If you’ve dipped your toes into the world of meditation, you’ve probably spent a lot of time trying to follow your breath, notice your thoughts, and stay anchored in the present moment. It’s great practice. It grounds us.

But there’s another side to meditation that often gets sidelined as too “soft” or “woo-woo,” and it’s a shame, because it might just be the most practical mental workout available to us.

It’s called Lovingkindness (or Metta, in the Buddhist tradition).

And despite the gentle name, practicing it is a radical act.