Hi,
Hello and welcome.
My name is Julie and I'll be taking you through a relaxation exercise in just a minute.
Today's relaxation exercise is something a little bit different.
We are going to do a color relaxation and the exercise works through visualization.
Reversion exercises are not only pleasant but they can be particularly useful for those of you who have a history of traumatic experiences and may find it difficult to focus on their bodies or their breaths.
In the exercise we'll simply imagine every color of the rainbow.
My rainbow consists here of red,
Orange,
Yellow,
Green,
Blue and violet.
I'll describe each color so that you can meditate on it and by focusing on these colors we can help relax our brains.
We'll spend around 30 seconds with each color.
Today's exercise will take around 20 minutes and you can practice it both sitting down and lying down,
If you like you can cover up with a blanket.
To begin with we're going to make ourselves comfortable.
Find a nice position,
Adjust your clothing and your blanket so that you can stay comfortable during the relaxation and not move too much.
First,
Before we start surfing these colors,
Notice how your body feels right now.
Pay a little attention to the state of your body right now.
Don't try to change anything but simply notice how your body and your mind are feeling in this moment.
Feel your body begin to relax gently.
Let your shoulders sink down a little bit lower.
Allow your shoulders to move away from your ears.
Let your jaw relax so that your teeth no longer touch.
Let your eyelids be heavy.
We're going to take a few extra deep,
Extra slow breaths.
Take a deep breath in,
Hold that breath for just a moment and exhale slowly.
Take another nice deep breath in,
Hold your breath for just a moment.
And exhale slowly.
And one more time,
Breathe in,
Hold and exhale slowly.
And then in your own time,
Let go of control of your breath and simply start to notice your breathing.
Your body already knows exactly how much air it needs.
Try to be curious and notice how your breath moves in and out of your body.
How it enters through the nose or the mouth.
Feel the pulse after your inhalation and the pulse after the exhalation before the next breath.
Let your body relax and let your brain slowly focus on the color relaxation.
Let the relaxation happen slowly and naturally.
Allow and observe.
Now make an image of the color red in your head.
Imagine red of all kinds of shades.
You could imagine red objects,
A red landscape or a solid field of color.
Imagine all the different tones of red.
Roses,
Bricks,
Apples,
A sunset.
Enjoy the color red.
Now let the color that you imagine slowly change to orange.
Imagine the color orange,
Endless shades of orange.
Savor them,
The flowers,
Pumpkins,
Carrots.
Fill your entire field of vision with the color orange.
Enjoy the color orange.
Now visualize the color yellow.
See all different types of yellow in your imagination.
Let yellow fill your field of vision with lemons,
Flowers,
Autumn leaves.
Imagine the countless variations of the color yellow.
Imagine that you are surrounded by the calming color yellow.
Immerse yourself.
Enjoy the color yellow.
Let the color that you see slowly change into green.
Fill your imagination with the color green.
Endless shades of green.
Plants,
Leaves,
Grass.
Imagine that you are surrounded by beautiful greenery.
All shades of green.
From the lightest to the darkest.
Bright green.
Tall green.
Enjoy green.
Now see the color blue before your closed eyes.
Challenge yourself with blue.
Infinite shades of blue.
Water.
The sky.
Blueberries.
Travel in an abundance of blue.
Imagine that the color blue fills your field of vision.
Enjoy the color blue.
Now let the color in your imagination change to violet.
Focus on the variety of violet and purple around you.
Flowers.
Eggplants.
The sunrise.
Immerse yourself in the color purple.
Enjoy the color purple.
Now let your attention return to your breathing.
Notice how calm and regular your breathing is now.
And then imagine the colors again.
One at a time,
Starting with red.
Orange.
Yellow.
Green.
Blue.
And violet.
Now choose which color you'd like to visualize.
Maybe you have a favorite or a color that matches your mood right now.
Imagine whatever color you like.
Let your mind be relaxed,
Focused and calm.
Enjoy the feeling of relaxation that you now experience.
Now slowly bring your attention back to your breathing.
It's almost time to come back to the present,
To the here and now.
Before you open your eyes,
Feel into your body and notice which part of your body has the desire to move.
Follow this desire and move that body part.
Then notice which part wants to move next and then move from that place.
Let these be small,
Gentle movements.
If you prefer to drift off into sleep now,
Let your body adjust itself.
And if you'd like to become completely alert to continue your day,
Open your eyes slowly.
Begin to notice the room around you,
The sounds,
The smells,
Your breath,
Your body.
Stretch the rest of your muscles and become completely awake.
Voila!
That was it for this week.
I hope you enjoyed the exercise and hopefully until next time.
