Today we're going to enjoy a variation of art therapy and movement.
This is a standing exercise at its best but you are welcome to sit if that's more accessible to you.
Go ahead and start by,
If you're standing,
Grounding your feet lifting up those toes and placing them back down.
As we're standing with our feet hip width or shoulder width apart,
Arms at our side,
Chin lifted perpendicular to the floor and breathing.
Breathing deeply into our core in a 360 expansion of our ribcage,
Of our whole torso.
Drawing in that breath.
This breath to be a bit more revitalizing.
You're welcome to do so by breathing deeper through each inhale through your nose and exhaling with a sigh.
A quick propulsion of that that breath.
Inhaling through the nose,
Exhaling almost as if you're allowing that breath to drop out of you.
And when you're ready,
Scanning your body,
Head to toes,
Slowly from the crown of your head down through your face and neck,
Over your shoulders,
Down your arms,
Along your torso,
Front and back,
Your hips,
Your behind,
Your legs,
Your feet.
And if there's any place you feel sensation that just wants a bit more attention,
That feels like it might be something,
Allow your attention to settle there.
We're going to give this this part of your body,
This emotion that might be here right now,
A chance to speak.
If it were to have a color,
What color would represent it well?
Imagine now that you've dipped your hands or even your arms all the way up to your elbows in paint that is this color.
And allow yourself to begin to sway or twirl your arms,
Allowing them to cross your torso at the front and back,
Swinging in a circular motion,
Your torso rotating.
As you're moving,
This paint begins to spin off of your body as if we are painting the walls and the floors of the room or the space you're in.
It starts slow and regulated.
As you get into a rhythm,
Allow your body and its natural wisdom to begin to move of its own accord.
What is the next thing your body wants to do,
The next movement?
Do we get your feet involved?
Do we raise those arms,
Flinging more of the paint across the ceiling into the corners,
Across our body in quick punches,
In slow sweeps?
We're imagining now that any part of our body that's involved has also been dipped in paint and is creating an expression of what's happening inside of you on the outside across this room.
You might find that there's stippling of paint or waves or sharp lines,
Big splotches.
You don't need to evaluate it right now,
You're just moving.
If you find that as you're moving the quality of your movement shifts or the color of your paint wants to change,
Allow it to do so.
Notice what comes with those changes.
Is there a temperature shift,
An energetic shift?
The movements,
Have they increased in speed or in fluidity?
Allow yourself to make as many shifts as necessary.
Going on this journey with your body,
Allowing it to speak,
To narrate,
To paint its own experience on your walls.
Take your time and pause this meditation if you need more time to explore,
If you want to put on music that feels aligned with what you're painting,
With what you're experiencing,
With how your body is moving and telling its own narrative.
Then come back when you're ready.
This is how we begin to allow our body to wind down this visualization,
This moving art form,
Imaginary paint session.
Slowly,
Starting where we began with your arms,
Your torso twisting,
Slowing down in momentum until you're able to be back still at center.
And whether your eyes have been closed or open this time,
Look around the room,
Observe what you've painted metaphorically.
Take stock,
Listen closely to what your body has shared with you.
What is here?
What do you want to take with you?
What have you learned or just been able to hear maybe for the first time?
Is there anything that you are taking away from this journey,
This session?
When you're ready,
Allow yourself back into the stillness of this initial position.
Maybe you place your hands on the part or parts of your body that you were able to just engage with,
Or simply on your heart,
Or palms up open in a posture of receiving.
Allow yourself to breathe deeply again to end our time.
