Relaxation classes calm the mind and the body

Walking into the meeting room at the back of the Uniting Church hall, it is hard not to relax immediately. Soft music plays, three or four candles flicker on a stand on the floor, and the lighting is turned down low. Conversation in the room is quiet and calming from the moment Lydia Jarvis welcomes people in. Lydia runs the relaxation classes every Monday from 2pm to 3pm at the hall, and also has a store in town offering massage and other relaxation and spiritual services. Before each class begins, she explains what will happen and asks participants to take off their shoes and sit down. She then leads the group through a guided relaxation script designed to slow the breath and settle the body. It starts with nasal breathing, in through the left nostril and out through the right, then in through the right and out through the left, counting down from 21. From there, the focus moves down the body, to the shoulders, arms and fingers, with the body relaxing further at each stage. For anyone whose mind tends to race, the effect is noticeable. The session offers a chance to quieten racing thoughts and properly switch off. The full class runs for about an hour, with the guided relaxation itself taking about 45 to 50 minutes. By the end, participants are left calm, settled and thoroughly relaxed. Lydia said the fourth of August marked 12 months since she started running the classes. A regular group of five or six people attends most weeks to relax and unwind, whether they are switching off after work or after the school day ends and children come home. Numbers vary from week to week. Each session finishes with a small treat, this time is was a chocolate ball, made with dates, three types of nuts and a little coconut, giving participants a bit of energy and settling the stomach before heading back out into the week.