It is helpful to do a Dedication of Merits before and/or after the meditation. It can be very powerful because we are not doing it just for ourselves. This unselfish type of intention actually eases the meditation since we are not trying to get the results as much, but we are trying our best not only for ourselves, but also for the benefit of others. The Dedication of Intention is helpful, also, usually at the beginning of the session, "May I develop the Paramis during this meditation for the benefit of..." - whoever it happens to be. At the end of the session can be the Dedication of Merits, "May what I have done in this period be of some help to benefit..." whoever it is. And do a little Compassion/Lovingkindness wish at that time to that person, wishing them well, wherever they are, and wishing them well on their journey through the cycle of birth and death. This is quite helpful.
I think most of you were here at the ceremony on registration morning. You may have noticed, when the monks were chanting the basic translation of that in Thai, wishing that all the merit of everybody's gifts to the monks be transferred to the being who they were chanting for, the abbot who died last year. While the monks were chanting that particular dedication, the nuns were pouring water to symbolize the transference of the merits from themselves to that person. That is a symbolic way to show our good wishes towards the person. This also helps in letting go of grief and give us a feeling that we can do something for those loved ones who have died, so that we can more easily let go and not have grief thinking of what we have lost, but wishing the best for them, wherever they may be.