Well Worth It #2: Metta Meditation
Exploring a mindful meditation practice centered around loving-kindness
Welcome to the second installment of Well Worth It, my new segment that happens once a month where I share one wellness practice and all the science-backed benefits. These practices are tried and true as I would never recommend anything I am not personally a fan of. It’s aimed at helping you improve your well-being in ways that are simple, accessible, and well, worth it. I hope you enjoy this week’s read!
I think we can all agree that January has felt never-ending. There’s so much happening in the world that feels overwhelming – the fires ravaging LA, a new administration making headlines every day, the ban (and unban?) of TikTok, and probably a dozen other things my brain can’t access right now. It’s unsettling to experience so much in such a short amount of time. I constantly remind myself that this overwhelm is a normal response to knowing so much information. Our brains weren't designed to handle this much uncertainty.
I’ve written before about my own struggles with doomscrolling and how vital it is to determine how much of our power and energy we give to the news cycle, weighing the benefits of staying informed versus staying sane. When the world feels divided and disastrous, I’m guilty of detaching. It’s natural to avoid or break away from the very things that are causing distress. However, it’s always a short-lived detachment that may be temporarily beneficial, but ultimately, I cannot escape reality forever. In these moments, I’ve been finding it increasingly important to foster a sense of connection with loved ones, community, and the world. While this can be done through social gatherings and volunteer work (each important in their own way) it can also be done at home, on the couch, by tapping into your inner wisdom.
Metta meditation is an invitation to feel connected to the world around us. Through loving-kindness, we can usher in positive emotions where we may not initially feel them. It’s a Buddhist practice for cultivating compassion for ourselves and others through directing loving, friendly phrases and goodwill (as explained by Lion’s Roar). While it requires both concentration and mindfulness to get to a connected state of mind, virtually anyone can do it.
The practice involves repeating phrases of goodwill, and applying them to ourselves, others, and the world (or all beings). Typically metta meditation is done incrementally, focusing first on yourself, then bringing to mind someone or something easy or neutral to focus, and finally moving towards a person or experience of difficulty.
Common phrases in metta meditation practice are:
“May I be safe, healthy, happy, and live with ease.”
“May you be filled with loving-kindness.”
“May all beings be peaceful and filled with joy.”
During the practice, a teacher guides you through the phrases and how to apply them in the moment. While repeating the words to yourself, there is often a noted expansion in the heart space, feelings of lightness, ease, and acceptance that were not there just a few minutes before starting the practice.
Metta meditation has potent benefits for our well-being. It supports our capacity to have self-compassion, helping to foster positive emotions and decrease negative emotions. A study from 2008, showed that participants who engaged in metta meditation experienced increased love, joy, contentment, gratitude, pride, hope, interest, amusement, and awe. On a physiological level, a 2013 study showed that metta meditation can help increase vagal tone– a marker of well-being and nervous system regulation. Further studies have shown that this practice can help reduce symptoms of migraines, PTSD, chronic pain, and even reduce biological aging in women and improve longevity. In addition to supporting our health, many people who practice also experience increased social connections, accessing compassion and empathy with more ease.
With so many benefits, you might assume that this practice needs to be done perfectly or with consistent rigidity. The word meditation often scares people away with the idea of sitting perfectly straight in a cross-legged position, conjuring up a sense of enlightenment within moments. In reality, meditation can be done however you’d like, even if that means curled up under a throw blanket on the couch. You can be distracted or disheveled and still access meditation, consistently bringing your mind back to the practice. Metta is a wonderful beginner-friendly meditation practice to begin to foster a sense of self-compassion and ease with this practice.
There are many incredibly wise humans promoting Metta and studying the benefits, like psychologist Tara Brach and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. With a quick search, you can find hundreds of guided Metta meditations on YouTube or from a meditation app. It may take a few tries to find the teacher that resonates most with you, considering factors like their voice’s cadence, the phrasing used, and the duration of the practice. To save you some time, I found a few YouTube videos that I’ve enjoyed.
A quick 5-minute loving-kindness meditation with Sharon Salzberg:
A 10-minute loving-kindness practice:
A 27-minute loving-kindness meditation with Dr. Tara Brach:
As a bonus, I’ll also share this video I love from Mindful where Sharon Salzberg explains Metta meditation:
Whether you decide to practice Metta meditation immediately after reading this, or perhaps sometime in the near or distant future, know that it is always here for you to come back to. In times of challenge or distress, we can always revisit supportive practices like these to build the skill of self-compassion, allowing us to navigate life with more ease.
I would love to hear if you’ve tried this practice. Are there any other practices you’re leaning on right now to harness self-compassion in the face of uncertainty?
xoxo
Nicole