We were made to love and be loved. Loving ourselves and others is in our genetic code. It’s nothing other than the purpose of our lives - but knowing that doesn’t make it easy to do. We find it a challenge to love ourselves. We might have a hard time letting love in from others or giving it to them. Loving-kindness practice is our key to all the directions love can take. Love is a commitment to a caring connection - unconditional, mindful, universal. There are tools for learning how to love in evolved adult ways, ways to love ourselves without guilt and with compassion. Likewise we can learn how to love others with awareness of our own and their boundaries. Part of this challenge is confronting our deep, and often lifelong, fears of love and loving. We embrace the spiritual challenge of letting our scope of love expand. Calling upon wisdom from Buddhism and psychology, we are gently led to love’s inevitable outcome: having a heart that loves freely, fearlessly and universally. This transcendent and unconditional love isn’t just for a heroic few; it’s everyone’s magnificent calling and life purpose. We will learn some practices that make for improved communication skills and conflict resolution in relationships and in clinical work.