Compassion meditation boosts wellbeing by reducing anxiety, burnout & self-criticism.
It enhances empathy & social connection through both neural & behavioral changes.
Simple daily practices like tonglen or mantras can make compassion a habit.
Compassion … such an important and powerful emotion.
Compassion recognizes the shared human condition of suffering, flaws, and fragility. It involves feelings of kindness for people who are suffering and the desire to help them (Goetz et al., 2010).
Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.
Dalai Lama, 1990
The term “compassion” comes from a Latin term meaning “to suffer together” (Spännäri et al., 2023). Compassion includes feelings of empathy for others along with the desire to alleviate pain and suffering.
We will explore the numerous benefits of compassion meditation in this article.
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Compassion meditation is a technique used to dissolve self-centeredness and isolation and cultivate compassion by realizing that we are not alone in the experience of suffering (Gilbert, 2005).
It is a method for connecting with suffering — our own as well as others’ — and for awakening the compassion that is inherent in all of us.
Compassion meditation, also known as karuna meditation, is rooted in Buddhist philosophy and guides participants toward compassionate thoughts.
The practice encourages us to discover our humanness and the shared experience of suffering, and to accept pain, distress, and discomfort. Compassion meditation differs slightly from other forms of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation focuses on being in the present moment without judgment or expectation, and loving-kindness meditation (or Metta meditation) focuses on feelings of self-compassion and love for all beings (Hoffman et al., 2011).
All three of these meditations have been linked to positive affect, greater levels of empathy, and improved immune response (Hoffman et al., 2011).
How to Use Karuna Meditations as Interventions
Compassion meditations can be used as interventions alone or in combination with other forms of treatment for mental and physical healing.
These meditations can be incorporated directly into sessions with clients, given as homework between sessions, and used by clients throughout daily life, such as while driving to work, walking in a park, or standing in line.
Compassion meditation is also referred to as tonglen meditation, which is Tibetan for “giving and taking.” Practicing tonglen involves visualizing the suffering of others on the in breath and sending relief on the out breath (Drolma, 2019).
It is the act of breathing in distressful feelings and breathing out things that are pleasurable. By reversing the logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure, habitual patterns of selfishness can be broken down, introducing a larger view of reality (Drolma, 2019). Such an approach aims to move individuals from judgment, isolation, and ignorance to a place of caring, connection, and understanding.
Karuna meditations can serve as interventions in various avenues. These practices can be brought into schools to help students become more in tune with their emotions and the emotions of others in an effort to decrease bullying and build connection.
Compassion meditation interventions have been shown to reduce chronic pain, pain severity, and body image issues (Goetz et al., 2010).
Compassion training can also be used as a tool to improve compassion and resilience in health care providers and decrease burnout (Goetz et al., 2010).
According to Goetz et al. (2010) compassion interventions help clients with social anxiety, anger issues, and depression by fostering feelings of connection and focusing attention on shared human experiences (suffering).
Research has consistently shown that compassion meditation practices have a positive impact on empathy, reducing anger, increasing prosocial behavior and by decreasing anxiety in social situations (Spännäri et al., 2023).
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4 Best Practices for Implementing Compassion Meditation
While there is no wrong way to practice compassion meditation, some things can enhance the benefits and experience of it.
Pause for a moment of safety (prepare the mind)
Mindfulness is considered a prerequisite for compassion meditation (Gilbert, 2005). Taking a moment to pause, focus on the breath, and find grounding in the body can help clients create a safe and calm space within themselves.
Compassion meditation invites clients to recognize human suffering and have the strength and grace to breathe out peace. Feeling safe, secure, and stable makes the experience easier and more meaningful.
Cultivate an intention
Setting an intention is a good way to focus thoughts, energy, and emotion on meditation. The intention may be first to yourself, then to one other person, and then to society or the world at large.
The basic intention of compassion meditation is to truly understand the commonality of human suffering and desire relief and peace.
Expect nothing in return
Most forms of meditation should have an atelic approach, meaning that there is no end goal.
Compassion meditation is a practice that is done for its own sake and experience. True love, according to Zen Buddhism (Gilbert, 2019), is the wish for others to be happy without expecting anything in return. It is altruistic and without conditions.
Have a systematic and consistent approach
Compassion meditation, like other forms of meditation, takes practice. Scheduling in a few minutes each day to build up a compassion muscle in the same way you would work up to heavier weights in the gym is one way to think of it.
The lightest weight would be finding compassion for a loved one, and the heaviest would be feeling compassion for a difficult person or enemy.
Any steps taken to begin a compassion meditation practice will lead to healthy changes and positive emotional states.
Exploring the Research, Effectiveness & Benefits
There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of compassion and compassion meditation.
Polyvagal theory and compassion
Compassion has been related to social connectedness, positive engagement, decreased levels of anxiety, and improved pain tolerance (Desbordes et al., 2012).
These findings are rooted in the polyvagal theory, which posits that physiological states and social processes are closely connected.
Vagal pathways increase parasympathetic and decrease sympathetic activation when emotions such as compassion are felt. Changes in the central nervous system help to reduce anxiety and stress and lead to an increase in pain tolerance (Desbordes et al., 2012).
Compassion meditation and empathic response
One study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison was the first to use fMRI scans to show that positive emotions such as compassion and loving-kindness can actually be learned. The research used magnetic imaging scans to examine brain activity in people with extensive experience practicing compassion meditation (Land, 2008).
The study examined 32 participants (16 Tibetan monks with at least 10,000 hours of meditation experience and 16 matched controls who were taught compassion meditation two weeks before the brain scan). The participants were exposed to negative and positive human vocalizations designed to evoke empathic responses (Land, 2008).
Results showed significant activity in the insula portion of the brain, which plays a key role in bodily representations of emotions, when the monks were exposed to emotional vocalizations. Researchers determined that the strength of insula activation was associated with the intensity of the meditation (Land, 2008).
Improved resilience
Compassion meditation has been found to decrease burnout and increase resilience in health care workers (Lutz et al., 2015).
A four-week phenomenological study of compassion meditation training among health care workers found that it improved relation to self, increased empathy, and led to resilience (Lutz et al., 2015).
These findings suggest that incorporating compassion meditation into workplaces with high levels of stress may be an effective way to decrease burnout and improve mental health.
Improved immune response
Compassion meditation may also improve immune processes that are related to physical and emotional health. One six-week study compared a compassion meditation group with a health discussion control group on levels of cortisol and interleukin plasma and distress responses and found that markers of stress response decreased in the meditation group (Pace et al., 2010).
Emotional and mental wellbeing
Further research demonstrates that compassion interventions are beneficial for numerous emotional and mental health concerns. A pilot study that examined compassion meditation training showed a decrease in depression, shame, anxiety, and self-criticism (Gilbert & Proctor, 2006).
The benefits of compassion meditation are numerous. As research continues to examine the practice, we could see how it potentially impacts individuals, groups, organizations, and society at large.
For a few moments, focus on your breath and notice the sensations of breathing.
Picture someone close to you that you love. Notice how this love feels in your heart (pause).
Notice the sensations around your heart … perhaps a sensation of warmth, openness, and tenderness (10 seconds).
Continue breathing and focus on these feelings as you visualize your loved one. As you breathe out, imagine extending a golden light that holds your warm feelings from the center of your heart. Imagine the golden light reaches out to your loved one to bring them peace and happiness. Think of these phrases:
May you have happiness.
May you be free from suffering.
May you experience joy and ease.
(Repeat 30 seconds.)
As you recite these phrases, continue to extend the golden light to your loved one from your heart, wishing them happiness and freedom from suffering.
Now think of a time when this person was suffering. Maybe they were ill, injured, or experienced a difficult time in a relationship (15 seconds).
Notice how you feel when you think of their suffering (pause).
How does your heart feel? How do your sensations change? Do you continue to feel warmth, openness, and tenderness? Are there other sensations you experience?
Continue to visualize your loved one as you breathe. Imagine that you are extending the golden light from your heart to your loved one and that it is easing their suffering.
Extend this light out to them during your exhalation with a wish that they will be free from suffering. Recite these phrases:
May you be free from this suffering.
May you have joy and happiness.
(Repeat 30 seconds.)
Notice how this feels in your heart and the sensations that you experience.
Repeat meditation with other people in your life or end it with mindful breathing.
2. Simple compassion meditation script
Begin by sitting with good posture, allowing the spine to be relaxed. Relax facial muscles and lower your chin to lengthen the back of the neck. As you close your eyes, take 20 mindful breaths and allow yourself to experience thoughts and feelings without judgment or expectation.
Now visualize someone you would like to help: yourself, a loved one, or someone you met throughout the day. Picture this person in your mind and, as you inhale, imagine the pain they might be experiencing. Notice any parts of the energy; if it is dark or heavy, what qualities does this pain have? (pause).
Visualize yourself in their place. Breathe in their pain and imagine taking the suffering from this person and onto yourself.
Exhale deeply and imagine breathing happiness into this person and the world around you. Imagine sending this person whatever they need to relieve their suffering. As you exhale, imagine sending healing energy out into the world and to this person.
Connect each breath with the intention of inhaling suffering and exhaling peace, love, joy, and relief.
Continue this meditation with other people as they come to mind.
End with 20 deep, mindful breaths.
3. Compassionate body scan
This 20-minute compassion meditation and body scan guides individuals through a compassionate exploration of physical sensations. It can provide relaxation in times of stress and help individuals cope with depression and anxiety (Weng et al., 2013).
Compassionate body scan - 20 minute guided meditation
4. Compassion script for everyday life
Tonglen can be practiced informally, in everyday life. Gilbert (2019) outlines that impromptu meditation can be practiced when suffering is witnessed in everyday life.
At any point during the day when you experience personal suffering or observe someone else suffering, you can do tonglen for one to three breaths.
For example, if you see an older person struggling to cross the street, you might wish to breathe in the stress and difficulty in the way they walk and move, and breathe out a sense of ease.
You could also practice tonglen for a family in conflict, breathing in the discomfort and breathing out love and relief. If you see two people yelling at each other, you can breathe in the argument and breathe out understanding.
Tonglen can be practiced as quickly as one cycle of breath, or it can be extended. This can be done as you are completing normal daily routines by putting energy into staying present with the suffering without overanalyzing or judging it.
3 Compassion Mantras for Clients
Simple mantras of compassion can also be incorporated throughout daily life or included in a more formal meditation.
1. Om mani padme hum
This is one of the most famous mantras in Buddhist traditions and is said to invoke the blessings of Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion. Om mani padme hum translates to “The jewel is in the lotus” or “Praise to the jewel in the lotus.”
Chanting this mantra, Om mani padme hum, helps to awaken compassion and the wisdom that resides within each of us.
2. Medicine Buddha mantra
This mantra is said to promote success, help eliminate obstacles, and relieve suffering. It is used to heal physical illnesses and purify negative karma.
Tayata om bekanze bekanze maha bekanze radza samudgate soha.
3. The great compassion mantra
The great compassion mantra (Kane, n.d.) is one of the most popular chanted by Mahayana Buddhists throughout the world. It is known for its powers of protection, healing, and purification.
It is called maha karuna dharani or nilakantha dharani in Sanskrit. It goes as follows:
They will always meet good friends. They will always be born in a good country. They will always be born at a good time. Their place of birth will always have a good king. Their family will be kind and harmonious. Their heart will be pure and full in the way. They will not violate the prohibitive precepts. The organs of their body will always be complete. They will obtain everything they seek. They will always obtain the help and respect of others. Their riches will not be plundered. They will always have the necessary goods and wealth in abundance. In the place where they are born, they will see the Buddha and hear the Dharma. Dragons, gods, and good spirits will always protect them. They will awaken to the profound meaning of that Proper Dharma which they hear.
One does not have to be Buddhist or practice any specific religion to chant the great compassion meditation. It can be done alone or be used as a way to open or close a meditation practice.
Top 17 Exercises for Mindfulness & Meditation
Use these 17 Mindfulness & Meditation Exercises [PDF] to help others build life-changing habits and enhance their wellbeing with the physical and psychological benefits of mindfulness.
PositivePsychology.com has many articles and resources that can help with both compassion and meditation. The following worksheets are a few examples.
Cultivating empathy is an excellent way to tap into feelings of compassion. This can be a good starting point for setting an intention in compassion meditations. This Creating an Empathy Picture worksheet walks clients through a practical way to imagine themselves in another person’s shoes.
This worksheet has clients write a letter of self-compassion. Self-compassion can be part of a compassion meditation practice. Compassion meditations may begin with focusing on a loved one and then move to a focus of compassion on self or vice versa.
Reflecting on the thoughts and feelings of others is an important skill to practice in compassion meditation. Reflecting on the intentions, motives, and emotions of other people and situations in this worksheet opens the client up to the feelings of empathy and compassion for suffering, which is a foundational component of compassion meditation.
From our selection of articles, you may find any of the following well worth your time.
If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others enjoy the benefits of mindfulness, this collection contains 17 validated mindfulness tools for practitioners. Use them to help others reduce stress and create positive shifts in their mental, physical, and emotional health.
A Take-Home Message
Compassion is a valuable skill that can be cultivated through meditation practices. These practices create a path toward peace and happiness. They help us with forgiveness, acceptance, and a deeper appreciation of love for others.
While suffering is inevitable, compassion meditation provides a way to use it as a tool for insight and connection.
Practice compassion meditation regularly. Having compassion and understanding for all human beings can transform your life and the lives of those around you.
Is compassion meditation the same as loving-kindness meditation?
Compassion meditation uses techniques to cultivate compassion and genuine sympathy for the suffering of others, whereas loving-kindness meditation aims to create feelings of unconditional kindness to all people (Hoffman et al., 2011).
What is the difference between mindfulness and compassion?
While compassion meditation includes aspects of mindfulness, compassion is feeling empathy for the experience of suffering. Mindfulness is present-moment awareness without judgment or expectation. Compassion is wanting the relief of suffering.
What is the Buddhist mantra of compassion?
The Buddhist mantra of compassion is also known as the great compassion mantra and is used to cultivate compassion and spiritual protection and relieve suffering.
References
Dalai Lama (1990). Freedom in exile: The autobiography of the Dalai Lama. Little, Brown & Co.
Desbordes, G., Negi, L., Pace, W., Wallace, A., Raison, C. & Schwartz, E. (2012). Effects of mindful attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary non-meditative state. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 214–225. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00292
Drolma, L. (2019). Love on every breath: Tonglen meditation for transforming pain into joy. New World Library.
Gilbert, P. (2005). Compassion: Conceptualizations, research and use in psychotherapy. Routledge.
Gilbert, P. & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13(6), 353–379. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.507
Goetz, J., Keltner, D. & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 351–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018807
Hoffman, S., Grossman, P. & Hinton, D. (2011). Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: Potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(7), 1126–1132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.07.003
Lutz, A., Jha, A., Dunne, J. & Saron, C. (2015). Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist, 70(7), 632–658. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039585
Pace, T., Negi, L., Sivilli, T., Issa, M., Cole, S., Adame, D. & Raison, C. (2010). Innate immune, neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress do not predict subsequent compassion meditation practice time. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35(2), 310–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.06.008
Spännäri, J., Juntunen, E., Pessi, B. & Stahle, P. (2023). Compassion–a key to innovation: What promotes and what prevents innovation in organizations? Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 105–118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1058544
Weng, H., Fox, S., Shackman, A., Stodola, D., Caldwell, J., Olson, M., Rogers, G. & Davidson, R. (2013). Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1171–1180. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612469537
About the author
Dr. Melissa Madeson, Ph.D., believes in a holistic approach to mental health and wellness and uses a person-centered approach when working with clients.
Currently in full-time private practice, she uses her experience with performance psychology, teaching, and designing collegiate wellness courses and yoga therapy to address a range of specific client needs.
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What our readers think
STACEY-ANN A FISHER-ROBINSON
on July 15, 2021 at 01:42
This is a great reading tool for the mind. It is interesting and soothing to my soul.
Great job!
This is a great resource. Compassion and loving -kindness are at the core of intra-personal and interpersonal relationships! It will go along way to make me an effective therapist. Thanks!
What to write in respose to this articale is very difficult for me. I must say that every body must read it compessionatly and tailer it according to his own belief system and apply .i hope you will find results.
What an incredible read, rich in resources to explore! The information about emerging research into compassion-based practices is interesting and encouraging. I have been reminding myself in the last week to get back into a routine of morning meditation so this is timely and very helpful. Thank you!
I fully enjoyed this article and the resources. I feel my mission being focused on mindfulness and compassion. I didn’t realize there was something like this.
I have felt this way for a long time. Identifying with Jesus or the Dalai Lama. This is great for help in a compassion circle group for healing and cultivating practice to the world.
Thank you.
Many blessings.
Compassion … such an important and powerful emotion.
Compassion meditations can be used as interventions alone or in combination with other forms of treatment for mental and physical healing.
There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of compassion and compassion meditation.
Simple mantras of compassion can also be incorporated throughout daily life or included in a more formal meditation.
What our readers think
This is a great reading tool for the mind. It is interesting and soothing to my soul.
Great job!
This is a really great and long article and it is written in very beautiful way i would love to read it again and again.
This is a great resource. Compassion and loving -kindness are at the core of intra-personal and interpersonal relationships! It will go along way to make me an effective therapist. Thanks!
The article is awesome.
What to write in respose to this articale is very difficult for me. I must say that every body must read it compessionatly and tailer it according to his own belief system and apply .i hope you will find results.
What an incredible read, rich in resources to explore! The information about emerging research into compassion-based practices is interesting and encouraging. I have been reminding myself in the last week to get back into a routine of morning meditation so this is timely and very helpful. Thank you!
I fully enjoyed this article and the resources. I feel my mission being focused on mindfulness and compassion. I didn’t realize there was something like this.
I have felt this way for a long time. Identifying with Jesus or the Dalai Lama. This is great for help in a compassion circle group for healing and cultivating practice to the world.
Thank you.
Many blessings.