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Australian adults who completed the self-compassion meditation training reported significantly increased body appreciation, positive well-being and lower self-judgment. The benefits were still evident six weeks after the program concluded, and frequency of practice alone did not drive the size of change.

The randomized controlled trial, published in the journal Mindfulness, involved 227 people aged 18 to 39 years. Participants in the intervention group undertook 20 minutes of daily self-compassion, while those in the control group remained on the waitlist.

Three different meditation sessions given to participants encouraged mindfulness, self-kindness and common humanity. Although some practices involved awareness of bodily sensations, the meditation scripts did not include appearance-related prompts or instructions to focus on body image or physical appearance.

Lead researcher Dr. Joshua Marmara from La Trobe's Department of Psychology, Counseling and Therapy said developing a kinder relationship with yourself could have benefits for mental health and body image.

"Many body image interventions focus directly on appearance concerns, but our study found that simply encouraging people to treat themselves with greater kindness and understanding can improve how they feel about their bodies," Marmara said.

Fostering self-compassion, which encourages individuals to respond to personal difficulties with greater kindness and mindful awareness rather than harsh self-criticism, may be key to enhancing body appreciation rather than mindfulness practice alone.

Dr. Siân McLean, associate professor of psychology from La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health, said the findings highlighted the potential of accessible, self-guided interventions to better support positive mental health.

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