All You Need is Love

When I start seeing hearts wherever I turn, I know it's Valentine's Day coming. I'm not a big fan of this holiday, but that's a great excuse to write about love.

The Beatles sang that all you need is love. I couldn't agree more. Especially if we're talking about self-love (not to be confused with pride!). It might sound counterintuitive, but love and compassion towards others grow on fertile soil of loving kindness towards yourself.

Loving-kindness is a slightly awkward-sounding translation of the term metta. Metta comes from Pali, the ancient language spoken by Buddha and has nothing to do with Zuckerman, Facebook and Instagram. It is also known by its Sanskrit name: maitri, as this concept existed in Hinduism and Jainism before taking the central role in Buddhism.

For Buddha, loving-kindness meditation was a crucial complement to breath awareness and sensation awareness meditation. He believed it could overcome many negative emotions. During 10-day Vipassana meditation retreats, Metta meditation works like a soothing balm after spending hours focusing on often rough sensations.

Nowadays loving-kindness meditation is often taken out of its Buddhist context. Secular mindfulness-based therapies use loving-kindness meditation to successfully reduce physical and mental suffering. Loving kindness brings more acceptance and reduces self-criticism and catastrophising. It has been proven to change the areas of the brain responsible for empathy and emotional regulation.

What I love about metta meditation is that it spans from micro to macrolevel.

• You start with self-compassion, surrounding yourself with love.

• Only once you're overflowing with love, you're ready to spread it and pass it on to the close ones. And to the rest of the world.

• Ultimately, the love bounces back to you as you are part of humanity.
  
  Sending loving kindness to others, you're sending it to yourself. It is one of a few inner-work practices which actually increase the sense of connection with the community.

  
  May we all be happy, peaceful and free from suffering.

Isn't it the best valentine's message you could ever send?

Check out my Loving-kindness Meditation on YouTube