Anything is possible one stroke at a time!

Hope Bridges Society

 

I could not believe it! A participant in a workshop I was attending pulled me aside and said, “I cannot feel my pain!”  

My friend and colleague Debbie, who was facilitating this workshop, had made me aware that it was possible for participants to notice some relief from their discomfort, but to witness this was incredible. I wish you could have been there. 

This lady was relaxed, smiling and having a great time. I later discovered that her enjoyment was a miracle of sorts because her pain was chronic. Her experience in the workshop was in fact the first time she had felt a release in a very long time. Wow.

You might be surprised to hear that the miracle activity in this workshop was not exercise nor was it meditation. It was an easy to learn drawing art called Zentangle. Although teachers of Zentangle cannot promise that pain will subside for everyone, there is evidence that this form of art can provide health benefits such as pain relief, stress management, and relaxation.

According to www.zentangle.com and founders Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, Zentangle is an easy-to-learn-for-everyone, relaxing and a fun way to create beautiful images. These images are created by drawing repetitive trademarked patterns one at a time, and then joining the patterns together. The entire patented process of Zentangle is guided by Certified Zentangle Teachers (CZT) like my friend Debbie.

The many benefits that one can experience are best expressed by Zentangle as, “anything is possible one stroke at a time!.”  

Incredibly, if you participate in Zentangle, you can:

• Have fun and connect: The process of creating these images alone or in a group is mesmerizing. By making a game of picking a pattern yourself or with friends, you never know what you are going to end up with when your piece is finished. Exciting!

 • Relax: We all have our own share of challenges in our lives. So it is so good to find something to enjoy. Zentangle is a great way to focus on something fun and creative. And, because it connects the left and right brain, the state of relaxation comes quickly and results sometimes in a freedom from pain! Best of all, it is easy for anyone, it does not require physical skill or expensive equipment, and you can do it anywhere.

• Engage in Gentle Therapy: Without having to say a word, Zentangle gently can empower you to give feedback, journal, and reflect. It has been used for helping those with addictions, ADD, increasing self-esteem, anger management, stress management, a self-created Rorschach test, stroke recovery, and symbolic journaling.

• Break Through Artistically: Have you set aside your artistic goals because they are too hard, expensive and require a lot of work, time or equipment? Zentangle is an answer. If you think you cannot draw, you can do this. If you think that your tangles will not be good, by learning the patterns already created by the founders, your drawings will easily look as professional as someone who has been doing it for a while. If you think your creativity is low, Zentangle can inspire ideas for other art, writing or even math. It is a rich eye opening creative experience that can help break through any block.

In addition, Zentangle is used for education, motivational training, and study groups.  It is in galleries as part of collectibles for public to purchase and enjoy. And these creations are incredibly beautiful gifts for yourself or others.

You can experience the powerful transformation of Zentangle right in your community with CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher), Debbie Lawton. To do so, call Hope Bridges at 403 983 3640 to register for adult Zentangle workshops coming soon.