Soothing Meditation

Time

4 3 2 1 Early-Mid Stages

Benefits

Participants

One to One or Group Activity

What you need

A quiet room, free from distractions
Relaxing music or sounds (waves lapping on the beach are often quite soothing)
Lavender, lemon, jasmine, cinnamon or oceans scent sprays or atomiser
A table, with a plant as a centre piece

Intro

Life can sometimes get very hectic. Especially in a residential home, when there’s always a lot going on, and various people coming and going. That’s why it’s so important to set aside some time to help residents to relax.

Meditation is a lovely way to take time out and help reduce stress levels. There’s also mounting evidence that it’s great for health and can even help improve the memory recall of people living with the early stages of dementia.

Top tip

You can create all sorts of relaxing scenes, such as enjoying the warmth of a log fire indoors on cold day or taking a stroll in the garden, park or forest. Why not use a light room fragrance or atomiser and CDs to bring the calming scene to life?

The Activity

Prepare the room or space before the session starts by spraying the room with the scent or turning on the atomiser – this will help set the mood from the very beginning
Help the person to take off their shoes and make sure they’re wearing something comfortable
Encourage them to get comfortable in their seat
Make them more comfortable with cushions and blankets, if they need it
Once everyone is ready, dim the lights and turn the music on low, so it can be heard but it’s not intrusive

Meditation Instructions (with a beach theme)

Suggest they close their eyes, although they can stay open, if they prefer
If their eyes are open, ask them to look at the plant, using it as a focal point as they meditate
Ask them to start breathing in and out slowly 5 times, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth
Get people to place one hand on their stomach or chest and repeat the breathing in and out 5 times. Encourage them to enjoy the gentle rise and fall as they are breathing in and out
Suggest that everyone places their hands flat on their thighs
Tell the person or group to concentrate on their breathing, feeling the air flow in and out steadily, and be aware of how their body moves with each breath
Once their breathing is regular, encourage them to think about a relaxing place
If you have the sounds of the sea, you can use this theme to guide the meditation. Read the following lines aloud in a low and relaxed tone and at a steady and slow pace, so each stage can be enjoyed:
“Listen to the sounds of the waves as they gently wash over the beach”
“Imagine you are walking barefoot along the warm sandy beach”
“Feel the sand between your toes”
“Enjoy the water gently lapping at your feet, feeling it move to and fro, enjoying its coolness and the foam bubbles caressing your toes”
“Now imagine you are sitting on the sand and can feel the warmth of the sun on your face”
“Imagine that you reach down and run your hands back and forth over the fine grains of sand, picking some up and letting them gently fall through your fingers”
“It’s time to stand up and head back up the sandy beach, continuing to enjoy the last moments of the sand between your toes”
After you’ve set the scene, encourage them to bring their attention back to their breathing
Encourage them to breathe in and out slowly 5 times, as they did at the beginning, then allow them to sit quietly for a moment to enjoy the rest of the music
Gradually lower the volume until the music is finally turned off
Now gently go around to each person and touch their hand lightly
Bring the lights up gradually
People may like to just sit with each other for a few moments to bring their thoughts back to consciousness before continuing with their relaxed day