Masha Tsigal: “Art therapy is an excellent remedy for insomnia and not only”

______________________________

I have been practicing yoga for 12 years, I do not only yoga exercises, but I also read many books on this topic. You can relate to Eastern philosophy in different ways, but there are several interesting facts. In the spiritual practices of Hinduism, the psychoenergetic centers of the human subtle body are often mentioned. These are the points of intersection of channels through which energy flows. Each is responsible for certain aspects of human physiology, psychology and energy, blocking any of the chakras leads to health and mental problems. The name of the chakra “svadhisthana” is translated from Sanskrit as “abode”, “I”. The chakra is also known as the second, sexual or sacral. The sphere of “responsibility” of svadhisthana is sexual energy, creativity. If svadhisthana is well developed, harmonious, a person is able to enjoy life, feel joy, create, love. If a person does not know how to enjoy life and resorts to artificial “dopings” and “stimulants” (for example, he drinks a lot of coffee, chocolate, alcohol), this indicates an imbalance in Swadhisthana. In fact, it is through svadhisthana through the energy of creativity that one can and should balance one’s body. Creativity perfectly aligns the internal state, gives a surge of strength and confidence. When a person is creatively satisfied, he does not seek dubious pleasures and meaningless partners. During creative activities, an adult can feel like a child who knows no worries. In such a light state, it is easy to spend many hours, forgetting about all the troubles and even stopping internal dialogues.

When I teach upcycling classes with children, despite the fact that the class lasts 3 hours, the children immerse themselves in creating new outfits from old ones. Sometimes they do not even want to be distracted by drinking tea with sweets. I understand them perfectly, the creative process is addictive and so pleasant that I don’t want to leave this magical state even for the sake of proven joys like sweets. Creative activities involve the right hemisphere of the brain, which is used very little in the ordinary life of an adult. Creative activities keep our brain in good shape and push back the processes of aging and withering of nerve cells. In both adults and children, creative practices develop creativity. And creativity, in turn, consists of several very important skills.

Originality is the ability to come up with unique ideas that no one has thought of before.

Perseverance – often creativity requires effort to achieve the desired result.

Imagination – creativity makes you turn on your imagination to the maximum.

Creativity is wider than any arts and crafts. It is a way to interact with the world and solve problems. Therefore, the ability to think creatively is so valued in the modern world, because it helps to look for non-standard ways to solve various problems, and this is one of the most important skills.

In modern psychology, there is a special direction – art therapy or creativity therapy. It is a method of psychological work through creative self-expression. Our inner self is reflected in images, art therapy helps to realize and let go of suppressed difficult emotions, to find a solution to an “insoluble” problem. You don’t have to be able to draw or have outstanding artistic talents to practice art therapy. The healing effect comes from the creative act itself. You get the opportunity to express all the variety of intricate feelings, thoughts, emotions that overwhelm you when you draw, sculpt, dance, needlework. Thus, you reach a state of relief, harmonize yourself. After that, clarity comes when you can safely proceed further. The works you create suggest solutions to problems, and sometimes they are very non-standard and effective. I consider upcycling and design to be useful therapy as well. When I do upcycling and design with people who have never done it, everyone has a lot of fun. They connect to the flow of my energy and by the end of the class they create cool things. The main benefit of creative pursuits is to find inner peace. Creativity can be done both in a group and alone. Everything depends on the mood.

By the way, I recently read somewhere that such a hobby as needlework helps to normalize sleep and allows you to get rid of disturbing thoughts. I agree with this. When I come back from the studio where I’ve been drawing, sewing, upcycling all day, I feel happy. I get tired, because I spend a lot of energy, but this is a pleasant tiredness. Creativity is my job and maybe that’s why I don’t have trouble sleeping.

Remember how in your childhood you loved to draw, craft, build, weave, etc. something. You can do it now. Your inner creator is a small child. Give him a chance to prove himself. Just do not set limits, restrictions, goals. Let it be a spontaneous process, create as little children do, playfully. Do this regularly, not occasionally. You will be amazed by the results. The decisions that you will make in life will become creative, you will begin to notice new opportunities, you will be able to bring into the world something that you still find it difficult to formulate, and it will be something new.