This is a short relaxation designed to increase the awareness of your body, to practice taking the time, and make the space to use visualisation and create steady breaths to decrease the stress in your work life. You will use colours and connect them to sections of the body to assist in the mind-body connection. This process will increase awareness of what is happening for you in your body. It is inspired by an Indian philosophy of using colours to connect the body to physical sensations and emotions.

Sit upright in your chair. Lengthen the spine, relax your jaw and close your eyes. Place both feet fully flat onto on the floor. Hands are placed comfortably on your thighs or in your lap.

Commence a slow breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, try and get the breath in fully to the lower lobes of the lungs. Do not breathe too fast or so deeply that you feel dizzy.

As you seek the awareness of your breath sense your feet grounded to the earth, melt them into the floor, sense the alignment of your ankles, legs and hips. I want you to see the colour red and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Using the out breath see the room fill with the colour red , with the in breath draw the colour into your lower limbs and hips, breathe out, fill the room with the colour red, breathe in and draw the colour back into the legs and hips. Create a flow of colour moving out to fill the room with the out breath then inhale and draw the colour back into your body.

If stress manifests in your body with physical symptoms like restless legs, agitation, pacing the room or the mental symptoms of tiredness and exhaustion, loss of concentration, anger or fear then red is an ideal colour to focus on as you practice focused relaxation. The colour red symbolises strength, stability, vitality and growth and is grounding. As your relaxation and visualisation skills improve you may be able to add the thoughts of – Vitality, stability grounded ness to your practice.

Moving from your hips up your body, sense your abdomen and lower back. As you maintain awareness of your breath your long spine and relaxed hands, see the colour yellow. Using your out breath fill the room with the colour yellow, with the in breath draw the colour into your abdomen until it is concentrated in your belly button. Breathe out, fill the room with yellow. Breathe in and draw the colour into the abdomen. Create a flow of colour moving out to fill the room then inhale and draw the colour back into your body.

If stress manifests in your body with physical symptoms such as digestive problems, skin disorders, tightness in the abdomen, loss of appetite or over eating or the mental symptoms of impatience, fussiness, over analysing or rigid thinking then yellow is an ideal colour to visualise as you take the time for focused breathing. Yellow symbolises understanding, optimism, laughter, joy, achievement. As your relaxation and visualisation skills improve you may be able to add some of those thoughts to your practice … understanding, joy, achievement.

Maintaining the cast-down or closed eyes, the rhythmic breaths, move upwards to sense your chest, including the heart and lungs and now see the colour green in your chest. Using the out breath fill the room with the colour green; with the in breath draw the colour into your chest until it is pin prick size. Breathe out, fill the room with green. Breathe in and draw the colour into the chest. Create a flow of colour moving out to fill the room with each exhalation and with the inhalation pull the colour back into your body

If stress manifests in your body with physical symptoms of chest tightness, palpitations, rapid breathing or mental symptoms of loss of confidence or self-esteem, greed, possessiveness then green is the ideal colour to focus on as your relax into your breath. Green symbolises calmness, tolerance, caring, compassion and sharing.

Stay with the still body and breath. Now, sense your shoulders arms, neck, jaw and mouth. See the colour blue. Using the out breath fill the room with the colour blue; with the in breath draw the colour into your throat. Breathe out. Fill the room with blue. Breathe in and draw the blue into your throat. Create a flow of colour moving out to fill the room then inhale and draw the colour back into your throat.

If stress manifests in your body with the physical symptoms of a stiff neck or shoulders, tight jaw, teeth grinding or dry mouth and the mental symptoms of creative loss, a lack of expression or inability to speak clearly then blue is the colour to focus on as you breathe. Blue symbolises clarity, expression, and a willingness to listen and opens creativity. . As your relaxation and visualisation skills improve you may be able to add some of those thoughts to your practice, the words such as clarity, creativity and listening.

Now as we are entering the last section of this relaxation, maintain your steady breath and feeling of relaxation. Be aware of your neck and jaw. Be aware of your chest. Be aware of your abdomen. Be aware of your legs. See the colour white in your toes. Let the whiteness flow up your legs filling them as it goes, now fill your hips, your abdomen, your chest, your arms and now your head. Your whole body is filled with the colour white. Now slowly take it down the body again to your feet. Then up again to fill your body. As the whiteness fills your body again allow it to remain filled. Feel cleansed, rejuvenated and liberated by a white light. Feel your mind relaxed and focussed. When you are ready open your eyes, then roll your shoulders, lengthen the spine and prepare to enter back into the present.
SMILE -RELAX – FOCUS – REJUVENATE.

Short Version

Sitting in the chair lengthen your spine commence slow breaths in and out. Select a location in the body and a corresponding colour to focus on for relaxed rejuvenation.

Draw the breath in and see the colour in the body area. Breathe out and fill the room with the chosen colour, with the in breath draw the colour back into your body, breathe out, fill the room with the colour, breathe in and draw the colour back into the body part you are focusing on. Create a flow of colour moving out to fill the room with the out breath then inhale and draw the colour back into your body.
Always finish with the colour white to complete the meditation.

Out of balance -restless legs, agitation, exhaustion, anger, loss of concentration. Regain balance with thoughts of strength, stability, vitality and growth.

Out of balance- tightness in the abdomen, loss of appetite or over eating, impatience or fussiness
Regain balance with thoughts of understanding, optimism, laughter, joy, achievement.

Out of balance- chest tightness, palpitations, rapid breathe, loss of confidence, greed, possessiveness, claustrophobia.
Regain balance with thoughts calmness, tolerance, caring, compassion and sharing.

Out of balance- stiff neck or shoulders, tight jaw, teeth grinding or dry mouth, creative loss, a lack of expression or inability to speak.

Regain balance with thoughts clarity, personal expression and creativity, a willingness to listen.

Complete the meditation with breaths taking the colour white up, down and around the body. Feel cleansed, rejuvenated and liberated by a white light. Feel your mind relaxed and focussed. When you are ready open your eyes, then roll your shoulders, lengthen the spine and prepare to enter back into the present and – SMILE.