Unconditional love and metta meditation
I’d like to introduce you to metta meditation (otherwise known as loving kindness).
Unconditional love is the non-judgemental love that expects nothing in return. It is the love you feel towards your newborn baby. Imagine if you could love yourself and everyone you meet in this way. This is the goal of the Buddhists who practice this type of meditation.
It’s a beautiful meditation to do and one that has now been proven scientifically to increase feelings of social connection and positivity. People who practise this type of meditation also show more activity in the ventral striatum, a reward centre of the brain which helps you to feel happier for longer after a positive event. One study even showed that practicing seven weeks of Loving Kindness Meditation increased positive emotions such as love, joy, contentment, gratitude, pride, hope, interest, amusement, and awe. These emotions then had a ripple effect on the participants, increasing both their life satisfaction and reducing their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Thank you Sam, I just completed the Loving Kindness meditation. It was moving for me. I am a lapsed practitioner of meditation. I will be ‘lapsed’ no more.
All the very best to you and The Nuture Project
Thanks Albert! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and will be continuing to meditate, that is fantastic news.