Loving Kindness Meditation Improves Your Health, Slows Aging and Decreases Pain: Here’s How to Do It

Loving Kindness or "Metta" meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition and is a powerful tool for cultivating forgiveness, goodwill and compassion for all beings. According to Psychology Today, its benefits include increased positive emotions and social connections, slowed biological aging and decreased chronic pain and bias against others.

You can practice this meditation any time, but it is particularly useful if you have unresolved conflict with others, or are experiencing feelings of resentment towards others, or envy. Practice this in any reclining position or Seated Meditation Pose:

1.    First, bring your awareness to your heart. Take a few easy breaths.

2.    Keeping your awareness on yourself, silently repeat three times: “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be free.”

3.    Next, visualize someone who you love very much. Hold this person’s face in your mind and offer them the same good fortune: “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be free.”

4.    Now picture someone who you don’t know as intimately, perhaps a neighbor or a coworker. Offer them the same intention that you easily gave to your loved one: “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be free.”

5.    Finally, visualize yourself as a beacon of light bestowing your blessings to all beings: “May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be free.” Bask in the feeling of connection and joy that comes from offering the love in your own heart to all others.