5 Meditations That Encourage Compassion

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Meditation has been shown to have incredible effects on people who practice it. People experience increased happiness and mental stability. Attention spans increase as does a person’s ability to remember details. A person who meditates can remember events more accurately, with more detail and recall the memories faster than someone who does not meditate. Meditators also tend to sleep better and have fewer physical ailments. Meditation has even been shown to help people’s social lives. There is very little that meditation does not improve.

Sometimes a person is not looking for general improvement but wants to improve at something specific. In such cases, it is a good idea to explore different styles of meditation. Guided meditation, for example, may be a better fit for someone who is looking for stress relief, while mindfulness meditation is a good option for someone looking to increase their attention span. For those who are looking to capitalize on the compassionate benefits of meditation, there are many different styles to choose from. Buddhism, from which most meditation practiced in the West stems, is deeply concerned with compassion. As such, there are many meditation styles that focus on kindness. Here are five meditations that encourage compassion.

Mindfulness

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Mindfulness meditation is the form of meditation that most people are used to hearing about today. To practice mindfulness meditation, find a quiet space. It is essential that there are few to no distractions when you are first beginning to practice mindfulness meditation. Then, find a comfortable position that you can hold for a decent amount of time. This may or may not be a traditional cross legged meditation position. Do not be concerned if you need to sit with your legs out straight in front of you or something similar. It is hard to practice mindfulness meditation when your foot is falling asleep.

Once you are comfortable, close your eyes and focus on your body. Let all other thoughts fall away and keep your entire attention on the present moment. Most people focus on either their breath or their heartbeat. When your minds starts to wander, gently bring it back to a focus on your body and the present moment. Keep that focus for as long as you are meditating. You may wish to set a timer before starting so that you do not have to worry about losing track of time and know to continue focusing on breath and body until the alarm sounds rather than wondering if you are finished yet.

Mindfulness meditation may seem rather self-centered, but it is the basic foundation for many types of compassion focused meditation. Even alone, though, those who practice mindful meditation have been shown to develop increased empathy, self-awareness and compassion.

Self-Compassion

For all that people can often be self-centered, it is frequently surprisingly difficult for people to have compassion for themselves. In order to help build up your self-compassion through meditation, you will need to find a quiet space and time where you can be without distractions or interruptions. Settle yourself comfortably, and recall a challenging, stressful or unpleasant situation. Feel the sensation of the stress or difficulty in your body. Be aware of it if your shoulders tighten up or your fists clench. Acknowledge what you are feeling, and remember that stress and struggles are normal in life but that they will not overwhelm you. Trials do not mean that you are unworthy or alone. With that thought in mind, place your hands over your heart. Feel the warmth and weight of your hands on your chest as you take a few deep breaths. Inhale calmness and exhale your tension until your body relaxes. Visualize a warm, comforting, kind light building beneath your hands and seeping into your heart. Imagine the light spreading throughout your body and healing you.

Loving-Kindness

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Also called Metta meditation, loving-kindness meditation is a form of meditation that uses repeated phrases to direct a person’s energy and thoughts in order to generate greater love and kindness for all beings.

To practice Metta meditation, find a comfortable position. Picture what you desire and find a few short phrases that describe your desire. The phrases are often things such as “may I be happy” or “may I be healthy and safe.” Close your eyes and visualize yourself. Recite the first phrase you chose and direct it at yourself. Next, imagine a person you care about. Recite the phrase again, this time directing it at the other person. Do this three more times imagining, in order, a person who you neither like nor dislike, a person you actively dislike and finally to all living beings. Repeat the visualization with each phrase, making sure you truly feel the desire for each person you visualize to be happy, healthy or safe.

Forgiveness Meditation

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Forgiveness meditation aims to open your heart in order to help you to forgive both others and yourself. In order to practice forgiveness meditation, find a quiet place and sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Breath steadily for a few minutes and allow yourself to feel all the emotional barriers that you have erected around your heart. Acknowledge the pain that comes from sealing your heart away. Then, remember and visualize the ways you have hurt others. See and feel their pain, and see and feel your own regret for your actions. Release the burden of guilt, and, picturing each person or moment clearly, ask for their forgiveness. Next, call to mind the ways in which you have hurt yourself. Once again, allow yourself to feel both the pain and regret of your actions, and trade guilt for forgiveness. Finally, visualize those people or events that have caused you harm. Feel and acknowledge the pain you felt during those moments. Then, release the pain and try to offer your forgiveness to the one who caused you pain. You may not succeed the first time you try to forgive another. Sometimes forgiveness cannot come until the wound is less raw, but do not blame yourself or try to force it. Forgiveness must be genuine to mean anything, and that can take time. Accept that fact, and continue your practice daily until you feel you are ready to forgive.

Giving and Taking

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Also called Tonglen meditation, giving and taking meditation is a visualization practice in which a person mentally gives away all of their most cherished possessions and accomplishments while simultaneously taking on the sadness, confusion and suffering of all beings.

To practice Tonglen meditation, find a comfortable position that you can hold for a relatively long period of time. You should feel relaxed but still alert in this position. Then, follow your breath as if doing mindfulness meditation for five minutes. Next, bring to mind your accomplishments or possessions and a person who is suffering. Visualize the good in your life as light and the suffering in the other person’s life as a dark cloud. Breathe in their suffering, and breathe out your goodness. As you inhale that suffering, feel it transform into compassion. Then, imagine the dark cloud around the suffering person slowly fading away with each breath, and your light surrounding them.