Every parent wishes for the happiness and well-being of their children. A heart-warming scientifically supported technique known as “loving kindness meditation” can help you increase both.  Adapted from Blissful Kids, this is a beautiful and sweet way to spend 10 minutes with your child practicing a loving kindness meditation at bedtime (or any time).

At bedtime, your child will slowly become more peaceful as their brainwaves progress from active beta to calm alpha to emotive and dreamy theta that will help them relax into the meditation.

In this practice, we include a special friend and family members - people for whom your child has natural feelings of warmth and positive emotions. Not to mention meeting any real or fictitious dogs and cats, kittens and puppies, hamsters or any other animals they love in the loving kindness meditation.

So, before you start, ask your child which friend and animal they wish to include so that you can prepare a list beforehand.  And please adapt the script to suit your child's age, family structure and pets.

SCRIPT: LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION FOR KIDS

Gently close your eyes. For a moment, notice how it feels to breathe.

Notice how your belly rises and falls as you breathe in and out.  Sometimes, noticing our breathing can be soothing, like the waves gently falling against the sand at the beach.

You may feel your heart beating in your chest or maybe somewhere else in your body.

Your heart takes care of you all the time, even when you sleep. We can be thankful that we have a heart that takes care of us.

You can smile gently to your heart if you wish.

Now, imagine that one of your close friends <name of friend> is in front of you.

When they see you, they smile at you. They have a friendly smile and when you look at them, you smile too because a genuine smile is contagious.

They are so happy to see you.

They send you kind loving wishes. They smile and say to you:

<Your child’s name>, I wish you to be happy and joyful.

<Your child’s name>, I wish you to be healthy and strong.

<Your child’s name>, I wish you to feel safe and loved.

It feels so good to hear these words from them.

You smile and say the same words back to them .

<Name of friend>, I wish you to be happy and joyful.

<Name of friend>, I wish you to be healthy and strong.

<Name of friend>, I wish you to feel safe and loved.

When they hear these words from you, they smile gently at you. It feels wonderful.

Your heart is filled with happiness, and a ray of friendship shines from your heart back to them.

Your mum now enters the circle behind you, a gentle smile on her face. From the bottom of her heart, your mum sends you many warm wishes and loving light. It warms your back and chest and feels amazing.

Your dad joins the circle to your right. A ray of warm light flows from his heart to yours and it feels good and warm in your chest. He smiles lovingly at you and sends love to you. It feels wonderful.

Your grandmother comes to your left, [and even though she is in heaven] she sees you and is so proud of you. She sends you lots of love and good wishes too.

(If appropriate, this can be a wonderful way to “keep contact” with those who have passed because the experience can feel very real when our brains are imagining the loved one.)

More grandparents join in this circle of love. All smiling and sending loving light to you gently.

(You can mention everyone by name if you would like.)

Your brothers and sisters join in. It’s as if you’re in of a warm sea of pure love, surrounded by loved ones who only wish the best for you.

(You can mention more friends and loved ones by name who all come into the circle with gentle and loving smiles and kind wishes.)

Finally, your dogs, the big dogs and the little puppies join the circle of love.

The puppies are overjoyed to see you and can’t help but run to you because you’re like a brother/sister to them.

You pick them up and hold them over your heart. They enjoy being in your arms so much.

The puppies feel wonderfully soft, fluffy and warm against your chest. They wiggle and lick your arms.

You lie down and hold the puppies in your arms on your chest where they cuddle in and warm you. One by one they fall asleep happily until you fall asleep with them, seeing wonderful, beautiful soothing dreams.

Night, night my sweet child.

Adapted from Blissful kids