A beginner's guide to: Meditation (compassion)

loving-kindness meditation, compassion meditation, empathy meditation, kindness meditation

Compassion meditation focuses on cultivating feelings of kindness and empathy toward yourself and others, fostering emotional resilience, reducing stress and strengthening connections with those around you.

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  • • Open our free app for step-by-step support. You’ll get guides that help you start and stick with it. You don’t need to be a pro, just jump in and give it a go.
  • • You’ll also find other activities, with suggestions that match what’s most useful to you right now. Less thinking, more doing.
  • • Track what you do, make gains, and adjust as you go.

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What is meditation (compassion)?

Compassion meditation (or metta meditation) is a practice that helps you nurture a sense of kindness, compassion and empathy – first for yourself, and then for others. This meditation guides you through extending these feelings outward, starting with loved ones, then acquaintances and eventually toward everyone, even people you might find difficult.

For beginners, compassion meditation can be a powerful way to develop emotional resilience and reduce negative feelings like anger or frustration. It’s simple but effective, helping to shift your mindset toward a more compassionate and understanding perspective. Whether you're looking to enhance your emotional wellbeing, deepen your relationships or develop a kinder outlook on life, compassion meditation offers a gentle yet profound way to do so.

Are you ready to feel that warm glow of self-compassion? Keep reading for more details to get you on the right track.

Why meditation (compassion) is good for you

Compassion meditation fosters empathy and lifts mood. Regular practice builds emotional resilience, enhances self-awareness and reduces stress.

Improves empathy and warmth in relationships

Focus area: Social connection (Impact rating: High)

Stronger self-acceptance

Focus area: Identity & worth (Impact rating: High)

Sharper emotion recognition

Focus area: Emotional awareness (Impact rating: High)

Higher willingness to help

Focus area: Generosity (Impact rating: High)

Eases social tension

Focus area: Social confidence (Impact rating: Medium)

People who love meditation (compassion)

Sharon Salzberg

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Tom Hardy

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The All Blacks Rugby Team

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The Midnight Gospel

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Want a closer look at meditation (compassion)?

Ways to try it, what to expect, and how to stay safe. Read on!

Has your interest been piqued for this heart warming meditation technique? This activity is great for everyone. And the good news? It can be easily woven into your day with short practice sessions that still pack a punch in the way of benefits! Check out the rest of the information below so you can make this meditation your own!

Safety

⚠️

Opt for a space where you can give your full attention to the practice.

What you might experience

🤔

"How do I even begin to feel compassion?"

😬

"Why is it so hard to stay focused?"

😊

"I’m starting to feel more connected."

😌

"It’s getting easier to extend these feelings."

😊

"I feel lighter, maybe even happier."

Start today
  • • Open our free app for step-by-step support. You’ll get guides that help you start and stick with it. You don’t need to be a pro, just jump in and give it a go.
  • • You’ll also find other activities, with suggestions that match what’s most useful to you right now. Less thinking, more doing.
  • • Track what you do, make gains, and adjust as you go.

Explore your options

Whether you go it alone, join a group, or work 1:1 with a teacher, we’ve laid out what each path can look like.

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Recommendation for first-timer

Availability

Average cost per session

Special equipment required

Potential for socialisation & community

Safety & skill building

Space or privacy required

Ease of scheduling

Setup time

Active practice time

Unexpected advantages

Ancestry, history, facts and other trivia

The Dalai Lama is a major advocate for combining meditation with compassion.

A study showed that compassion meditation can increase empathy in participants, confirmed by brain imaging technology.

In many compassion meditation exercises, practitioners imagine sending love and kindness to themselves first.

The concept of compassion meditation originated in ancient Buddhist teachings.

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Popular memes

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Academic research we rate

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Compassionate Mind Training: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study

Matos, M., Duarte, C., Duarte, J., Pinto-Gouveia, J., Petrocchi, N., Basran, J., & Gilbert, P. (2017). Psychological and Physiological Effects of Compassionate Mind Training: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1699–1712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0745-7

Positive Emotion Correlates of Meditation Practice: a Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Loving-Kindness Meditation

Fredrickson, B. L., Boulton, A. J., Firestine, A. M., Van Cappellen, P., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J., & Salzberg, S. (2017). Positive Emotion Correlates of Meditation Practice: a Comparison of Mindfulness Meditation and Loving-Kindness Meditation. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1623–1633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0735-9

A Meta-Analysis of Compassion-Based Interventions: Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions

Kirby, J. N., Tellegen, C. L., & Steindl, S. R. (2017). A Meta-Analysis of Compassion-Based Interventions: Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions. Behavior Therapy, 48(6), 778–792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2017.06.003

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7 research pieces

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