Loving-Kindness Practice for Online Dating

When looking at someone’s online dating profile, it’s easy to make snap judgments about a person. Here, Yael Shy and Melvin Escobar offer a number of loving-kindness phrases for potential matches.

Yael Shy  •  Melvin Escobar
2 June 2021
Photo by Alban Martel.

May I be present and clear about my intentions for dating as I swipe and meet others.

May I be free from the fear of saying or doing something foolish.

May I use wise speech in all of my communication.

May all beings keep a sense of humor.

May we be free from bad lighting and the causes of bad lighting.

May we not be attached to the way we looked ten years ago.

May your good looks take you far in life.

May someone find adorable your strangely-shaped head or love of electronic music.

May the person you cropped out of your profile pic be happy.

May I not take my thoughts too seriously.

May all beings be free from the delusion of happily ever after.

May I not take the flakiness of others personally.

May I respect my own boundaries and the boundaries of others.

May I risk vulnerability in the appropriate circumstances.

May all beings remember we are made of love. Partners are just the beautiful people with whom we walk along the path.

Yael Shy

Yael Shy

Yael Shy is the Senior Director of the NYU Global Spiritual Life Center, Founder and Director of MindfulNYU, Director of the Of Many Institute for Multifaith Leadership, as well as the author of the forthcoming book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond.
Melvin Escobar

Melvin Escobar

Melvin Escobar is an El Salvadoran bilingual-bicultural Dharma teacher, licensed psychotherapist, and certified yoga instructor. He serves as a Core Teacher at East Bay Meditation Center, has a Master’s degree in Social Work, and is a registered yoga instructor.