colouring not just for kids!

I just found out at a book shop with my mom some books for colouring, but they're specially made for "grown ups" as a relaxation method...

I found out this article wondering what exactly does colouring do to help us...

"The practice generates wellness, quietness and also stimulates brain areas related to motor skills, the senses and creativity. "

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/coloring-for-stress_n_5975832.html

Also found out Jung introduced this as a relaxation method using mandalas :D

I thought also, maybe just the idea of feeling as a child again and enjoying the simple pleasure to colour for a couple of minutes is fun :D

My wife has discovered this form of relaxation, and it seems to calm her.
There can't be any harm in it, except as a form of distraction.

I actually recently purchased myself an 'adult coloring' book after reading it's a good way to practice mindfulness :D

That and I remembered how much I use to like coloring as a kid. lol

Plus, if you're ever bored, instead of plopping in front of the TV, I find coloring to be just as nice.

Solie said:

Plus, if you're ever bored, instead of plopping in front of the TV, I find coloring to be just as nice.

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Yes!! I agree, yesterday I just took my tobacco some tea and colored for a couple of minutes.. It was helping me a little bit to get my mind off some stuff.. im an overthinker jaja, hopefuly that'll help :D

Hmm...interesting development which is largely going by unnoticed in this whirlwind of news and overload.
I have to think about this for a while after having read the posts, but interesting.

My father was an artist and I grew up in house surrounded with art, and artists of all types.
Anytime a person undertakes a creative outlet they are enabling themselves to free thought,
but more importantly are the values which are communicated to the children by the
observations which they make upon their parents outlets.

The greatest gift my father ever gave me was an appreciation and love for doing
what comes out of free expression.

It should've been awsome growing up surrounded by artists! Do you do something too?

I don't consider myself an artsy type of person, but I do appreciate it, and since I was trying to find some ways to relax I found out this books could be a great option, and also I really don't recall myself as a kid enjoying color books, so as a part of healing my inner child I thought it could be a good option :D

Hi! I had a look at those pictures. I think it makes a difference which kind of pictures you colour. They should be nice ones otherwise you are confronted with all those bad thoughts - - - .

Thanks for starting this thread Padme90

I find coloring to be very relaxing and an enjoyable experience, especially when feeling overwhelmed by the stress of daily living and the reality that we currently live in :O

Recently I purchased a mandala coloring book at first I struggled with making time to sit down and begin coloring...then I would find that inner voice saying there are so many other things you should be doing right now, why are you wasting time coloring? I pushed through this inner chatter and just began slowly... thinking about what colors I wanted to use and the different shapes on the page, before long I was completely immersed in the experience and it was very calming... time slipped away and before I knew it an hour had passed. I now make time for this creative endeavor weekly in the evening or when I'm listening to podcasts and I do find it very therapeutic. The following article confirmed my thinking about the value of creative acts like coloring

Creativity: A path towards happiness?

Fostering your creative side both gives you a cathartic outlet and an escape from the tedium of everyday life, and now science is proving that it can help boost your mood, too.

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Padme90 said:

Also found out Jung introduced this as a relaxation method using mandalas :D

I thought also, maybe just the idea of feeling as a child again and enjoying the simple pleasure to colour for a couple of minutes is fun :D

Click to expand...

And this an interesting article about the benefits of drawing mandalas

Mandala Therapy: Anger management method


Color on :D

naorma said:

Hi! I had a look at those pictures. I think it makes a difference which kind of pictures you colour. They should be nice ones otherwise you are confronted with all those bad thoughts - - - .

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I totally agree naorma, the pictures from the article are not very calming jeje, the book i got is about nature and also some mandalas.

http://www.amazon.es/Naturaleza-Pura-Relax-Art-Vv-Aa/dp/3869416076

And they have lots of different types too, it seems like it's a good technique to relax and many book stores are selling this type of books. They also say that before coloring you should not think in the colors ur going to use and just let your mind flow (i've had some weird combinations hehe) but looking back at my first colors i chosed when i was more anxious tend to be more vivid, and more mellow when im calmed.. it's been a good exercise :)

'Awapuhi said:

Thanks for starting this thread Padme90

I find coloring to be very relaxing and an enjoyable experience, especially when feeling overwhelmed by the stress of daily living and the reality that we currently live in :O

Recently I purchased a mandala coloring book at first I struggled with making time to sit down and begin coloring...then I would find that inner voice saying there are so many other things you should be doing right now, why are you wasting time coloring? I pushed through this inner chatter and just began slowly... thinking about what colors I wanted to use and the different shapes on the page, before long I was completely immersed in the experience and it was very calming... time slipped away and before I knew it an hour had passed. I now make time for this creative endeavor weekly in the evening or when I'm listening to podcasts and I do find it very therapeutic. The following article confirmed my thinking about the value of creative acts like coloring

Creativity: A path towards happiness?

And this an interesting article about the benefits of drawing mandalas

Mandala Therapy: Anger management method


Color on :D

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Thank you for sharing those articles Awapuhi :D it happened to me to at the beginning, it was hard concentrating and I started overthinking for a couple of minutes stuff i had in my head, but then as i got more and more inmersed it helped a lot on pushing that voice away. I've also read that any artsy thing you can do makes other connections in the brain we don't normaly use, so that's an extra point for the coloring therapy hehe :D

Im glad you liked it too! And as u've said color on!

:D

Hi Padme90,

I am pleasantly surprised to see your post! Last week I went to the local bookstore looking for childrens gifts. They had a whole rack of absolutely beautiful coloring books for adults/older kids. A very wide range of subject matter, well rendered and detailed. I figured this was a new, innovative product on the market, something of a new art form in a way and would be appreciated. A GREAT idea. I considered buying one for myself but stopped.... I do art work of my own and felt this would be taking time away from that, back sliding or something of that sort, lol.

I've appreciated reading the posts here and now I have a new perspective on it all. Sounds pleasant and therapeutic, sitting down with a cup of tea and coloring. I loved it as a kid too. :) maybe there is a place for this in my life...? Barnes and Noble have a big selection.

While doing Christmas shopping on line I also discovered some amazing puzzles which are similar to the coloring in some ways. I saved this one to my pictures and believe it was on Amazon. For all you book lovers.

SummerLite said:

Hi Padme90,

I am pleasantly surprised to see your post! Last week I went to the local bookstore looking for childrens gifts. They had a whole rack of absolutely beautiful coloring books for adults/older kids. A very wide range of subject matter, well rendered and detailed. I figured this was a new, innovative product on the market, something of a new art form in a way and would be appreciated. A GREAT idea. I considered buying one for myself but stopped.... I do art work of my own and felt this would be taking time away from that, back sliding or something of that sort, lol.

I've appreciated reading the posts here and now I have a new perspective on it all. Sounds pleasant and therapeutic, sitting down with a cup of tea and coloring. I loved it as a kid too. :) maybe there is a place for this in my life...? Barnes and Noble have a big selection.

While doing Christmas shopping on line I also discovered some amazing puzzles which are similar to the coloring in some ways. I saved this one to my pictures and believe it was on Amazon. For all you book lovers.

Click to expand...

Hello SummerLite! Thanks a lot for the kind words :) as i found it helpful i hope some other members could use the info. It's awsome you do art work, i would've wished to paint or draw, but honestly im pretty bad at it hehe, now I also got myself an harmonica, so I can put in practice my music sense, that i've found it also helps with brain connections. You should share with us some of ur art! :D

I think you could give it a try, maybe it could be relaxing for you too. And as for puzzles, that picture u sent looks lovely! I've never tried puzzling before, and as a kid i remember they made me desperate hahah, maybe that's a good sign i have to work on my patience? I'll search for some puzzles, it's another great idea!

:D Oh gosh! I love your puzzles summerlite!!!! Those are the cutest things I've seen! I agree with padme90, maybe we should be working on our patients ;D

I was recently given a coloring book and can't wait to use it! It's also popular at my job. Some of my co-workers color on their breaks and down time in general. Thanks for the thread, Padme90. :D

truth seeker said:

I was recently given a coloring book and can't wait to use it! It's also popular at my job. Some of my co-workers color on their breaks and down time in general. Thanks for the thread, Padme90. :D

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Woop woop for that, spending time at breaks to color! :D that's sounds great!!

Also varying on the type of material you use could be cool, instead of using color pencils maybe sometimes trying with watercolors?

Thanks to you guys for the feedback :D