Summary4 min read

Episode Summary: A Beautiful 10 Minute Loving Kindness Meditation – Guided Meditation With Zen Master Henry Shukman

Podcast: Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Host: Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Guest: Henry Shukman, Zen Master
Episode Number: #640
Release Date: March 22, 2026

Overview

This episode features a gentle, guided loving kindness meditation led by Zen teacher Henry Shukman. Designed as part of a 30-day community meditation challenge, the session focuses on self-compassion and extending that sense of kindness to others. Dr. Chatterjee frames the importance of making meditation simple and accessible, sharing personal and community experiences before and after the practice. The tone is warm, supportive, and compassionate, aiming to help listeners unplug, reconnect, and potentially start meditating regularly.

Key Discussion Points & Meditation Breakdown

1. Introduction & Community Insight

(00:04–02:24)

Dr. Chatterjee introduces the meditation challenge, celebrating over 22,000 participants globally.
Emphasizes how meditation can feel accessible and transformative, not another chore.
Shares feedback from a user of Henry Shukman’s "Way" meditation app:
- Quote:
  “Three months in with the Way, I have to say, it’s changed my life. I used to think of meditation as just another chore…but now I actively look forward to it and love the benefits I feel from the practice.”
  – Listener testimonial, relayed by Dr. Chatterjee (01:14)
Invites listeners to join the ongoing 30-day meditation challenge for community and support.

2. The Loving Kindness Meditation (Led by Henry Shukman)

(02:24–12:55)

Setting the Stage

Creating comfort: Find a relaxed seated or reclining position. Let the body be soft and supported.
Allowing softness:
“Let the body soften, yeah. We tend to get a bit tight when we’re stressed…So here at a time like this, we’re allowed to de-stress and to soften the body.”
– Henry Shukman (03:17)
Invitation to unplug from busyness and reconnect with oneself.

Cultivating Loving Kindness (Metta)

Explains the principle:
“...some of the old traditions say that we should really start with ourselves because the more we’re able to awaken a sense of lovingness, really towards ourselves, the more that will pour out…towards other people…The more we can actually love others.”
– Henry Shukman (02:55)
Guided Phrases & Reflection:
Listeners are invited to silently repeat, at intervals:
- “May I be safe.”
- “May I be free from harm.”
- “May I be well.”
- “May I be healthy.”
- “May I be happy.”
- Alongside each, listeners are encouraged to check in with sensations of warmth, tenderness, or gratitude in the heart area.
Extending compassion outward:
“May my friends and loved ones be well…be safe…be free from harm…be happy.”
“May everyone everywhere be well.”
– Henry Shukman (10:08–11:27)

Returning to the Present

Gentle guidance to move fingers and toes, open the eyes, and stretch.
Memorable closing:
“What a joy it is to get to spend this time with you. Have a wonderful rest of your day.”
– Henry Shukman (12:43)

3. After the Meditation: Dr. Chatterjee’s Reflections

(13:00–end)

Encourages listeners to notice how they feel post-meditation.
Dr. Chatterjee shares that brief daily meditations help him feel calmer, grounded, and more present.
Re-invites listeners to join the 30-day challenge for practical tips and free sessions.
Leaves listeners empowered to make simple lifestyle changes, tying improved well-being to living more fully.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Purpose of Loving Kindness:
“The more we’re able to be with ourselves and be kind to ourselves and have some self-compassion, the more we can actually love others.”
– Henry Shukman (03:01)
On the importance of rest:
“Unplugging like this is really such a gift, a time to recharge, reconnect with ourselves. We all need it.”
– Henry Shukman (04:15)
On self-check-in:
“Have a little check in with yourself. How are you feeling? Any traces of tenderness or gratitude or a little gentle awakening of compassion?”
– Henry Shukman (07:48)
On community:
“So why not join Henry and me and thousands, tens of thousands of other meditators on this 30 day journey.”
– Dr. Rangan Chatterjee (01:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:04–02:24: Dr. Chatterjee’s intro, challenge info, community feedback
02:24–13:00: Full guided loving kindness meditation with Henry Shukman
- 03:17: Softening the body
- 05:12: Beginning loving kindness phrases for self
- 10:08: Extending kindness to friends and loved ones
- 11:27: Widening loving kindness to all beings
- 12:13: Returning to the present
13:00–end: Dr. Chatterjee’s reflection and invitation to join the challenge

Tone and Takeaways

This episode exudes warmth, calm, and inclusivity. The meditation is accessible to newcomers and experienced practitioners alike, demystifying loving kindness as a practical daily tool. Listeners are left with a clear invitation to cultivate more compassion for themselves and those around them, with concrete steps for ongoing practice and community support.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:04]
A
Hey guys, how you doing? Hope you're having a good week so far. My name is Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and this is my podcast, Feel Better Live More Today is another short meditation from the wonderful Henry Schuchman to give you a flavor of what meditation is and what it can actually feel like. Now, all throughout March, my podcast community has been building a simple daily meditation habit together. So far, over 22,000 people have joined this free 30 day challenge from 178 different countries, which is absolutely incredible. And if you haven't started yet and want to, there's still plenty of time to take part. Now, just to give you a brief insight into how other people are finding the Way Meditation app, which is Henry's app, this is just one of the many incredible comments I've received over the past few months. Hi Dr. Chatterjee. I have recently started using the Way. I have tried dozens of times to meditate but never found any other apps useful. Three months in with the Way, I have to say, it's changed my life. I used to think of meditation as just another chore that, but now I actively look forward to it and I love the benefits I feel from the practice. Guys, that is exactly how I feel and why I'm so passionate about trying to inspire more and more people to give this practice a go. So this march, why not join Henry and me and thousands, tens of thousands of other meditators on this 30 day journey. All you have to do to take part is go to thewayapp.com livemore. You'll get practical tips, exclusive content, and 30 free short meditation sessions to get you going. I have also joined the challenge and I'm using the Wait app every day throughout the month and I very much hope you decide to join me. And now here's another short, relaxing meditation from Henry.
[02:24]
B
Welcome to another meditation with me, Henry Shookman. I'm so happy to be meditating with you again. So to get started, let's get ourselves in a comfortable seated position, get settled, and as we're settling in, I'm just gonna let you know that in this meditation we're gonna be doing a practice known as loving kindness, which is really about cultivating a caring, compassionate attitude to our loved ones for sure, but also to ourselves. And in fact, some of the old traditions say that we should really start with ourselves because the more we're able to awaken a sense of lovingness, really towards ourselves, the more that will pour out into the world towards other people. And it may seem a bit counterintuitive and we may think, well, I don't want to be selfish or something, but actually the more we're able to be with ourselves and be kind to ourselves and have some self compassion. Yeah, the more we can actually love others. So that's what we're going to be exploring in this meditation. So yeah, let's get settled in. You can close your eyes or lower the gaze if you prefer. Having your eyes open and just sort of start to arrive here. Becoming aware of the body in its position. You're probably sitting. If your spine is not supported, let yourself be balanced. If your back is supported, really give yourself to the support, really relax in, into what's holding you up. Then perhaps if you're reclining, same thing, really release yourself into what's holding you up. So those of us with an upright spine, release yourself into the seat that's holding you, being somewhat balanced and actually let the body, yeah, become a bit soft. Let the body soften, Yeah. We tend to get a bit tight when we're stressed and a lot of us live with some amount of stress. So here at a time like this we're allowed to de stress and to soften the body, letting the arms and legs be floppy, letting the chest and belly be a bit floppy as well. Soft. That really helps to come into a quieter, more easeful condition of body and mind. Starting to taste a little quiet, perhaps a little peace, perhaps a little gratitude that we're giving ourselves this time, this space to unplug from our busy round of activities and just be still and quiet with ourselves. We all need it. We have busy and often somewhat hectic lives. And just unplugging like this is really such a gift, a time to recharge, reconnect with ourselves. So we're going to start using some phrases from the old traditions of meditation that can just help us awaken some compassion and care for ourselves and for others. May I be safe. May I be safe. So the invitation is to repeat this phrase in your mind every few seconds. May I be safe. May I be free from harm. May I be free from harm. Again, just repeat this phrase in your mind every few seconds. May I be well, may I be well. Have a little check in with yourself. How are you feeling? Any traces of tenderness or gratitude or a little gentle awakening of compassion? May I be healthy, may I be healthy. Just checking in again with your heart area and any sensations there, any warmth or perhaps a sense of kindness somehow. May I be well, May I be happy. May I be happy. May my friends and loved ones be well. May my friends and loved ones be safe. May my friends and loved ones be free from harm. May my friends and my loved ones be happy. May everyone everywhere be well. So still carrying and holding whatever warmth we're feeling in our hearts. Let's start to move. Little movements of fingers and toes, Opening the eyes, raising the eyes, having a little stretch. Thank you very much indeed for joining me on another meditation. What a joy it is to get to spend this time with you. Have a wonderful rest of your day.
[13:01]
A
So how was that for you? How do you feel now compared to when you started? You see, just a few minutes of meditation each morning helps me start off each day feeling calmer, grounded and more present. So if you want to join this free 30 day meditation challenge, all you have to do is go to thewayapp.com livemore to sign up and receive practical tips, exclusive content and 30 free meditation sessions to get you started. If you enjoyed today's episode, it is always appreciated if you can take a moment to share the podcast with your friends and family or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful week and always remember, you are the architect of your own health. Making lifestyle change is always worth it because when you feel better, you live more.