An alternative to the Metta Meditation for Christians.

One minute for your health

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An alternative to the Metta Meditation for Christians.

Marie Glaeser

Feb 19, 2021

I recently learned about the metta meditation on a mindfulness training course.

It instantly struck a chord, because I often see how my clients struggles to feel like they deserve love, wellbeing and happiness get in the way of their health and making changes to improve their life.

I could think of countless people I had worked with who would have benefited from this ‘re-wiring’ to remind them that they do deserve love, wellbeing and happiness.

Research shows that regular practice of the metta meditation:

Decreases proinflammatory markers, especially C-reactive protein (CRP)
Decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially tumour necrosis factor-a (TNFa)

Ameliorates chronic pain
Reduces self-criticism
Increases self-compassion
Reduces depressive symptoms
Increases positive emotions
Decreases in self-judgement
Decreases in dwelling on the past
Decreases in self-focus
Increases likelihood of achieving self-care goals

As a Christian, I wanted a version of this meditation that would connect me with God, the father. At the root of Christianity is the belief that we are God’s unconditionally loved children, created perfectly by him and that he has a good, good plan for our lives.

Although this is one of the core messages of Christianity, many Christians (including myself) struggle to truly accept this message.

How can He love us unconditionally with all our flaws? How can He have a good plan for our lives, when we are so unimportant? How can we be perfectly created when we are so clearly imperfect?

And yet, the bible tells us these things over and over again:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

I believe by meditating on these truths, for ourselves, our loved ones, people we don’t know and people we don’t like we can slowly come to accept them as TRUTH.

Once we have accepted them as truth we can live them. We can be open to caring for ourselves and others in ways that allow us to feel safe, loved and well.