The Simple Power of Metta Meditation
Metta meditation is a variety of Buddhist meditation. In Pali — a language that’s very close to Sanskrit and spoken in northern parts of India — “metta” means positive energy and kindness toward others.
Do you love yourself?
A quick “yes” response to this question is expected.
But do you, really?
How many times during your life have you put up with mediocre relationships?
How many times have you allowed people around you to disrespect you continually?
Do you ever end up all alone for the sake of having fun?
If you answer to all these questions other than a loud NO, and these situations have been annoying you a lot lately, then here’s the truth—you need more self-love.
Self-love is about loving, respecting and enjoying who you are. It will emerge when you take the time to research and come to know your true self.
We live in times when self-love is widely promoted.
We hear and read plenty of ways to show ourselves some self-love, and some of them are really effective.
Another self-love routine we can do is through metta meditation.
Metta Meditation
For Self–Love
Metta meditation is as well known as Loving Kindness meditation.
“Metta,” in Sanskrit means positive energy and kindness toward others. For this reason, metta meditation is also called loving-kindness meditation.
In this practice, you need to choose a specific object of meditation and hold that in your heart. The same way as if you have something precious and fragile in your hands. Its purpose is to cultivate kindness and send love to all beings, including yourself and:
- your family
- your friends
- difficult people in your life
- neighbors, and acquaintances
- animals
The main technique of metta meditation involves repeating positive phrases toward yourself and these beings.
Metta meditation is a practice of focus and concentration; that’s why it’s all about the object of your meditation.
When you find yourself distracted in some part of your meditation, you must proactively snap out of it and return to your meditation’s object.
At the same time, you continue to let go of everything that comes up.
You might think it’s challenging, but letting go of intrusive thoughts will give you space for valuable insights (into the beliefs you hold).
The Technique of Metta Meditation
Since met meditation is about developing positive emotions towards yourself and others, a common technique is using affirmations to express your intentions.
Here are some traditional metta phrases you can apply to kickstart your practice:
“May I be healthy.”
“May I be safe.”
“May I be at ease and happy.”
In this simple but powerful technique, you must repeat these phrases without expecting anything.
You can always create your own metta meditation statements based on whatever you feel at that moment.
Similar to other types of meditation, the practice is beneficial for mental, emotional, and physical health. It’s especially useful for reducing negative emotions toward yourself and other people.
5 Incredible benefits Of Metta Meditation
1. Promotes Feelings of Self-Love and Self–Compassion
Since metta meditation involves repeating words of kindness and compassion toward yourself, it will help you foster a sense of self-compassion.
First and foremost you must really love yourself before you can love other people.
Self-love will help you reduce negative emotions including:
- lack of self worth (unworthiness)
- negative self-talking
- self-doubt and lack of confidence
- thoughts of judgment to yourself and others
- anger
- self-criticism
In a small 2014 study participants who did metta meditation reduced their critical self taking than those who didn’t use this practice.
In another 2013 study discovered that constant practice of metta meditation had the ability to grow mindfulness and self-compassion in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These effects helped decrease PTSD symptoms.
2. Helps in fighting stress and anxiety
Due to research from 2013, mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Clinical evidence has shown that mindfulness meditation, when practiced routinely, can also decrease the inflammation response of the body that’s trigered by stress.
As you expand your feelings of self-love and self-compassion, you start seeing yourself in a more positive light. This promotes positive emotions like gratitude, love, and overall fulfiment from life.
These emotions rise up your level of life satisfaction, thus reducing stress and anxiety.
3. Metta Meditation Can Help You Reduce Physical Pain
There’s some evidence that metta meditation can help you decrease some types of physical pain.
According to an old 2005 survey, the practice help participants reduce their persistent lower back pain.
Another 2014 study found a comparable effect in people with recurrent migraine attacks.
The researchers in both studies assigned the lower pain levels to the stress-relieving effect of metta meditation. Emotional stress, after all, is at the root of many physical complications.
Negative emotions can bring down your tolerance for pain. In contrast, positive emotions, like those cultivated through metta meditation, have the opposite effect.
4. Improves longevity
Telomeres are small structures of DNA located at the ends of each of our chromosomes. As a part of their work is to protect our genetic information.
The problem is, as we get older, our telomeres naturally shorten.
What is worse, chronic stress can speed up this process, leading to faster aging.
Stress-relieving practices, like metta meditation, can help you reduce this effect. A small 2013 study found that metta meditation is related to longer telomere length. The researchers concluded that the practice could help improve longevity.
5. The Effects of Meditation Promote Better Social Life & Relationships
Metta meditation can help you to build stronger social connections.
Through positive affirmations, you encourage the growth of kindness and empathy for other people. This allows you to express feelings of love and compassion toward them naturally.
It also helps you better understand your relationship with others and recognize how they make you feel.
As you expand in self-love, you become less likely to perceive yourself negatively. This makes it easier to hold a positive space for others, which will help you build more positive connections in your life.
Do Metta Meditation Today
You don’t need any special tools to do a metta meditation.
Here’s how you can do it:
Sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
Direct your focus to your breathing for a few minutes.
Choose a kind and positive phrase or affirmation in your choice and slowly repeat it.
Think about a specific person or your friends and family. Recite the phrase towards that person.
Repeat the statements until you feel compassionate feelings.
You can use visual imagery while reciting each phrase as well!
If you’re new to the practice, be patient with yourself.
Don’t expect instant results because this will set you up for failure.
You can experiment with the practice to find the best technique that suits you.
Perhaps, you are more comfortable doing it in a certain location or pose.
Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to experiment.
Are you ready to trust your capacity to love yourself and others?