Metta Meditation: Unlocking the Power of Loving Kindness

For years, I’ve taught a powerful and ancient tool that sometimes gets overlooked – Metta Meditation, also known as Loving Kindness Meditation. This practice, rooted in ancient Buddhist traditions, is a game changer, especially when combined with qigong and tai chi. In this post, I’ll explain what Metta Meditation is, the research behind it, why it can profoundly impact your life, and how to practice it (along with a free guided meditation.)

What is Metta Meditation?

The term “Metta” comes from the Pali word मेत्ता. The early Buddhist scriptures were written in Pali, an ancient Indian language that is closely related to Sanskrit.  Metta can be translated to “loving-kindness” or “benevolence”. This concept is a cornerstone in many Buddhist practices and teachings, and it also made its way into Buddhist Qigong schools centuries ago.

Metta Meditation is about cultivating compassion and kindness towards all beings, including ourselves. By focusing on loving kindness, we rewire our brains and our hearts. This shift in mindset can help reduce stress, improve emotional health, and even improve your relationships.

The Research

There’s a growing body of scientific research on Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM), which I find fascinating. Here are a few examples:

1. Enhanced Positive Emotions and Decreased Negative Emotions: A study by Fredrickson et al. (2008) found that practicing LKM increased participants’ experiences of positive emotions. These positive emotions, in turn, were linked to an increase in personal resources like mindfulness and a sense of purpose. This study, “Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources,” was conducted by Barbara L. Fredrickson and others. It was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and focused on how Loving Kindness Meditation enhances positive emotions.
2. Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Research by Hofmann, Grossman, and Hinton (2011) demonstrated that LKM can be effective in reducing anxiety, possibly because of its focus on developing a nonjudgmental, accepting attitude towards oneself and others. This paper, titled “Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: Potential for psychological interventions,” explored the impact of these meditative practices on mental health, particularly in reducing anxiety and stress.
3. Improved Social Connectedness: A study by Kok et al. (2013) indicated that LKM could enhance feelings of social connectedness and positivity towards others, even in a relatively short period of practice. The study, “How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone,” by Bethany E. Kok and others, investigated the relationship between Loving Kindness Meditation, positive emotions, and social connectedness.
4. Decreased Symptoms of PTSD: Kearney et al. (2013) found that veterans with PTSD who practiced LKM showed reduced depression symptoms and improved overall well-being. Their study, “Loving-kindness meditation for post traumatic stress disorder: A pilot study,” looked at the effects of this meditation on veterans with PTSD, finding significant benefits in terms of reduced depression symptoms and improved overall well-being.

What’s I found super interesting is how LKM can actually impact the brain. A study using EEG data found that LKM can “significantly modulate brain activities before and after meditation.” So, it’s not just ancient wisdom; there’s modern science backing the benefits of spreading a little love through meditation.

Metta and Qigong

Metta Meditation has been interwoven with qigong for centuries. Qigong is all about moving energy (qi) through the body. So moving the energy of loving kindness fits in beautifully.

If you don’t know the 5-Phase Routine, then you can skip right to the guided meditation below. Or if want to learn this amazing routine, then my book will help you. It comes with a free online course that will teach everything you need to know to implement the 5-Phase Routine.

For my students, I recommend that you put the Metta Meditation in Phase 2, along with some dynamic qigong exercises. It fits well in Phase 2 because you’ll probably move a lot of emotional energy with this technique. So you’ll want to let that energy circulate afterward in Phase 3.

You can learn Metta from the guided meditation below, and then add it to your repertoire.

How to Practice Metta Meditation

The way that I teach metta involves 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Send loving kindness to someone you love (pets count).
• Stage 2: Send loving kindness to a neutral person, like a Starbucks barista.
• Stage 3: Send loving kindness to someone you dislike (one or both of the presidential candidates, for example).
• Stage 4: Send loving kindness to yourself.

For those who don’t know the 5-Phase Routine, here is a 10-minute guided audio where I lead you through all 4 stages. It’s free.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human! It’s hard work. But it’s good work. It’s important work. It’s soul-work.

Metta Meditation isn’t some fluffy, feel-good exercise. It’s a practical, powerful tool for transforming your mind and, by extension, your life. By cultivating loving kindness, we not only heal ourselves but also contribute to healing the world around us. So, give it a try. You might be surprised how quickly this technique can change your life.