Coloring Care : How a Coloring Book and Crayons Can Help Melt Stress .

2009-07-05T06:07:00.001-07:00

Remember when you used to be a kid, lying on your tummy on the floor, coloring book open, crayon in hand with the other crayons spilling out of the box? Can you remember the sense of peace and pleasure you felt while you were coloring? Why not consider revisiting this favourite adolescence pastime to help during those times when you end up feeling on edge.

Coloring is one of the best forms of meditation

For many people, when we think of coloring, we connect to the innocence of youth and a point in time when we weren?t encumbered by responsibility and expectancy.

You could think of coloring as letting your inner kid come out and have a fun time, or you might think of this activity as a sort of meditation. Choosing colors and the gentle, repetitive motion of your hand as you bring color to paper helps quiet your mind--bringing your usual rapid-fire thoughts down to a much slower pace.

Now that you?re an adult, there are no limits

Not only are you now give yourself permission to color outside the lines, you can keep your coloring as easy, or get as classy, as you want.

There's nothing like the smell of new crayons and getting reacquainted with your fave color as well as opening a fresh coloring book and looking through all the probabilities before selecting your first page to color.

You could find that you have outgrown crayons and wish to color using something with a different texture and a different feel. But you may wish to spend a bit of additional cash and try colored pencils, Conte Crayons, oil pastels, pastels or watercolor pencils.

These days, many coloring books are used to market and promote children?s films or TV cartoon characters. Finding books containing basic illustrations of flowers, food, animals, etc are a bit more difficult, but not impossible. Themed coloring books are frequently best sellers.

Also, if you're feeling the necessity to bring some intellectual kick to your coloring time, there are many coloring books containing illustrations of the anatomy. It is recounted, one of the most effective ways medical students learn about the intricacies of the human body is by coloring detailed illustrations of varied body parts.

To make coloring a true meditative and spiritual experience seek out a pre-made mandala design or build your own to color. Mandalas are complex, symmetrical geometric designs which draw the eye toward the center. Within Buddhism, mandalas are made as holy places which, by their very presence, remind a spectator of the vastness of sanctification in the universe and its potential with in his or her own life. Making a mandala is said to be a particularly strong and holy experience.

However, for some of us, painting and/or drawing isn't our forte. And for those who do enjoy painting and/or drawing, sometimes it?s tricky to find time time to start a project. Coloring is the perfect creative quick-fix for any one.

Coloring alongside kids can be inspiring. How about inviting a pal or 2 over for tea and some coloring time? And for any artists who are feeling a bit burnt out working in their usual medium, why not use coloring as a technique to rejuvenate your creativity?

More than just as a stress reliever

Coloring is being employed in formal therapeutic settings such as eye-hand coordination development and to help in healing victims of trauma. Regardless of your needs, there is so much to be gained by spending some time coloring.

Here's another guide on hello kitty coloring pages.