Body travelling with colors

This exercise is suitable for everybody. It can be done individually in a group of any size. The exercise can be done online or on site. 

The purpose of the exercise is to focus the participant’s attention on one’s own body and awaken the creativity in each of us. 

For guiding the exercise, the facilitator of the exercise needs a bell, a triangle, or a sound bowl with a pleasant sound.  Check that participants hear the sound well. The leader also needs to know how to use an online drawing tool, such as Magma.com. It is a very simple, free online drawing tool. It can be used together so that everyone can draw simultaneously and see what the others are drawing.

If the exercise is carried out on site, you need crayons and big sheets of paper instead of a computer and an online drawing tool.  

Time required for the exercise is 15-30 minutes. 

Before starting the exercise, the facilitator opens Magma.com to a computer and creates a joint drawing. Click the button on the front page: “Start drawing” and “Continue without account”.  

Enter your name or nickname. In the right upper corner of the screen, you see the text “Invite”.  

Click the text and copy the link for yourself. If the group is big, you can make several joint drawings by adding more drawings in the bottom of the screen clicking “+ button”.  

Copy the link(s) for example to a Word document. You will use the link(s) later with your group. Then practice drawing with the online tool so that you can show your group how to use it.  

PART 1 

The facilitator reads aloud slowly with a calm voice:  

1. Choose a nice, comfortable position where you can feel your body balanced, open and relaxed at the same time. You are free to try some different positions and then choose. 

2. You can close your eyes if it feels possible to you right now. 

3. Take a few deep breaths out and in and feel how breathing moves your body. Maybe you can notice the breathing in your belly, chest, or nostrils. 

4. Focus your attention to your feet and legs. Feel all the sensations there. Are your feet cold or warm? Do you feel your clothes against your skin? Are there some tensions in your legs? Just recognize all the sensations. You can move your body during the exercise gently if you like. 

5. Then move your attention from your legs to your pelvis … and to your back. Feel all the sensations there. Do you feel tense or relaxed? Anything you feel is ok, just recognize it and accept it as it is. You don´t need to change anything. Remember to breathe.  

6. With your next exhalation move your attention to your belly … and chest. What do you notice there? Just be aware of all the sensations. 

7. Then, let your attention move to your shoulders … arms … and fingers and be aware of all the sensations in these parts of your body. Do your hands feel warm or cold? Do you feel any tensions in your shoulders? Let your shoulders lower if you notice they are tense. Breathe calmly. 

8. When you feel ready, let your attention move to your neck … your head… face… scalp… Let the muscles in your face relax, you can open your mouth a bit if it feels comfortable. Remember to breathe. 

9. Try to focus your attention to your whole body. Can you feel your whole body now? How does it feel? What kind of sensation do you have in your body now? If the sensation was a color, what color would it be? Focus your attention on the color.  

10. Imagine your day from now on. What is coming up next? What does your body need for this day? What does it need now? Be open to all the messages your body sends you.  There are no right answers, just use your senses and listen to your body. 

11. Could you choose a color to express what you need? If it is for example courage, concentration, or energy, what color would express it best? Use your imagination and paint your body with this color. Where in your body do you need the color most? What parts of the body do you want to paint? You can also choose multiple colors and use them in different parts of the body if you like.  

12. When you are ready, notice how do you feel right now. Is there any difference from the beginning? 

13. You will soon hear the bell as a sign of ending this part of the exercise. You can open your eyes when it feels good. 

PART 2

1. The facilitator shares the link(s) of the joint drawing(s) from Magma to the chat and shows how everyone can draw/paint by choosing a color and a brush. The facilitator asks everyone to draw or paint with the color they first chose to describe their sensations in the body. The facilitator can share the screen with the participants.

2. Then the facilitator asks everyone to draw or paint with the color that describes the needs of the body now. If the group is small and you have time and it feels comfortable, you can ask the participants to draw one at a time so that when one participant is ready, the next one will continue the same drawing.

3. Finally, discuss the exercise and share thoughts. What color was the most used? What meanings do the colors have for the participants?  What about the drawing made together? What do you see? How did the participants feel when doing the exercise?