Mindful Of The Color Blue - How Does It Make You Feel?

 I don't think I ever considered how much color impacts my mood until I started painting for the first time last year. 

Now when I go for walks, or look at art online or pretty much anything that I do, I am often looking at all the colors I see + I mentally compare them to the palettes I use when painting.

Lately, my mind has been leaning towards the color blue. It makes me feel calm, cool + reminds me of the vastness of the ocean.

It makes me think of beaches, sand + sunshine but it also reminds me of the sky when there are no clouds in sight. 

So what does this have to do with mindfulness + meditation? A lot!

You don't have to just sit + meditate following your breath. Remember that mindfulness is having awareness of the present moment without any judgement. 

Side note: If you want to understand more about mindfulness, check out my old post What Is Mindfulness? What's the Difference Between Mindfulness + Meditation? 

A really great informal practice to do is looking at something that is blue that you really enjoy looking at. It could be the sky, the ocean, your favorite sweater or your favorite painting.

So go ahead + find something blue that you enjoy looking at. Take a couple of inhales + long exhales to get settled + then go ahead and simply look at the color blue.

How does it make you feel? Do you feel serene, calm or relaxed when you look at the color. 

How does your body feel? Do you notice areas of your body that is starting to relax as you mindfully look at the color blue?

Just notice what comes up for you. And if nothing comes up, don't worry, that is normal too! Remember that this is simply being aware of the color without any judgement of yourself or your experience.

And now continue to do this for however long. When you are ready to end this informal practice, take a few deep inhales + long exhales out through the mouth. 

I hope you found that informal practice useful!

P.S I've included two paintings I've done that have a lot of blue in them that I often look at when I need a little bit of a break during my day. If you don't have anything blue to look at, you can always look at these paintings for this informal practice. 

Till next time!