Breathe, Relax, Paint

Some people think painting can be a form of meditation. I'm inclined to believe they are correct.
The reason painting is like meditation, is that during the painting experience, when I become completely absorbed in what I'm doing, I enter an altered state which is very similar to that of meditation. This I know, because I have both painted and meditated for many years.
Let's take a look at some of the scientifically measured benefits of meditation -
it reduces stress
controls anxiety
promotes emotional health
lengthens attention span
may help fight addictions for some people
some types of meditation may particularly increase positive feelings and actions toward myself and others.
improves sleep
can decreased blood pressure
helps control pain
There are two kinds of meditation - focused-attention meditation and open-monitoring meditation. Painting and drawing fall into the first category, where I focus my attention on a single object, thought, sound, or visualization, ridding the mind of distractions. The meditation process may also focus on breathing, A mantra, or calming sound.is also often used. There are actually many meditation soundtracks and guided meditations available these days on line for free.
