Art Therapy - A medium for relaxation and mindfulness

Art Therapy, as the name implies, is a form of analytical therapy where a person uses art and creative tools to learn more about their emotions and inner world. Art therapy has been around a pretty long time and was part of the infamous Jungian Analytical Therapy tool – kit, which also included some other interesting and revolutionary ways of probing the psyche of an individual. Art therapy, since its inception in 1940, has proven to be useful and effective in support of treatment for psychiatric illness such as PTSD, anxiety and depression in children and adults. Art making for wellbeing is known to reduce stress and decrease stress-related illnesses and help individuals suffering from mental, emotional and physical trauma integrate and transcend suffering. Creative therapy has the potential to change the way the brain functions by creating new neural pathways as both sides of the brain are engaged in imaginative play. From this, the brain rewires itself as new ways of solving problems are discovered. The creative process reshapes the mind, one’s behaviour and in turn, changes lives

Colour Your Mandala - Mindfulness Activity

Mandala art is a tool for relaxation and mindfulness. Clinicians and therapists utilise the entrancing and relaxing method of pattern making and colouring to help patients to relax into the present moment.

Colouring a mandala or creating your own is both relaxing and fun and anyone can try it all you need are some coloured pencils, crayons and markers. Explore mandala art in a place that is peaceful and quiet; you could choose relaxing music while making your own and discover which colours are the most attractive to you.

Download and print your activity here!.

Click Here Guest Contributor: Emily Rack Business Name: Horatio's Jar Publisher: Digital Schools Emily Rack is a yoga teacher, meditation instructor, freelance writer and visual content creator. She incorporates a unique creative flair into her yoga and meditation classes, courses and workshops. Emily hosts events and classes in schools and the wider community she is passionate about teaching the art of mindfulness. ——- PUBLISHER’S DISCLAIMER: The publisher of this blog post (Digital Schools PTY LTD) works in partnership with the school as a 3rd party provider to help build and maintain the school website. Digital Schools sources a range of experts who provide products and/or services to educational institutions and we work with them to produce and publish topical information in the form of blog posts that we think  may be relevant, interesting or topical to families within the community. The views, opinions and content listed in this blog post are that of the guest contributor and/or publisher (Digital Schools). It should be noted that whilst the publisher and guest contributors are acting with the best intentions and in the best interests of the school and their community to provide helpful or interesting information, sometimes the content may not necessarily reflect the views of the school. The information in this blog post is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician.  The school and the publisher of this blog post  are not responsible for any person reading or following the information in this article who may experience adverse effects. Any references to external websites or sources are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by the school or publisher in any way and the publisher and/or school cannot guarantee accuracy of information listed. If you have feedback on any content on this platform, you can submit it to the publisher using the feedback link provided at the bottom of this page.