How Art keeps Us Healthy
Here we talk about how art keeps us healthy.
A beautiful picture evokes a smile. A funny TV show makes us laugh. Wearing bright colours gives us energy and a feeling of happiness and light. On the other hand, a dark and gloomy day makes us feel lethargic and distant. We associate wearing sedate and darker colours to funerals. We see the news and feel despondent.
Colour (sight), scent, sound, taste and touch all arouse feelings or limbic reactions in the human body. It is through the senses that we can assist our health. The world of art contributes to our perception of the world around us. Art may include a painting, a photo, a TV show, an opinion piece, a live show or even a restaurant meal.
What you feed your senses, will create a ripple effect on your health, your mood and your perceptions of the world around you.
We have all heard of art therapy or music therapy. Many of us see that as something for others to participate in.
Your life is busy, your day to day tasks pile up and getting through life and keeping your health on track are of great importance. We live in a ‘status quo’ society. If life isn’t coming to an end, many of us don’t see that changes need to be made. Having said that changes can be incremental or small. The term ‘use it or lose it’ needs to be said at this point.
When we cut ourselves off from colour, scent and sound that makes us feel happy, light and connects us to our values, we begin to slide into depression, illness and apathy. Flexing our creative and appreciative muscles helps keep us healthy.
Many studies have been done to show that creative expression helps maintain our immune systems and that art is clinically proven to reduce stress, elevate mood, and lower blood pressure. Our appreciation of art (living, static or creative) directly correlates to the health of immune system, our limbic system (emotional) and our circulatory system. All systems of the body work in sync with each other. This means that a healthy immune system, for example, will encourage a healthy lymphatic system, and so on.
A simple form of art therapy that you can begin with today is to go outside. Look at the leaves or budding flowers on a tree. Look in depth, not just at the bigger picture before you. Study the intricacies of the plant. Study the colours, the movement patterns or even the scent as you look at the plant. Focus solely on this vision, invoking your other senses. Does the plant have a scent? What does it feel like? Does it make a sound? Is there a creature living in it that makes a sound? If you are watching an edible herb- hat does it taste like?
So that is how art keeps us healthy. Congratulations, you have begun art therapy. Maybe you have paints or pastels at home or the office? Try drawing how you feel or painting it. Sometimes, just getting your emotions on paper with colours and free of rational thought, will help you release your trapped emotions.
At Wholistic Natural Health Australia, our coaches utilise a range of techniques. This includes some in depth but freeing techniques such as Emotional Freedom Technique. We look at where the emotional charge came from, maybe a repression of sorts. By using art therapy as described previously, you can begin to release these emotions and this will help all the systems of your body. Of course., art includes music. Maybe you’re an 80’s child. Your favourite tune comes on and you find yourself beaming. When you hear that tune, connect with it. Embrace it and free yourself from stress (even if only for that 3-4 minutes). This will begin your art therapy and help you clear the stresses of the day away.
When helping clients, we look at every point of their wellness including the precursors to any disease process. What does that mean? Well, we investigate the root causes of illness. How does art therapy come into this scenario? The most debilitating precursor to illness is STRESS.
Art therapy, even going outside to look at a plant or dancing to your favourite tune, will help alleviate stress. Stress itself is known to help destroy your immune system. Once the immune system is under fire, it enlists help with misguided messages from the other systems if the body and before long- you don’t feel well. Your energy plummets and disease processes begin.
We see people from all walks of life and at every stage of healing. With great certainty, our therapists can tell you that art truly does help us stay healthy. That appreciation of what makes you happy is truly a great instrument to gaining health and inner happiness. To find out more about how art makes you healthy, contact our team today for your complimentary health strategy session or Book now.
