Let's begin by settling in.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and out of your mouth.
In this meditation,
We'll be practicing our mindfulness skills with a color walk.
Mindfulness is the act of awareness,
Paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
A color walk is a mindfulness exercise that uses nature and color to anchor us in the present moment.
A way to slow down,
Focus the mind,
And reconnect with the world around us through gentle curiosity.
If you're inside,
You can do this by simply noticing the colors around you or looking out your window.
If you're outdoors,
You can walk at a slow,
Gentle pace and notice how the color shows up in nature.
You can look at houses,
Buildings,
In the sky,
Trees.
You can look at cars,
Mailboxes,
Street signs.
As you're walking,
Begin to bring awareness to your body.
Take another deep breath in and a long,
Slow exhale out.
Notice your posture.
How are your feet connected to the ground?
How your breath moves in and out.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose and a long,
Gentle exhale through your mouth.
Let your shoulders soften.
Take a moment to tune in to your senses.
Notice the air on your skin,
The sounds around you,
The temperature.
Notice what it feels like to simply be here,
In this body,
In this moment.
If your thoughts start to wander,
That's okay.
Just return to the sensations of now.
To begin,
Choose one color to focus on.
Blue,
Green,
Yellow.
Whatever color feels right for you today.
Once you've chosen,
Gently look around and start to notice all the places this color appears in your surroundings.
Maybe it's in the leaves of a tree,
A neighbor's clothing,
Or the sky above you.
Maybe it's a car going by,
Or a decoration on someone's lawn,
A flower bed.
Where do you see the color around you?
Notice the shades and the variations,
Light,
Medium.
How this color changes depending on the light,
Texture,
And distance.
As you focus on this color,
Allow your attention to rest gently on your surroundings.
There's no need to search or strain.
Allow the color to find you.
Continue to breathe deeply as you notice this color.
Let each inhale bring you closer to your environment,
Taking in the air around you.
Any smell,
Any sense,
Or a breeze.
Can you tell what season it is by the smell in the air?
How about by the look of the trees?
Do you notice the presence or the lack of leaves indicate a shift?
When you're ready,
Try shifting to a new color,
One that catches your eye naturally.
Notice how this new color feels different.
Do any emotions or sensations arise when you see it?
Take a nice deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow exhale out.
Does it feel calming?
Or energizing?
Or grounding?
How many things around you can you notice that are this new color?
Before we move on to the next color,
Take in a breath of gratitude for what this color has offered you today.
Let's choose one more color.
Use your senses to take in the world around you.
Where do you see this color?
How many different shades of it can you spot?
As we wrap up,
Take a moment to pause.
Close your eyes if it feels comfortable,
Or slow your walking pace into a nice,
Gentle stretch.
Take a deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow exhale out.
Bring to mind the colors you noticed.
The small details you might have otherwise missed.
Were you surprised by how many things you noticed in your environment?
Notice how it feels to have spent this time simply observing.
Not judging or analyzing.
Just seeing.
This is mindfulness.
The art of paying attention,
On purpose,
In the present moment.
Try carrying this awareness around you as you move into the rest of the day.
Remember that color,
Beauty,
And presence are always around you,
Just waiting to be noticed.
Thank you for joining us.
