Three Kind Wishes
Use this video to engage students in a guided mindfulness exercise to feel more connected to others.
Ages 5-10 / 10
min Activity
Objectives
- Participate in an exercise based on Loving-Kindness meditation, which focuses on fostering feelings of kindness, goodwill, and generosity towards others
Supporting Research
Research has shown that participating in Loving-Kindness meditation leads to an increase of positive emotions, which then supports the growth of social relationships, purposefulness, life satisfaction, and other beneficial outcomes. Educators should use this exercise as an opportunity to foster students’ mindfulness and kindness as they gain awareness of their own emotions and send kind wishes to others and the world around them.
To learn more about these skills, and how they promote students’ healthy growth and the development of empathy, please check out our Empathy Framework.
Materials
Activity Partners
Instructions
- Engage students in the “Three Kind Wishes” exercise by playing the video below. Alternatively, there is also a script that you can read to students.
- After watching the video, engage students in a reflection by asking the following questions:
• When you sent kind wishes to others, did this make you feel differently about them? What about when you sent yourself kind wishes?
• What did you see when you imagined every person and every living creature inside the same circle? How did this part of the practice make you feel?
• How do you think sending kind wishes can make us feel more connected to others?
Script
- Sit in a way that is comfortable for you, and close your eyes if you want to.
- Think about someone who you care deeply about. How do you feel when you think about them? Send them kind wishes by silently repeating the following phrases: “May you be happy. May you be loved.”
- Now, think about someone who you have seen around, but don’t know very well. How do you feel when you think about them? Send them kind wishes by silently repeating the following phrases: “May you have good health. May you stay safe.”
- Finally, think about yourself. How do you feel when you think about yourself? Send yourself kind wishes by silently repeating the following phrases: “May you find peace. May you be strong. May you feel proud of yourself.”
- Imagine a circle starting with yourself, then growing to include people you care about, people you might not always get along with, people you don’t know, and finally, surrounding the world around you. Send out kind wishes to every person and every living creature inside this circle.
- Notice how you feel after sending out these kind wishes. What emotions are you experiencing? What sensations are you experiencing in your body?