In this month's guided relaxation practice, Aurora leads you through a Loving-Kindness Meditation (metta). This ancient practice, now backed by modern psychology, helps us cultivate compassion for ourselves, our loved ones, people we struggle with, and ultimately all beings. Research shows that regular practice can reduce stress, quiet the inner critic, strengthen resilience, and even improve physical wellbeing. Together, we’ll explore how a few simple phrases can open the heart, build empathy, and create a greater sense of connection in daily life. 📄 Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com. ⏳ Chapter Timestamps 00:00:00 Land acknowledgement 00:00:30 Welcome and introduction00:01:57 Benefits of loving-kindness practices00:04:17 Grounding00:08:36 Setting your intention00:09:25 Loving-kindness practice00:24:27 End credits Exclusive bonus content  🎁 Patreon.com/IntersectionalPsychology - Extended and bonus episodes Stay connected to Aurora and Intersectional Psychology 🔗 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts🌈 Share this episode with someone who needs peace📮 Got feedback or questions? Reach out at @IntersectionalPsychology You can contribute to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund at https://www.pcrf.net/  📚 References Fredrickson, B.L., Cohn, M.A., Coffey, K.A., Pek, J., & Finkel, S.M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), pp. 1045-1062 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013262 Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 720–724 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013237 Kabat-Zinn, J. (n.d.). Mindfulness meditation, CD series 3. Available at: http://mindfulnesshamilton.ca/meditation-scripts Kearney, D.J., Malte, C.A., McManus, C., Martinez, M.E., Felleman, B., Simpson, T.L. (2013). Loving-kindness meditation for posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study. Journal of Trauma Stress, 26(4), pp. 426-34 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21832 Le Nguyen, K.D., Lin, J., Algoe, S.B., Brantley, M.M., Kim, S.L., Brantley, J., Salzberg, S., & Fredrickson, B.L. (2019). Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 108, pp. 20-27 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.020 Nash, J. (2019). What Is Loving-Kindness Meditation? Positive Psychology [online]. Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/loving-kindness-meditation/ Shahar, B., Szsepsenwol, O., Zilcha-Mano, S., Haim, N., Zamir, O., Levi-Yeshuvi, S., & Levit-Binnun, N. (2015). A wait-list randomized controlled trial of loving-kindness meditation programme for self-criticism. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 22(4), pp. 346-56 [online]. Available at: htps://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.1893 Sharpio, S., & Carlson, L. (2009). The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. American Psychological Association. See Privacy Policy at https://intersectionalpsychology.com/privacy-policy/