At a time when the world feels disconcertingly cruel, politics lurches to the right and facism makes itself felt in many different forms — it's easy to wonder: What can yoga really do?

Yoga can sometimes seem like it’s all about the self — your breath, your mat, your journey. But at its heart, yoga is relational. It’s about how we live in the world, how we relate to suffering, and how we show up for each other — not just in theory, but in action.

One of the most radical practices in both yoga and Buddhism is loving-kindness meditation — not because it's flashy or difficult, but because it asks us to cultivate compassion for everyone. Ourselves, yes. But also those we disagree with. Those who’ve hurt us. Those the world has cast aside.

This kind of compassion is not passive. It’s political.

The Research: Loving-Kindness Can Reduce Bias and Strengthen Solidarity

We now have studies showing that loving-kindness meditation — sometimes called metta meditation — can actually reduce prejudice and increase connection across social and racial boundaries.

• A University of Sussex study found that just seven minutes of loving-kindness meditation directed toward someone of a different race led to a measurable drop in implicit racial bias. This change was linked to increased warm, connected emotions.
  (Hutcherson et al., 2015)

• Other studies have found that LKM increases empathy, positive emotions, and even pro-social behaviors like volunteering and donating.
  (Fredrickson et al., 2008)

• And in clinical settings, LKM has been shown to help reduce trauma symptoms, depression, and self-criticism — especially for those who struggle to feel safe offering love to themselves.
  (Kang et al., 2018)

So this isn’t just “woo.” This is nervous-system work. This is social repair work.

The Practice: A Trauma-Sensitive Way In

If you're new to loving-kindness meditation — or if you've tried and found it difficult — you’re not alone. Many people, especially those with a history of trauma or shame, find it hard to offer love inward. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means your system is protecting you. So go gently.

Here’s a trauma-sensitive way to begin:

1. Get grounded

Sit or lie somewhere you feel safe. Let your breath settle. Notice the contact between your body and the ground.

2. Start with someone easy

Picture someone you love and trust — a friend, a pet, a teacher. Silently say:

May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.

Repeat a few times. Let yourself feel warmth or care, even if just a flicker.

3. Widen the circle

Next, bring in someone neutral — maybe someone you see at the shop or on the bus. Offer them the same phrases.

May you be safe. May you be happy. May you live with ease.

Then, if and when it feels okay, turn the phrases toward yourself.

May I be safe. May I be happy. May I live with ease.

If that’s too hard, skip it for now. Or imagine yourself as a child and send it to that younger you. That counts.

4. Keep expanding

You can finish by expanding outward — to your community, to people suffering around the world, to people in conflict. Not to agree with them, but to hold them in awareness.

May all beings be safe. May all beings be free from suffering.

You don’t need to feel love for everyone. Just hold the intention. That’s enough.

Why This Matters

I used to think loving-kindness was about becoming a “nicer” person. Now I see it’s about becoming a freer person — less tangled in reactivity, less blocked by old wounds, more able to meet the world with presence.

And when we’re less attached and defended, we can be more generous — with our time, our energy, our money, our advocacy. We become more resourced to stand up for others and stay open, even when things are hard.

This is the work of yoga too — not just to self-soothe, but to stay connected. To widen the circle of who we care about. To move from me to we and to realise we are all the same. My rights are your rights. If any of us becomes powerless at the hands of those swollen hideous with power then it can happen to all of us.

Want to Try?

You can join a gentle version of this meditation here on YouTube (an oldie but a goodie!)

Or Join the yoga hub (5 days FREE) to find this meditation and more, alongside the Yoga for Anxiety + Trauma Course. 

No pressure. Just start where you are.