Have you ever thought of doodling and coloring as a spiritual practice? Many studies have found that doodling and coloring produce similar brain results as meditation.
I recently came across a 2014 article from UU World by Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum, minister of the Universalist Unitarian Church of East Liberty in Clarklake, Michigan, about her spiritual practice of Zentangling. Over a year, she created 100 Zentangles with the UU chalice as its central theme. She says, “I find it remarkable that restricting the format—always a chalice, and always in a box or in a mandala . . . is a way of pulling in my thoughts, freeing me from getting distracted by what I want to do with the design, as I focus instead on the repetitive strokes that make up the individual patterns.” Also by focusing on the chalice she was reminded of our UU values and principles and connected to her faith. Like journaling or meditation, doodling and coloring with intention can be a spiritual practice. Doodle on!
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