Benefits of Metta Meditation

There are several proven benefits to engaging in a Metta Meditation practice.

By repeating kind words to ourselves such as, “May you be well,” “May you be happy,” “May you be healthy,” etc., we ignite a deep sense of self-worth instantaneously, and immediately, an energy shift takes place.

Some of the proven benefits of Metta Meditation include:

1. Less self-criticism

Committing to a Metta Meditation practice quiets our inner-critic and encourages us to be more self-accepting. With this practice as a constant in our lives, there is hardly any space left for self-criticism and self-harm.

2. Increase of positive emotions

Respected scientific studies have shown that regularly practicing Metta Meditation increases our vagal tone, which is a physiological marker of our subjective well-being. The positivity Metta Meditation generates inside ourselves, attracts positive energy from the outside world, and thus, help to improves the quality of our life and life satisfaction permanently.

3. Decrease in self-destructive thoughts

Extensive research has shown that seven weeks of regular Metta Meditation practice induces joy, gratitude, care, and hope in participants. Participants that entered the trial with suicidal tendencies and borderline personality traits showed a marked reduction in their self-harming impulses and manifested an overall decrease in the negative symptoms.

4. Reduced pain symptoms

Pilot studies on patients suffering from chronic back pain and regular migraines showed that Metta Meditation, even when practiced briefly for only 2-5 minutes per day, led to a remarkable reduction in the participants reported pain symptoms and helped participants experience more ease and comfort.

5. Increased resilience

A study on people with long-term PTSD showed that engaging in deep, meaningful compassion exercises and regular participation in a Metta Meditation practice reduced traumatic flashback episodes. Furthermore, control studies showed that groups that received Metta Meditation scripts during their sessions could resume work/normal life sooner than participants who received other forms of guided instructions.