Loving-kindness seems like a practice that would feel good—but in times of tension, uncertainty, pain, or anger, it can be one of the most challenging mindfulness tools to apply. How do we love when it is most difficult to love?

This week, renowned teacher Sharon Salzberg offers a guided practice to connect us to the deep heart and transformative courage of metta or loving-kindness meditation.

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation teacher and New York Times best-selling author. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and has played a crucial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West. Sharon has been a student of meditation since 1971, guiding retreats worldwide since 1974. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and the author of many books including Real Happiness, Lovingkindness, and Real Change.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online and in our app at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Sign up for our free newsletter mindful.org/signup or download the app for free at mindful.org/app.

Show Notes

Find more from Sharon Salzberg here.

Go Deeper

For more resources on accessing and practicing loving-kindness, check out these articles on Mindful.org:

• How Practicing Loving-Kindness Helped Me Find My Place in the World

• 12 Minute Meditation: A Loving-Kindness Practice to Anchor in Compassion

• The Gift of Loving-Kindness

• Why Loving-Kindness Takes Time: Sharon Salzberg

• Wise Engagement with the World: What to Do When You Wish Things Were Different

We have dozens of metta or loving-kindness meditations available for free on our site. Here’s a good place to start: 3 Guided Meditations to Deepen Into Loving-Kindness

And more from Mindful here:

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As today’s teacher Jessica Morey says, “Anger’s fundamental role is to protect us and protect what we care about in the world. It lets us know when a limit of ours, or a boundary, has been crossed.”

But because of its power and volatility, anger can be a troubling emotion to be with and a difficult one to work with. Today’s practice is aimed at gaining insight into our anger so that we can respond skillfully in any given situation.

Jessica Morey is a meditation teacher and coach. She has been practicing meditation for almost three decades. She is also the co-founder and former executive director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, a nonprofit organization bringing in-depth mindfulness and compassion training to youth.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online and in our app at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Sign up for our free newsletter mindful.org/signup or download the app for free at mindful.org/app.

Show Notes

Find more from Jessica Morey here.

Go Deeper

For more resources on meeting and working with anger, check out these articles on Mindful.org:

• The Real Danger of Suppressing Your Emotions

• Why Women Should Embrace Their Anger

• Finding Radical Kindness in the Face of Chaos and Danger

• Cooling the Raging Fires of Anger

• Using the Energy of Anger

And to get more practice understanding powerful emotions like anger, try Guided Meditation: Notice How Sadness, Loneliness, and Anger Show Up in Your Body.

And more from Mindful here:

More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

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Many of us are carrying the weight of the world’s suffering right now. How can we acknowledge the immense suffering around us, and our own—and still tend to our hearts, minds, and bodies in a way that keeps us grounded and able to take compassionate action?

This week, mindfulness teacher and author Wendy O’Leary shares a guided practice that offers refuge and reminds us of our real and loving connection to one another.

Wendy O’Leary, M.Ed., author and health educator, has three children’s books and an adult book on self-compassion in families. She is a certified mindfulness teacher, parent educator, and self-compassion advocate. Wendy has expertise in teaching skills for emotional resilience to children and adults. Wendy’s next publication, a card deck for children titled "Let’s Grow Happiness," is scheduled for release in April 2026.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online and in our app at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Sign up for our free newsletter mindful.org/signup or download the app for free at mindful.org/app.

Show Notes

Find more from Wendy O’Leary here.

Go Deeper

check out these articles on Mindful.org:

• Where To Start When There Is So Much Suffering

• Breaking Generational Patterns of Suffering

• Bringing Mindfulness to Students Suffering from Trauma

• Addiction, Trauma, and the Problem of Being Present

And to get more practice being with difficult emotions and returning to connection, try An Interbeing Meditation for Connection and Understanding.

And more from Mindful here:

More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

The DONUT brings you free daily news without the extra noise—stay informed in under 5 mins, and feel good doing it. Subscribe here.