Paint Brush Visualization Meditation

If we find ourselves feeling tense, we can try this fun visualization exercise:

1. To start, find a comfortable place to sit where you’ll be undisturbed for a few minutes. Silence any distractions. Close or relax your eyes, and begin to breathe mindfully. 
2. Use your imagination to visualize yourself stepping out of your body, bringing your perspective outside to look back at yourself as you meditate. Continue to breathe as you observe yourself. Are you still? Is your chest or belly rising and falling as you breathe? Does your body look tense or relaxed as you meditate? 
3. As you breathe, visualize what you would see if you walked in a full circle around your meditating body. Don’t rush, take your time and walk as if you were trying not to disturb someone. Just observe yourself breathing. 
4. In your visualization, after walking in a full circle, look at the ground and visualize a paintbrush. Visualize how it would feel to pick the brush up. Now imagine a black pot of paint that magically changes its paint to any color you think of. Imagine what it would feel like to hold this pot in your hand. Dip the paintbrush into the pot and visualize brushing beautiful paint on your skin. You may start with any area of your body, or you can start from your toes up and work up to the crown of your head, but give each area of your body proper attention during this exercise. Try dipping your paintbrush back into the pot between each body part, painting each part of your body a unique and special color, and observe how the different colors and each physical area makes you feel. Continue to breathe, and use your imagination as you feel your stress melting away as the paintbrush travels over your body. Wherever the paint touches your skin, you relax. Paint, and relax. Paint, and breathe. Breathe, and paint. Release the tension in your muscles as you enjoy strengthening your ability to visualize and use your imagination in this calming body coloring activity. 
5. Feel free to paint in whatever style and use whatever colors you like best. When your whole body is painted, visualize stepping back, looking at your colorful work, and then imagine stepping back into your body. Take a few more breaths and open your eyes.