As children, coloring is one of our most beloved pastimes. But as we grow older, we tend to look at coloring as child’s play.
However, adult coloring books have taken the world by storm, and people are finding great joy, peace and healing from coloring inside the lines.
Getting in touch with our inner child invigorates our sense of playfulness and encourages us to approach life with more ease, as children do. To live is to play, and to stop playing through life only capitalizes on the daily stresses we experience as adults. We must ask ourselves, “why so serious?”
What is it about coloring that makes people so happy, calm and mindful? The great psychologist Carl Jung believed that when the mind is at rest, but also occupied with a simple task, that the journey within truly begins.
Both entertaining and healing, the benefits of coloring are available to all who participate. Release the child within and enjoy these 5 major benefits of coloring—you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy this healing hobby!
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Stress and Anxiety Melt Away: In a meditative state, you allow your mind to take a backseat–and this is when the magic happens. Fully immersing yourself in the task at hand and focusing on being creative, helps you to disconnect from the stress and anxiety that being human entails.
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The Inner Child is Awoken: We are all children at heart, and often it is our inner child that carries wounds throughout our lives. But when we are at play, we give ourselves permission to be the carefree version of ourselves. This sends messages to the brain that we value the needs and desires of our formerly playful selves.
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Consumption-free Zone: We are inundated with information at an alarming rate. Our minds are constantly blasted with advertisements, news, technology, notifications etc, and we don’t have even a moments rest. But when we color, we can escape all this and really connect with the peace that comes with mindful stillness.
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The Presence of the Present: “Be here now” is something that we hear all the time but may find it difficult to actually do. But there is magic in the present moment. When we continually look outside of the here and now for satisfaction, we find that we continually come up empty handed. Coloring beautiful images that conjure up something within help you to live radically in the now.
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Negative Thoughts Melt Away: While you’re coloring a rainbow fish or beautiful mandala, you don’t make room for negative thoughts. Both the creativity of the process and the joy that comes from complete freedom to express yourself invite positivity and love into your mind. Imagine how much free time you’ll have when you’re not consumed by negative thoughts!
This convenient, creative and therapeutic hobby comes in all shapes and sizes for all interests, skill levels and senses of humor. There are coloring books with cuss words, animals, mandalas and just about everything you can imagine.
CYE’s very own coloring book,
Healing Hearts: A Coloring Book for Letting Go and Starting Over, designed and authored by master healer
Manwol, is a meditation for healing your emotional pain and moving on to create your dearest dreams.
Have you enjoyed coloring or is something you’d consider adding to your life? Tell us about it in the comments below!