Breathe Into Colour
Visualize and surround yourself with colour in this soothing meditation
When I was a young girl I spent a lot of time reading, imagining and playing in my bedroom and I recall that it was always really exciting when it was time to redecorate and choose new colours. Over the years my room was many colours including blue, pink, and yellow, but the year I was allowed to paint my personal space purple I was the happiest. Purple has been my favourite colour for as long as I can remember - it calms and centers me and makes me smile.
If you do a Google search you’ll find a lot of research on the effect of colour on our mood and if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the colours you wear and surround yourself with have a huge impact on how you think and feel.
It makes sense, then, that if we spend some time visualizing a favourite colour when feeling overwhelmed or stressed we may be able to quickly feel calmer and more grounded. Here’s a meditation you may want to try to bring more colour, inspiration and joy into your day.
Breathe into Colour Meditation and Visualization Practice
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Notice the places where your body connects to the surface beneath you and spend a few moments grounding yourself in your surroundings.
Soften your gaze or close your eyes and begin to bring your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath coming in and out through your nose.
Throughout this meditation, you may notice various thoughts, sounds or images floating through your mind. Just notice them and then gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Once you are settled and comfortable, you may wish to imagine a balloon in your belly and notice how it inflates as you breathe in and gets smaller as you breathe out.
As your balloon is inflating and deflating, see if you can visualize a colour for it. It may look like a light and may be colourless, or it may change colour. If you’re having difficulty settling on a colour, imagine something colourful that you like - perhaps the blue sky, yellow sun, green grass, pink flower, etc.
See this colour begin to expand within you and around you. As you slowly breathe in and out, imagine breathing into the colour - into your nose, your throat, your chest, abdomen, legs and arms - your entire body and mind. Notice the effects the colour has on you.
What are the sensations you are noticing in your body? Does the colour feel light or heavy? What is the texture?
Spend as much time as you want immersing yourself in the colour and continue to notice all the sensations in your body and mind.
Anytime you notice that your attention has wandered, just notice that, and then bring your awareness back to your breath and your colour.
When you’re ready, gently let the colour go and start to bring your attention back to your surroundings. Open your eyes and look around you - notice the colours in the room or space around you. Take one or two intentional breaths and spend a few moments in interoceptive awareness to notice how you feel.
I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
Are you interested in life change & mindset coaching? If you are interested in exploring new ways to bring joy into your world and live your best life, please email me to set up a complimentary 30 minute coaching session/discovery call at sharon@sharonashtonmindulyoga.com or visit my website coaching page.
You can download your free Find Your Inner Coach Guide including a guided visualization and journal prompts here:
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“Sharon has the intuitive ability to listen to what I'm saying as I discuss my business and hone in on a specific limiting belief that is slowing me down or holding me back. She has multiple tools and strategies she teaches to help you clarify your issues. Her coaching has been incredibly helpful and valuable as I start my new business!” — Becky Shapiro, Texas, USA
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You are also invited to join my free Facebook group The Journey Within Mindful Yoga and Life Change Community here where we can connect to share resources and short mindful yoga and meditation practices: