They have, over the centuries, shaped how we think, act, and live. To many, Art is more or less a means to escape reality, whilst Meditation is an attempt to ignore reality; but this could not be further away from the truth. Art and Meditation may, in fact, feel a bit detached from reality, but they are not, and in this article, we are going to explore the healing effects of art when combined with Meditation – we will be looking at the tangible real world/life effects of these two practices as regards to your health.

But first, we'd have to define the terms.

• Art.

• Meditation.

• Health.

What Is Art?

The first thing that comes to mind when the word "Art" is mentioned is usually huge, a fancy painting in a gallery, sculptures in a museum, a ballet dancer, or maybe a favorite singer. And whilst those are all forms of art, they are not what art is all about.

Art is not necessarily a masterpiece but simply an act of expression. Yes, art is all about expressing oneself – it doesn't matter how good or terrible it was done.

The way one walks, talks, draws, sculpts, or lives can be considered art; as long as they are not inhibiting but are actively expressing it.

That said, art can serve as a road map into subjective states of existence – observing art can serve as a means to understanding how the artist (which can be anyone) feels.

In other words, if I felt calm and confident whilst writing down these words, and you read it, you should be able to tell that I am calm and confident – you should be able to feel that calm and confidence in yourself, even if it's briefly.

This is the reason fantasy books are so enjoyable; they take us to delightful places and cause us to feel things that we may otherwise never feel or experience.

When you look at the art of our ancestors – the hunters and wild beasts painted on dark caves – you can almost feel the hardship, danger, and adventure that accompanied living in those eras. You can tell that they had a strong bond with each other. You can tell that they trusted each other. You can almost feel a certain connection with that primordial drive to stay alive.

Art enables us to connect with experiences and emotions that are not present with us. When we buy art, we buy an experience. And, when we observe art, we relive that experience.

Art is Expression.

What Is Meditation?

When many people think about Meditation, they make the mistake of thinking it is about quieting the mind – ridding it of all thoughts and emotions. But this is also far removed from the truth. Meditation doesn't stop you from feeling, but rather enables you to detach from your feelings – it enables you to observe thoughts and emotions as they come and go.

Meditation is not about becoming unconscious (or free from thoughts), but becoming aware of the emotions, sensations, and consciousness, yet unaffected by them.

In other words, Meditation is the act of training the mind to be increasingly aware – to be aware that our emotions are not who we are. It trains the mind to decouple the transient states of our minds from our physical actions.

For example, a chronic smoker, after weeks of practice, may become capable of decoupling the state of craving for cigarettes from the act of smoking – that is, they understand that craving does not always have to lead to smoking – and the result would is the capacity to let go of detrimental behaviors. This, too, can be applied to the feelings of anxiety and fear where there is really nothing to be anxious about or fear.

Meditation is observation.

What Is Health?

Health, to many people, is the absence of disease (like cold, fever, diarrhea, etc.), but this is a limited view. Health encompasses the state of mental, and social well-being rather than the mere absence of disease or infirmity.

That is to say, our health isn't only dependent on internal factors, but on how we interact with the external factors as well. If we aren't in harmony with our environment, or if we feel it is not in harmony with us, then we are not healthy. Period. This is why anxiety, depression, or stress can be considered unhealthy states of being.

That said, improving one aspect of health often leads to improvements of other aspects, just as much as deterioration in one aspect leads to degeneration of other aspects. For instance, prolonged loneliness/depression can weaken the immune system making us prone to illnesses.

Interestingly, Art and Meditation have been proven to improve several aspects of our physical health by improving our mental and psychological health.

How so?

How Negative Emotions And Thoughts Affect Our Health

As much as humans are a combination of very complex yet delicate organs and systems, there also exists a connection of all those physical systems with the intricate and much more complicated and convoluted world of the mind – this is known as mind/body connection in humans; and it is what causes physical ailments to affect our mental health, and vice

versa.

For example, the body can develop a stomach ulcer after experiencing a traumatic event (like the death of a loved one), or trigger high blood pressure when exposed to prolonged periods of stress and anxiety. Even repressed anger can lead to hypertension, digestive disorders, infections as well as cardiovascular diseases.

Most times, these emotions and thoughts are triggered by uncontrollable or unforeseen circumstances; For instance, one could

• Lose their job or a huge sum of money

• Get divorced, or experience a heartbreak

• Get overwhelmed by work, maybe due to a promotion (which adds more responsibility)

• Move to a new place

• Etc.

And there is no shortage of these sorts of events that disrupt our normal lives.

The body responds to all these changes biochemically (by releasing stress hormones for example), or muscles tighten, whilst our minds become more and more erratic – wandering and worrying.

All these are not good and can lead to very dark places if left unchecked.

And that is where art and Meditation come in.

How Art And Meditation Improve Our Health

As we have explained earlier, both Art and Meditation have the wonderful capacity to alter our subjective experiences (i.e. our feelings – thoughts, and emotions).

Whilst many people find it hard to detach themselves from their thoughts and emotions, art provides an easy way out. With art, one can easily get "lost" as one makes or admire a piece of art.

By combining art and Meditation, individuals can ride the waves of their thoughts rather than drown in them. It enables them to accept their feelings and thoughts without judgment whilst relaxing and calming the body at the same time. Pacing heart rates reduce, and muscles relax. An individual gets detached from the pressure. They become able to recoup and remain in the present moment.

Art and Meditation can help us explore the deeper and quieter parts of ourselves.

But this isn't ideation. It is rooted in facts. Several studies in Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy (MBAT) – has proven that it can help improve several disorders related to

• Depression

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Substance abuse (or other addictions)

• Food

• Anger

• etc.

It basically enables you to restore and maintain balance.

Furthermore, it has been observed and recorded to have a lot of psychological benefits including:

• Improved emotional awareness (along with the awareness of underlying issues that may have been hidden), and the ability to communicate abstract feelings better.

• Improved psychological stability

• Improved brain patterns (which reflect a calm and focused state of mind, and improved attention span). It basically decreases activities in the "Monkey Mind" – i.e. the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain.

• Improved intuition and trust (in others and in ourselves)

• Improved sense of control and cohesion

• Improved memory

• Increased size and quality of grey matter in several areas of the brain

• Reduced volume of cells in the amygdala – a region of the brain responsible for stress, anxiety, and fear

• Improved self-esteem, self-acceptance, and a general improvement of the quality of life (QoL)

"Art is a guarantee to sanity" – Louise Bourgeois

For thousands of years, across hundreds of cultures and religions all over the world, people have integrated the use of chants, carved idols, charms, as well as sacred paintings and symbols, in healing rituals.

Needless to say, if you incorporate art and Meditation into your weekly (or daily activities) you would also begin to experience improvement in both your psychological, as well as physical health. And the longer you practice, the better the reward you reap.

Thankfully you do not need to hire a Therapist, buy the Mona Lisa Painting, nor relocate to a monastery in Tibet in order to enjoy the wonders of combining Art and Meditation; you can simply do that by downloading the Taom App.

Toam is a simple app that lets you learn to meditate and repaint your mind. The nice visuals and soothing music from this app are all you need to master your inner world, improve your well-being, and become a better you.

Just like oxygen, the best things in life never seem apparent, but they are abundant nonetheless. Nature itself is full of art and peace. So why not get more of that into your life? Why not enjoy Taom's free trial today?