3 | Use the partner in the friend stage, not the difficult stage, unless they ask |
| Grieving clients | Hold a lost person with warmth | Script 4 | Allow the lost person as benefactor; phrases: "May you be at peace" |
| Teams and workplaces | Build trust in a group | Script 5 | Use "colleagues" in the group stage; keep it under ten minutes |
| Spiritual or faith-based clients | Connect the practice to their tradition | Script 3 | Invite them to use prayer language or names from their tradition |
| Health and lifestyle clients | Kinder self-talk around food, movement or illness | Script 1 | Phrases: "May I treat my body with kindness. May I be patient with change." |
| Anxious clients | Calm before a stressful event | Script 4 | Eyes open, shorter pauses, finish with three things they can see |
Spiritual coaches will find more on structuring practice-based offers at Coachful for spiritual coaches, and health coaches at Coachful for health coaches. If you want a body-based practice to pair with this one, the progressive muscle relaxation script uses the same pause-cue format.
How do you record a loving kindness meditation and deliver it in Coachful?
Record the script once on your phone or a simple USB microphone, upload it as an audio resource, then attach it to a program week, a course lesson or an offer, and add a daily habit plus a check-in so practice becomes visible. Here is the full sequence.
Step 1: Record the audio
Sit in a soft-furnished room (curtains, rugs and a sofa absorb echo), put your phone in airplane mode and hold it about a hand's width from your mouth. Read the script at the pace you would use live. Leave the full pauses in: they are part of the practice, and listeners will notice if a recording has been trimmed tight. Record two takes and keep the calmer one. A clean voice recording is enough; background music is optional.
Step 2: Add it as a resource
In Coachful, resources live on the Discover page, which lists 12 types including Audio, Videos, Courses, Forms & Worksheets, Downloads & PDFs and Books. Upload the recording as an Audio resource and give it a clear title such as "Five-minute loving kindness (daily)". If you record all five scripts, add each as its own resource so clients can pick by length.
Step 3: Place it where clients will find it
You have three options, and you can use all of them:
- Inside a program week. Multi-week programs hold weekly goals and daily tasks. Add the audio as week one's practice, then introduce the 10-minute and 20-minute versions in later weeks.
- Inside a course. The course builder supports modules, lessons, drip release and completion tracking, so you can build a short "Kindness Basics" course with one lesson per script and a written explanation before each recording (the research above suggests the teaching part matters).
- Straight to one client. Send the resource in a direct message after a session, so the client can replay the exact practice you did together.
Step 4: Turn it into a daily habit
Add a habit such as "Loving kindness, 5 minutes" to the client's program. The client sees it on their habits dashboard with a streak and a count of days completed, and you see it on their client record. Linking the habit to a goal (for example "Speak to myself more kindly") puts the practice inside the goal's daily momentum view.
Step 5: Track how clients feel with check-ins
Coachful includes morning and evening check-in flows. A useful evening check-in for this practice asks two things: "Did you practise today?" and "How kind was your inner voice today, from 1 to 5?" Over a few weeks you get a simple picture of whether the practice is helping, and the client record flags clients as thriving, active, quiet or at risk, so you notice who has gone quiet.
The short walkthrough below shows how check-ins are set up and what clients see:
Step 6: Review practice across all clients
The client dashboard shows task completion, check-in rate and mood across your roster. Before each session, glance at the habit streak and the last few check-ins, then open with what you see: "You practised four days this week. What changed on the days you did?"
For groups: community and cohorts
When a client enrols in a group program, Coachful creates a cohort group automatically. Post the group circle recording there, run a live practice as a video event, and use the community feed for the one-word shares after each sit. More on running cohorts is on the group coaching software page.
How do coaches build a paid program around loving kindness meditation?
Package the practice as a short, structured program with a clear outcome, such as "a kinder inner voice in six weeks", rather than selling the recordings on their own. Clients pay for the progression, the accountability and your feedback, not for audio they could find elsewhere.
An example six-week structure
- Week 1: Arriving. Script 1 daily, one live session explaining the practice, evening check-in.
- Week 2: Receiving kindness. Script 1 plus a benefactor letter exercise; session on noticing the inner critic.
- Week 3: Widening the circle. Script 2 daily; reflection on the neutral person (who did you notice this week?).
- Week 4: Self-compassion in action. Script 2, plus the self-compassion worksheet as homework.
- Week 5: The difficult person. Script 3 once in session with you, Script 2 on other days; check in on how it felt.
- Week 6: Making it yours. The client writes their own four phrases; you record them a personal version; plan for practice after the program.
How to set a price
Rather than copying someone else's rate, work it out from your time. Add up live session hours, the time you will spend reviewing check-ins and messages each week, and the setup time divided across the number of clients you expect. Multiply by the hourly rate you need, then check that the result makes sense for the outcome you promise. As an illustration only: six 45-minute sessions plus about 20 minutes a week of check-in review is roughly 6.5 hours of your time per client. A group version spreads the live hours across the cohort, so it can be priced lower per person while paying you more per hour.
Where the program lives
Coachful lets you sell the program as an offer with checkout through your own Stripe or Razorpay account (one-time, subscription or payment plan), send a coaching agreement for e-signature before the first call, and deliver everything in the client's branded app. If you are still at the idea stage, the 90-day plan for starting a meditation coaching business covers niche, offer and first clients.
Where should you host recorded meditations for clients?
Choose a platform where the audio sits next to the habit, the check-in and the payment, so you are not sending clients between four apps. Coachful does that in one login; the table compares it with tools wellness coaches often consider, using prices as listed in October 2026.
| Platform | Starting price | Audio and resources | Habits and check-ins | Booking and payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coachful | Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients | Audio, video, course and worksheet resources inside programs, courses and offers | Daily habits with streaks, morning and evening check-ins, client status | Booking pages, calendar sync, payments through your own Stripe or Razorpay |
| Practice Better | Free Sprout plan (3 clients); Starter $35/mo | Programs and client portal for wellness practitioners | Programs; evergreen programs from the Plus plan | Scheduling, telehealth and billing |
| Quenza | Spark $25/mo (10 clients) | Activities, worksheets and programs with a client app | Activities and programs | No client payments yet (marked planned) |
| Kajabi | Basic $179/mo | Courses, community and products | No habit tracking or daily client check-ins | Kajabi Payments; extra fee with other providers |
For a full comparison, see the best app for meditation coaches, the best software for meditation coaches and the best platform for meditation coaches roundups.
What Coachful is, and what it is not
Coachful is a coaching platform for coaches who deliver programs, not just sessions. One membership covers booking, payments, contracts, programs with habits and check-ins, courses, a community, a website with funnels and email, and Michelle, the built-in AI assistant, with one branded app for clients. It is not HIPAA-certified, so clinical records belong in a clinical system; it has no PayPal and no permanent free plan, and it does not sync with Garmin, Fitbit, Whoop or Oura. Current plans: (Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients). To start, take a free trial and ask the team to set things up for you.
Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. From Create, choose "We'll build it for you", describe what you need (for example a six-week loving kindness program, a short course with one lesson per script, or a calm website with a booking button), attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files such as your logo and written scripts, and the Coachful team builds it inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. Nothing is invented: gaps such as credentials or prices are left for you to fill. Recording the audio is still your job. Read more about the free white-glove service.
If you also need a website, the 30 homepage templates include calm wellness designs such as Sanctuary, and the white-glove team can build the site from your notes.
What mistakes do coaches make with loving kindness meditation?
The most common mistake is rushing: cutting pauses short and moving through stages before the listener has settled. The others are close behind.
- Starting with the self. Many clients find self-directed warmth hardest. Start with a benefactor and let the warmth turn inward.
- Choosing a seriously harmful "difficult person". Always say "mildly difficult". Someone who abused or betrayed the client is not a starting point, and may never be appropriate in coaching.
- Promising feelings. Saying "you will feel a wave of love" sets people up to think they failed. Say "whatever you notice is fine, including nothing".
- Overclaiming the research. Studies support increases in positive emotions and connection; they do not show that the practice cures depression or trauma.
- Skipping the explanation. A minute of context before the practice helps; one meta-analysis found smaller effects in studies with no teaching component.
- Using phrases that do not fit the client. "May I be happy" can feel hollow to someone in grief. Let clients rewrite the phrases in their own language.
- Giving homework with no follow-up. A recording without a habit or check-in tends to be played once. Track practice and ask about it.
- Recording in an echoey room. Kitchens and bathrooms make every word sharp. A bedroom or a car parked somewhere quiet sounds far warmer.
Frequently asked questions
What are the traditional loving kindness phrases?
The most widely used set is "May you be safe. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you live with ease." Teachers vary the wording, and there is no single correct version. Encourage clients to keep three or four short phrases that feel natural to them and use the same ones each day.
How long should a loving kindness meditation be?
Five to ten minutes is enough for daily practice. A 2015 meta-analysis found that the length of interventions and time spent meditating did not change the effect on positive emotions, so consistency matters more than duration. Keep the 20-minute script for workshops and experienced clients.
Can I use these scripts with my paying clients?
Yes. The five scripts in this article are free to read aloud, record and share with your clients, in sessions, groups or recorded programs. Adapting the wording to your voice will make them sound more natural.
Is loving kindness meditation safe for everyone?
Most people find it pleasant, but some find it uncomfortable, especially the self and difficult-person stages. Reviews of meditation in general report anxiety and low mood as the most common adverse effects. Use the trauma-sensitive script for anyone unsure, and refer to a licensed professional if a client describes distress, flashbacks or thoughts of self-harm.
What if a client feels nothing during the practice?
That is common and not a sign of failure. The practice works more like watering a plant than flipping a switch. Ask the client to notice small changes over a week, such as one moment of patience in traffic, rather than a big feeling during the sit.
What is the difference between loving kindness and compassion meditation?
Loving kindness wishes people happiness and wellbeing; compassion meditation focuses on wishing them free from suffering. They overlap and are often taught together. One meta-analysis found that interventions focused on loving kindness had larger effects on positive emotions than those focused on compassion.
Should I play music under the recording?
It is optional. Gentle music can mask room noise, but it can also distract, and some clients prefer silence. If you add music, keep it quiet, without lyrics, and use a track you have the rights to.
How do I share a recorded meditation with clients in Coachful?
Upload the recording as an Audio resource, then add it to a program week, a course lesson or an offer, or send it to one client in a direct message. Pair it with a daily habit and an evening check-in so you can see whether they are practising.
What is Coachful's free white-glove service?
It is a free build service included on every plan. You describe what you want, such as a meditation program, a course outline, a funnel or a website, attach reference links and files, and the Coachful team builds it inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. It does not include recording your audio or video.
Can I run loving kindness meditation online?
Yes. Ask participants to wear headphones, keep cameras optional, mute everyone and use the chat for a one-word share at the end. Because you cannot see everyone, mention at the start how people can reach you privately if the practice brings anything up.
