A meditation for peace does two things at once. It quiets something in you, and it sends something outward. You do not have to choose between inner peace and peace in the world. In eight minutes you can practise both.
The short version: sit, breathe slowly, bring one person to mind, wish them well, widen the wish to your city and the world, then rest in silence. Every Sunday at 8 PM, people who join Cosmic Peace Prayers do exactly this, each in their own time zone.
A guided peace meditation in eight minutes
Read the script once, then close your eyes and follow it from memory. Or use the timer on our home page, which rings a soft bell at the beginning and the end and shows each step.
1. Arriving (1 minute)
Sit comfortably. Let your back be upright and your shoulders soft. Take one slow breath in, and a longer breath out. Let the noise of the week settle, the way dust settles in a still room.
2. Presence (1 minute)
Feel your feet on the ground. Feel your hands. Notice the light around you, the sounds, the temperature of the air. You are here, now. Nothing else is needed.
3. A name (1 minute)
Bring one person to mind. Someone you love, someone who is struggling, or someone you simply thought of first. See them clearly: their face, the way they move.
4. Kindness (2 minutes)
Silently wish them well:
May you be safe.
May you be at peace.
May you be free from suffering.
Then let the wish grow. To the people in your street. To your city. To a place in the world where there is war. To people you disagree with. May my city be at peace. May the world be at peace.
5. Giving (1 minute)
Take one long, slow exhale. Imagine offering all of this goodness outward, the way a candle gives its light without losing any.
6. Silence (1 minute)
Sit in what remains. No words now. If thoughts come, let them pass like clouds.
7. Closing (1 minute)
A small thank you: to yourself for stopping, to the hour, to the world. Open your eyes slowly.
Inner peace and world peace
Peace meditation often draws on the Buddhist practice of metta, loving-kindness. Its classic sequence moves from oneself to a loved one, then to a neutral person, a difficult person and finally all beings. The idea is simple: the circle of goodwill you can feel for one person can be widened step by step, until it includes people you will never meet.
Nothing in this practice requires a belief. People of every religion, and people without one, use the same steps. If you prefer words addressed to God, see our collection of prayers for world peace. If you want to go deeper into silence, read about contemplative prayer or centering prayer. For words that turn the practice inward, see our prayer for inner peace.
A world peace meditation, every Sunday
Meditating alone is good. Knowing that others are sitting at the same time makes it easier to keep the appointment. That is the idea behind Cosmic Peace Prayers: every Sunday at 8 PM local time, anyone who joins sits for the same eight minutes. Because 8 PM reaches New Zealand many hours before it reaches Lisbon, New York or Hawaii, the meditation moves around the planet like a wave over the course of the day.
There is no livestream, no account and no fee. You meditate where you are. If you would like a gentle reminder, the free Sunday Letter arrives once a week, and there are optional WhatsApp and Telegram circles.
Tips for your peace meditation
- Keep it short and regular. Eight minutes every Sunday beat an hour once a year.
- Put your phone face down, or use a timer that rings a bell, so you do not check the time.
- Let the person come to you. Do not search for the "right" person in step 3. Take whoever appears first.
- Include someone difficult, when you are ready. That is often where peace is needed most.
- Do not judge the session. Some Sundays are quiet, some are restless. Both count.
Questions about meditation for peace
What is a peace meditation?
A short meditation in which you calm your own mind and then consciously wish peace to others: to one person, to your community and to the world. Many peace meditations draw on loving-kindness (metta).
How long should a meditation for peace be?
There is no fixed length. Eight minutes is long enough to settle and short enough to do every week. Consistency matters more than duration.
Is there a global meditation for peace I can join?
Yes. Every Sunday at 8 PM in your local time, Cosmic Peace Prayers invites anyone to pause for eight minutes of prayer or meditation for peace. It is free and needs no registration.
Do I need to be religious to meditate for peace?
No. You can meditate in silence, use the loving-kindness phrases, or pray in the words of your own tradition. All are welcome.