Hi so today I want to take you through a meditation exercise that I often use in session with my clients and this activity is one that helps provide containment. So, what that means is that, for instance, you’ve got some anxiety coming up. And you’re struggling to just focus. Right now, I need to set this anxiety aside right now. To bring it back up at a later time, ideally in session to work through it. But right now, I just need to put it in a safe place. Until I can deal with it.
So, what I’d like you to do is get comfortable. Possibly close your eyes if that feels good. And then what I’d like you to do is I’d like you to identify whatever that feeling is. So, if it’s anxiety, just identify that. Maybe it is sorrow. Maybe it’s anger. Whatever it is, I want you to identify that feeling and give it a name. OK. And then we’re going to start scanning through your body. And I want you to give that thing you’ve identified. I want you to give it a color. Any color you want it, whatever color is popping into your mind right now. That’s the right color for it, OK. And so now we’re going to start scanning the body. And as you scan through, any place that you find that color, I want you to be looking for that color. And I want you to just scoop it up with your hand and hold on to it as we continue to move. You don’t have to hold it tight. Just keep scooping it up as we go through your body. OK. Alright, so are you comfortable?
Feel free to close your eyes or look off at something else if that feels safe to you and we’re going to start at the top of the head. And you can scan down, looking for that color. Moving through the forehead. Across the face and down your neck. And now it’s your shoulders. And moving down your arms. Your upper arms, your lower arms, your hands. And your fingers. Now coming back up to the shoulders. And as you see your color scoop it up.
Moving down across the chest in the upper back. Your abdomen, your mid back. Just scooping up whatever color you see, whatever you are finding. Scooping it up now, across your hips and your pelvis. Down your thighs. Over your knees. And down your calves. Your ankles. Your heels. The arch of your feet. And your toes.
And now I’m just going to give you a second to do a quick scan on your own. To see if there’s any of that color left anywhere. And as you find it scooping it up into your hands. And now I want you to take that color that’s in your hands, and I want to start squishing it. Making it into a ball. And go ahead and move your hands as you are doing this. Maybe you need to use both hands to squish that down. And then eventually just one hand. Squeeze it down. Squeeze it down just a little bit more.
And now I want you to find a safe place to place this. It could be. In a closet. It could be in your house or someone else’s house. Maybe you’re putting it into a box and putting it in the closet or on the shelf. Or maybe you want to imagine putting it on one of my shelves for me to hold safe until we see each other. Go ahead and do that now. And I want you to now notice that all of that is placed safely in that spot and you know where it is. You can always go and pick it back up again. It’s just there to stay safe until you need it.
And so now maybe another emotion or sensation or something is coming up and I want you to just go ahead and identify that. And then on your own time here, I’ll give you some time, go through this process on your own. Scanning your body from head to toe, looking for that color. Then scooping it up as you find it. And now that you have it, I want you to squish it down again. Maybe with both hands, maybe with one hand. And once again, I want you to find a place safe place to store it. And go ahead and put it there in whatever way seems right to you.
And now I want you to become aware of your surroundings to start hearing. Noticing what you’re hearing, noticing your weight in the chair or on the floor. Your feet touching the floor and coming fully back to me in this time.
And notice how your body is feeling now. You may be feeling a relaxation. Maybe feeling a peacefulness or a confidence in being able to move forward. And so just remember that you can use this technique anytime you need to. Practice it regularly, either with or without with my voice. I highly recommend practicing both with me and without me. Because eventually you’ll be able to have something suddenly come up and be able to scan your body. And very rapidly be able to tuck it away. To contain that item now.
It’s very important when you contain something that at some point you pick it up and you look at it again and learn what the message is that that feeling has for you. And that’s a great thing for us to do in therapy. You are absolutely the only one who knows exactly where those colors were in your body. What those colors represented, what they felt like. I have a bit of a road map on how to listen to those colors. To find out what they have to tell you and to then help you learn how to use those feelings within yourself. So, if you’re ready to step into that, I’d like you to reach out to me. And I can’t wait to meet you!
