The Gentle Power of Maitrī and Karuṇā

If you grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, you already know what maitrī and karuṇā look like in action — even if you didn’t know the Sanskrit words for them.

Maitrī means friendliness toward oneself and others. Karuṇā means compassion — the kind that acts. Fred Rogers didn’t just talk about kindness and empathy; he modeled them, week after week, in his soft-spoken way. Through simple conversations, songs, and stories, he made friendliness and compassion feel not only possible, but powerful. He made them vividly accessible.

And he wasn’t just shaping polite manners. These qualities — practiced consistently — have fueled social change for generations. Compassion has sparked movements, dismantled prejudice, and softened walls between “us” and “them.” Friendliness has built bridges where there were none.

But let’s be honest: the pandemic didn’t do us any favors in this department. We spent months not seeing neighbors, not sharing eye contact with strangers, and not practicing the subtle art of inclusion. Even now, we may feel out of practice when it comes to active listening, open-heartedness, or even offering a genuine smile.

This is where yoga comes in. On the mat, we get to practice becoming better friends with ourselves — so we can be a better friend to others. When we forgive ourselves for falling out of a pose, we’re rehearsing how to forgive someone else. When we meet our own limits without judgment, we’re building the muscles for meeting someone else’s limits with patience. When we love ourselves unconditionally, even when it feels like we’re “making no progress” on the outside, we’re learning to see that growth often happens invisibly — deep inside, where we least expect it.

Maitrī and karuṇā aren’t sentimental extras. They’re necessary life skills — the kind Mister Rogers knew could change a child’s world. And they still can change ours.

So maybe the most radical thing we can do — in yoga and in life — is to be that quiet, steady friend to ourselves… and then let that kindness ripple outward.

After all, to borrow from the man himself: “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”