Healing is a journey that begins within. It is only inside of ourselves do we find serenity, joy, acceptance, and peace. The question is, how exactly do we go about this? Where do we start? Where is the roadmap that points to our wounds, and leads to our healing? Too often we hear solutions without explanation.

We’re told once we realize this about our lives, or let go of that, we will be healed. The truth is, it’s not quite that simple. It’s by no means impossible to heal, that is infinitely possible. It’s just not as simple as the great teachers speak towards.

Think of, metaphorically speaking, our healing as we were a broken table. What do you need to fix a table? First, you’ll need a toolbox. This is crucial. To heal yourself, you will need tools.

            As this continues, we’re going to help you invite into your healing process seven different tools or ways you can heal yourself. The greatest aspect of these techniques is that they’re fostered through your care, your presence.

With patience, practice, and grace they can become life long practices. Your toolbox can carry you through the twists and turns of life into a brighter future. What at first may seem like a means for survival, can actually transform into one of your life passions.

            All of these tools integrate the topic of expressive art therapy. We chose this because we have found them to be highly beneficial to the mind, body, and spirit. All three of these things must be aligned for us to feel deep healing.

We at Artscape feel and show through our efforts that, expressive art therapy holds the space for the mind, body, and spirit to experience profound shifts in overall health and wellbeing.

1. Meditation

            The first and arguably most important expressive art therapy tool is meditation. Meditation is the art of becoming the moment. Through this, we find a deep acceptance and peace of anything before and after that present, breathing moment.

At first, this practice can seem incredibly frustrating and pointless. Utilizing this method may feel like watching paint dry. But, through patience in this process, great healing is found. How do we start meditating? There are many ways to begin your practice.

You can start by finding a comfortable place to take a seat or lay down. If you find it difficult to sit still, simply begin with five-minute sessions focusing on your breath.

Some time spent meditating each day is always better than none.

There are also resources for guided meditations, Artscape provides these tools to create communities for those wishing to deepen their meditation.

2. Yoga

            The second most important art therapy tool is yoga. An act of expression through postures and life practices, yoga is the source of ancient and most importantly, accessible therapy. Yoga has many forms and integrates well with meditation. While you don’t need to attend a group yoga session to practice, the community always helps.

Artscape provides individuals with this opportunity to experience great healing and transformation through financially accessible community yoga practices in several cities. However, you don’t have to stop there. You can take your practice home as well, and explore what you learned in solitude.

In all its forms, yoga provides a safe place to transform stagnant energy, release old wounds, and the ability to cultivate a deep self-appreciation and for all of life in general.

3. Affirmations

            The third form tool of expressive art therapy is affirmations. We often forget, or perhaps don’t even realize the power our thoughts have over our reality.

What we think, we create. What we focus on, we attract. What we believe, we become.

Neurologically speaking, the brain is always working to create the most effective, efficient way of surviving. If the brain notices a thought taking importance, meaning a thought you focus on, good or bad, your brain will actually begin to wire your neuron pathways to make that more accessible. More readily available. More powerful.

Read also: 10 POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS FOR CANCER CAREGIVERS!

With that being said, it’s extremely important to give priority to healthy, loving, healing thoughts. That is where affirmations come into play. Affirmations repeated throughout your day such as, “I am safe. I am loved. I am peace,” are crucial in rewiring the brain to live at its optimum health.

4. Dance

            The fourth tool of expressive art therapy is a dance. Much like yoga, dance provides an outlet of readily available self-expression to flow through us. Ultimately, this leads to a release of that which no longer serves us, and creates new space for higher vibrational energy to flow through us.

This invokes a rhythm of healing, and with a community all together dancing, this can be one of the most powerful forms of healing and releasing. Dance teaches us to flow with each moment and provides the opportunity to express ourselves through our bodies, which hold all of our painful, stagnant, negative energy.

Don’t be afraid to turn on your favorite song, and just let go. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you afterward!

5. Art

            The fifth tool in our toolbox of expressive art therapy is creating visual art ourselves. Through drawing, painting, coloring, anything that involves creation and freedom of expression is a wonderful tool to have in our healing process.

No, you don’t have to be a professional artist to create art. You simply need to have a story, and everyone has one of those!

Allowing ourselves the time and space to put a pause to our forever busy lives and dedicate thirty, forty, ninety minutes to creating art reminds us of new beginnings. Creating art shows us that we can make beauty out of our pain.

It gives us the opportunity to observe our pains, our stories, and foster a new perspective to our worlds. Artscape also provides this opportunity to express and create with like-minded individuals across cities in India.

6. Journaling

            The six tool in expressive art therapy journaling. Don’t underestimate the power of writing down the madness happening inside your head. Too often we allow these thoughts to swirl around our consciousness, impairing our day and distracting us from the present moment.

When we write everything down going on inside our head, it provides the thoughts a chance to be channeled and released. If you try journaling in the evening, morning, or at any point of free time during the day, you may find yourself feeling lighter after.

That is because you moved energy around, you channeled it into something you can observe and let go of.

One of the greatest forms of healing is through the understanding of what’s going on inside of us.

7. Allow your creativity to flow

            The last, but certainly not least tool of expressive art therapy is allowing your creativity to flow. This may look different for every person, but this last tool is about finding something that sparks your interest. That could be making bracelets, writing poetry, cooking, anything that is expressive and creative.

It’s healing to feel that you have something that is unique to you, a way that you can express yourself and add your special touch to it. Give yourself patience when discovering what this may be but above all,

do not be afraid! Do not fear what others may think, if it’s “cool” or not, what matters is how it makes you feel.

As long as you are not harming yourself or anyone else, you are free to find out what your own special power of expressive art therapy is.

            Artscape is a safe place for you to discover all the tools in your toolbox for the betterment of your healing. From meditation to affirmations, to journaling, to dance and everything in between we provide a community for you to unearth these gifts and share them with yourself and the world. You don’t need to be a master at any of these things to find healing in them. You could have never done any of these things before. The only thing that matters, is your choice to start.

Be your own hero, start your healing journey today!