8 Mind-Body Benefits of Art Therapy

Art therapy, and in particular, coloring books are one of the simplest and easiest ways to

revolutionize your life from the inside out. Here are the eight major benefits of picking up a pen or pencil and drawing, coloring and scribbling away:

1. The perfect mindfulness meditation practice

One of the best ways to train yourself to be mindful is through art therapy. Coloring takes time, patience, focus and undivided presence. If you want to be more mindful and conscious in your daily life, therapeutic practices such as coloring are the ideal “training ground.”

2. You become intensely grounded

The action of sitting down, picking up a pencil or pen, and connecting with a page is an intensely grounding act. Coloring brings you to the here-and-now, the present moment. As such, it helps you to become centered again by "drawing" you out of the mind.

4. It's a catharsis for the unconscious mind

Expressing your unconscious mind will help you to heal at a core level from issues such as repression and suppression of thoughts and feelings. Art therapy gives you a safe place to express all of your unacknowledged fears, hopes, and dreams. 

5. You can experience momentary glimpses of spiritual awakening

Because art therapy is a deeply absorbing practice, it often leaves you in a state that Zen philosophy describes as “no mind.” Coloring and drawing help you to access that timeless realm that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes as “flow,” and that spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle describes as Being. This state, which exists beyond thoughts, is a deeply spiritual experience.  And art therapy can help you to access it.

6. More inner peace (and less anxiety and stress)

Numerous studies (such as one conducted in 2014 and 2006) have shown that art therapy helps to significantly reduce stress and anxiety by soothing certain areas of the brain.

7. Relief from depression

Art therapy also can contribute to reducing depression and improve our quality of life. Studies (such as one conducted in 2007 and 2009) show that those at risk of developing or currently struggling with depression experience less intense feelings and improved states of wellbeing.

8. Your mind becomes sharper and more focused

There’s evidence that coloring and art therapy help certain parts of our brains, such as the prefrontal cortex, become better at making decisions and improving our overall mental functioning.