By Vijay Kumar Malesu Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. Mar 31 2026 A new study suggests that loving-kindness and compassion meditation may be linked to lower anxiety over time, not just through longer practice, but also by building self-compassion and loosening the grip of distressing thoughts. Study: Frequent loving kindness meditation relates to lower anxiety in long term practitioners through higher self compassion and cognitive flexibility . Image Credit: chayanuphol / Shutterstock In a