In an age of fast travel, grind culture and easy entertainment, we don’t often allow ourselves to switch off and simply do nothing.
Constantly being on the go can leave your mind racing too.
Mindfulness is a reaction against that – a chance to look inwards, feel present and simply observe.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor emeritus of medicine, describes mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.” [1]
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) seeks to stop us from getting wrapped up in overwhelming thoughts and unhelpful energies.
Instead, this practice teaches us to observe our emotions, understand them and view them more objectively.[2]
Ultimately, LKM aims to give you and others a better quality of life.
The practice stretches far back into history, stemming from ancient Buddhist traditions.
Loving-kindness meditation is also known as ‘metta meditation’.
It began as a Buddhist practice aimed at nurturing compassion for the self and others by sending out feelings and phrases of goodwill.
The term “metta” comes from Pali, which translates as loving-kindness. It can also mean infinite goodwill or loving-friendliness.
This practice stretches back to Buddha’s early teachings in the Metta Sutta, which discusses ultimate friendliness.[3]
Buddha is said to have taught the benefits of Metta meditation to monks who were having trouble concentrating while meditating in a forest as they were being disturbed by tree spirits and earth devas.
Four key components make up Buddhist meditation, sometimes called ‘the four faces of love’.
The idea is that our hearts have four faces which cannot exist without each other, yet each see the world through a different lens.
According to an ancient Buddhist myth, the God Brahma had four faces – one for each form of unselfish love.
The four Brahma Viharas and their English translations are:
Emotions which are unhelpful and can get in the way of loving-kindness are:
You can sit or lie down. If you’re tired, sitting up straight may help you to stay alert.
Begin to take deep breaths, working a stable breathing pattern.
As you breathe, try to focus only on the present moment. This may draw your attention to the sounds around you, sensations on your skin, or the rate of your own heart.
Start to bring to mind someone who loves you unconditionally. This could be a parent, friend, partner or someone else.
The person you think of may not be with us any more, so instead, think of the way you were loved.
If you can’t think of anyone, imagine someone treating you this way.
Imagine the feelings of warmth they have towards you.
See if you can turn these feelings inward, and focus on feeling unconditional love from yourself.
Accept yourself as you are in this moment, without any judgement.
See if you can expand your compassion towards:
The benefits of meditation are most effective when it’s done as a regular practice.[5]
As you repeat these thought processes to yourself, you’ll train yourself into having a mental state that’s more positive, loving and peaceful.
Yes, click here to listen to a loving-kindness meditation which has been developed into an audio guide by Eve Ekman Ph.D., LCSW, by the Greater Good Science Center.[6]
Loving-kindness practice is versatile, and accessible for everyone.
A study into university students who practiced LKM found:
Research by Yale lecturer Emma Seppala suggests that loving-kindness meditation improves social connectedness.[8]
Through this repeated practice of loving, you may find that the way you feel towards others, and how you imagine other people view you is more positive.
Scientists have discovered that loving-kindness meditation can reduce negative emotions in daily life.[9]
This means you’ll find yourself feeling happier day-to-day, with overall greater life satisfaction.
A study found significant gains in positive emotions in participants who engaged in loving-kindness meditation.
Positive emotions can help you to boost your self esteem and feel more confident.
Meditation pioneer and loving-kindness teacher Sharon Salzberg explains that LKM can help you to not take things personally.
Research shows that mindfulness can improve analytical thinking.[11]
When we’re not thinking clearly, we’re more likely to get caught up in worries that are unlikely to happen, or thoughts that don’t serve us.
Analytical thinking gives you a better chance of having balanced thoughts and making good decisions.
LKM can even improve your physical health.
Science tells us that psychological stressors can put stress on our bodies.[11]
One hormone released when we’re stressed is cortisol.
When cortisol levels are high for long periods of time, it can lead to inflammation in the body, and a weakened immune system.[12]
Having a weakened immune system leaves us more vulnerable to illnesses.
Loving-kind meditation also lowers heart rate,[13] which can help calm the nervous system.
Another study even found that LKM can reduce back pain, by increasing tolerance to pain.[14]
Research has shown that meditation can boost creativity,[15] which means you’ll be in a better mental state to think outside the box, create a vision and make it happen.
Being present is about the here and now – not thinking about the past or the future, but simply experiencing the present moment.
Mindfulness is associated with a ‘present-oriented consciousness’.[16]
Simply put, this means that when we engage in mindfulness practices like meditation, we’re more likely to fully live in the moment.
Living in the moment is associated with:
There are many scientific papers that prove that loving-kindness meditation boosts wellbeing.[18]
A study into the effects of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on brain-heart connection looked into how this meditation effects theta power (brain waves associated with deep relaxation and inner focus).
This brain activity even continued after the practice finished.[19]
There are many different types of meditation, but loving-kindness meditation focuses more on compassion.
Practice involves feeling kindness towards the self, others and even the universe at large.
Research suggests that loving kindness meditation can provide better wellbeing results than basic mindfulness meditation.[20]
Once you’ve meditated a few times, you’ll settle into your own groove and find a unique set up that suits you.
While you’re still figuring out what works best, try:
Don’t forget to thank yourself for taking the time to practice meditation, and for showing up for yourself.
[2] https://www.mindful.org/this-loving-kindness-meditation-is-a-radical-act-of-love/
[4] https://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/the-four-faces-of-love-the-brahma-viharas/
[6] https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/loving_kindness_meditation
[7] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-020-01375-w
[8] https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2008-13989-015
[9] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693/full
[11] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000114
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4263906/
[13] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.891377/full
[15] Orme-Johnson, D. W., and Granieri, B. (1977). “The effects of the age of enlightenment governor training courses on field independence, creativity, intelligence, and behavioral flexibility,” in Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Trancendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program, Vol. 1, eds D. W. Orme-Johnson and F. T. Farrow (New York: MERU Press), 713–718.
[18] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693/full
[19] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00406/full
[20] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0735-
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
