Workshops and sessions should still end with relaxation wherever possible. These can obviously be longer with adults than with children and will likely be appreciated!

Thought needs to be given to positions used, as Savasana may be difficult or uncomfortable for some, or they may not want to lie down. They could still join in with relaxation techniques sitting still on a chair or on a mat. If you have anyone in your sessions who is pregnant they shouldn’t lie flat on their backs, but they should lie on their left hand side to give baby safe

The simplest form of this is using long, slow, deep breathing and talking it through at first once they are in position.

Incorporating other breathing techniques can be useful too such as:

• Breath counting (starting with one second in and one second out, increasing each time to 10 seconds inhale and exhale)
• 478 breath (in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8 – be careful with this and only use when they are lying down or sitting comfortably. This is a really good one for sleep)
• Breath holding – similar to finding the pause, hold the breath at the end of the exhale, increasing how long you hold for each time in the same way as breath counting – any pregnant people should NOT hold their breath)

Meditations still form a great part of these relaxations, either sitting before going into relaxation or as part of it. The simplest ones such as white light meditation and body scans can still be used, or guided imagery such as below :

Imagine yourself walking outdoors. You are walking through the trees, the leaves are moving in a slight breeze. The sun is shining down warmly. You walk toward a clearing in the trees. As you get closer to the clearing, you realise that it is a meadow. You walk out of the trees and into the meadow. You are surrounded by tall green grass blowing gently. You are feeling a bit tired and think how nice it would be to sit down in that soft long grass.  You are walking further into the meadow now and looking around. Really picture the meadow now – what can you see? Focus on all the details around you. Find a place to sit. You might want to sit or lie down in the grass…maybe you even have a blanket with you that you can unroll over the soft grass and lie down. Feel the breeze running over your skin as you sit or lie down in the sun. It’s a pleasant day…warm, but not hot…quiet and peaceful. Watch a little ladybird climb a blade of grass.  pausing for a moment as it reaches the top, and then it opens its wings and flies away.  Now imagine you are closing your eyes and listening to the sounds around you. Hear the birds singing, the breeze rustling the grass softly. Feel the warm sun on your face as you look up toward the sky, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Take a deep breath in through your nose and smell everything around you, the sweet fresh grass, the frangrant flowers, the earth underneath you. You look up at the blue sky above you with just a few wispy clouds drifting slowly by. Look at all the detail around you, smell the air, feel the breeze as you lie back and relax. We are going to leave the meadow behind now and come back to the present. Feel the floor beneath you, start to tune into the sounds around you. Slowly, give your fingers and toes a wiggle and open your eyes. Give your muscles a stretch.

This should give you an idea of the length of a visualisation using guided imagery. You’ll most likely use a mix of breathing, imagery and meditation within your relaxations, depending on timescales, who the audience is and what you are trying to achieve. Remember to also use silence within it to allow people to practice and get the most from it.