Let’s begin with a question:
When was the last time you created something without a plan?
Or let your hands create something without worrying about how it looks?
We often think of art as something to admire framed, perfected, judged. But what if the true power of art lies not in the final product… but in the process itself?
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
— Thomas Merton
That’s the paradox and the magic of art therapy.
It allows us to express and release, to feel and transform, all without needing the right words.
Yogic teachings remind us that emotions live in the body. The mind stores memories, but the body stores sensations. Through movement, sound, and yes through color, texture, and image we can bring buried parts of ourselves back into the light.
What Is Art Therapy, Really?
Art therapy isn’t about being an artist. It’s not about skill or aesthetic.
It’s about using the creative process as a path to insight, regulation and release.
Modern psychology recognizes this too. Here’s what the science says:
- Neuroplasticity & Creativity: Engaging in artistic expression lights up multiple areas of the brain supporting emotional regulation, memory reconsolidation, and even trauma healing.
- Stress Reduction: Studies show that just 45 minutes of spontaneous art-making lowers cortisol levels and creates a sense of calm.
- Safe Expression: Art offers a non-verbal channel for feelings that are too complex, too painful, or too deep to articulate.
- Restoration of Agency: Through art, people regain a sense of choice, power, and authorship over their healing journey even if just on the page or canvas.
Art Therapy & Yogic Wisdom: Where East Meets Expressive Arts
In Yogic traditions, the act of creation itself is sacred.
- The universe is born from Shakti the divine creative force.
- The chakra system recognizes Svadhisthana (the second chakra) as the seat of creativity, emotion and flow.
- The path of Karma Yoga teaches us to create without attachment to the outcome. This is pure process. This is art therapy in action.
So whether you’re painting with your hands, making collages, or simply playing with color you're aligning with ancient wisdom.
How Can We Use Art Therapy for Our Wellbeing?
You don’t need a studio or expensive supplies. You just need a willingness to explore. Try this:
- Color Your Emotion: Ask yourself, “What am I feeling?” Then express it using color, shape, or texture no need to name it in words.
- Create Without Judgment: Give yourself 20 minutes to draw, paint, or sculpt without any goal. Let it be messy, abstract, childlike.
- Use Natural Materials: Collect leaves, stones, flowers. Arrange them into a mandala or altar a temporary piece that honors impermanence.
- Let Your Body Speak: Try painting with your hands, or even with your eyes closed. Let the body guide the brush.
- Reflect After Creating: Gaze at what you’ve made. Ask: What does this teach me? What am I ready to let go of?
Final Notes from the Heart
Art therapy isn’t about making something beautiful.
It’s about becoming whole again one brushstroke, one breath, one color at a time.
In a world that moves fast and demands perfection, art gives us a quiet, sacred space to be. To feel. To heal. To remember that the act of creating is itself a form of wellness.
Until we meet again, Paint your truth. Shape your silence. And let the art speak.
Rana Abihayla
