"May we be the bridge and boat to cross the water": Community-engaged research on metta meditation

Inclusive research is needed to understand how contemplative practices are used by people of diverse identities. Metta meditation-also known as loving-kindness meditation-may be particularly relevant for people committed to equity and justice because of the social nature of the practice. Using community-based participatory research and an intersectional framework, we assessed how people in a diverse meditation community teach and practice metta meditation. In partnership between university researchers and a community-based meditation center, we conducted virtual focus groups on experiences with metta meditation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze focus group data, with a member checking process to include participant feedback. Forty-seven people participated in six focus groups (M_age = 47; 62% lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual; 23% Asian, 19% Black, 13% Hispanic/Latina/o, 32% White, 24% multiracial). Qualitative analysis identified three central themes: (1) the importance of a community of practice for creating a sense of belonging (including during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic); (2) the benefits of metta practice for cultivating compassion and equanimity; and (3) the use of metta practice to cope with harmful situations, including individual-level stressors and structural oppression. Metta meditation supported participants in navigating stressors and injustice. Community-based spaces designed to cultivate belonging among diverse communities can support people to connect contemplative practice with their efforts for social change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).