Journey Drawings: Art as Medicine
It is culturally relevant through ancient practices to meditate on a on a single point Trāṭaka in sanskrit. The single point can be a small object like a stone in your hand, a black dot, or a candle flame.
To meditate and contemplate with the eyes open is to be present with the world concurrently to merging one's energetic self with the infinite. Deep breathing lowers the heart rate and blood pressure while slowing and unifying brain waves. Meditation is literally pain management.
The intention is to use an interdisciplinary approach, visual meditation practice, creativity and journey, to access self-healing and inner wisdom, symbolism, learning, soul story and to access mental and physical healing.
Choosing a Journey Drawing healing approach allows you to access wisdom and healing power, meditation practice, creative life force, and color and pattern as a metaphor.
According to the belief system of ReM(i),
everything in existence, including animals, plants, rocks, and rivers, possesses a spark of the Infinite that can be interacted with. Being in nature lowers anxiety levels, gives a deeper appreciation of or world, slows the breath rate to match nature, and is evidenced based by many scientific studies.
This belief extends to all forms of human creative expression, which is why ReM(i) uses stones and plants to symbolize humility and growth. ReM(i) values the journey more than the end result. Every emotional contribution and story helps fulfill your intention.
Trust that you will be guided to what you need, even if you're not aware of it. Roadblocks and dead-ends can lead to new opportunities. Stay present in each moment and let go of expectations to gain awareness and health benefits.
The page on this website titled The Work outlines the iconography which comprises the meditations for ReM(i) or REalistic M(i)nimalism. The cross-cultural and relevant tools of Kabbalah led ReM(i) to create a shorthand for our physical manifestation of our communications with the Infinite.
The stone is bittle which translates to humility, the bucket is a vessel representing the heart or an individual, the green plane represents the lowest level of the worlds and so on. Please see that page for a more in depth explanation.
Evelyn P.
“You have a special soul and such good generous energy. May you continue to spread light and love to people, and be a messenger of healing to the world”
Meditating while viewing art can be a profound experience and have a restorative result for both the mind and the body.
Modern science reports that many people report a busy mind or a monkey brain, where the mind is restless and uncontrollable, when they sit down to meditate.
The mind, like the body is in constant change and aliveness. The mind never disengages even in states of coma, there is energetic and dream activity. The goal is meditation is to quiet the mind, and not necessarily come to nothingness.
When meditating on a work of art, either in a museum, an office, or walking down the street and window-shopping: rid yourself of distractions, enter into the present moment wherever you are with whatever the work of art is, notice the art in front of you - the colors - shapes and textures - even if it is not abstract there is abstraction of the reality - be with the art, once you've noticed the details allow your eyes to scan the work again observing details that you missed the first time around - nuances and take a different path with your eyes than you did the last time, if the first time you viewed the work of art from the top left corner to the bottom right - now choose to start at the bottom and work your way up, once you allow yourself to be with the artwork you are in meditation.
This type of meditation could lead you to other forms of a daily meditation practice where you are able to engage in a seated position. Seated meditation is not the end goal, any spiritual ceremonies can be considered a meditative experience.
Reducing negative thoughts
Meditation can help reduce negative thoughts and physical pain, in people who focus on their fears. This is not surprising, as meditation and therapeutic arts have evolved to include the perception of pain being both mental and physical. There is scientific evidence supporting the effects of meditation on mood and healing.
In addition to meditation, there are other beneficial effects for quieting fear-based thoughts, such as those derived from psychology and neuroscience. Emotional awareness is often closely related and can be selected based on individual needs, especially when dealing with intrusive thoughts. Here are some science-based techniques to quiet the mind.
When feeling stuck, try changing your perspective by tilting your head. Ask yourself what comes next and listen for an answer. Follow each impulse with your eyes and keep going until you have a new feeling. Take a break and ask yourself again.
Focusing on a work of art as a whole is an Open Monitoring rather than a Focused Attention form of meditation. When the mind wanders simply bring it back to your breath and the work of art again and again. Rather than reacting to thoughts observe them momentarily with curiosity and then let them go.
The process of "spiraling out and in" involves alternating between focusing on details and taking a step back to see the big picture. Pay attention to which parts of the painting captivate you and which parts you may overlook or feel disconnected from. Use your intuition to guide your exploration and continue until you discover at least one aspect of the painting that you appreciate and feel content with.
Debbie D.
“Thank you so much, Elanit this is the ray of hope we needed! It has been beyond stressful, there’s a huge need for more care with nowhere to go.”
Visual meditations allow individuals to be in the present without the pressure of a seated meditation pose, silence and other constraints. If viewing the art in public, the sounds of the street, or people going by are also a soundscape for the visual meditation. This soundscape is a complimentary sound bath to you, a gift from the Infinite. Gustav Klimt said “Art is a line around your thoughts." Allowing our eyes to rest in a soft focus allows us to look within.
Site specific art and installation art that is large enough to envelop the person, allows us to experience our being as well as art in a new way. Envelopment can be humbling or create a sense of weightlessness in the expanse of the universe. People will also spend time meditating with a mandala or the Kabbalah tree of life. This is a visual meditation similar to meditating on the chakras or energy centers.
ReM(i) gives clients the opportunity to send in a personal journey story or a mental health question via email. "No words" can be the best advice on topics ranging from relationships, emotional struggles, to dating and parenting. The question and writing style can be likened to a Dear Abby, Ask Erin, or your favorite advice column.
In 200 words or less the story should be told or the question asked, and a custom work art aka Journey Drawing, will be sent via jpeg image with a watermark for your meditation.
These works of art, like the above meditations, can be used for visualization. Because they are the client's personal story, it will help them along in whatever transition they are looking to make. Journey Drawings are Art as Medicine.
Art As Medicine Shop
Should you want to purchase the artwork
The Journey Drawing is mandala-like and utilizes ReM(i)’s universal (i)conography to help you visualize change on your journey to healing. Your Journey Drawing will be included both here on the website and in the Shalom New Haven Publication. Should you want to purchase the artwork:
A giclee (print) of this painting is available for $350.
The original artwork will also be available for $2,800.
It is not necessary to hold onto or to own this work of art yourself. Like ReM(i)'s practice of non-attachment in Stitch #7 of The Bucket and The Stone, possibly you view the work of art and then let it go. Possibly it is for someone else to hold space for your journey.
In life, as we live in community, sometimes it is others that can hold space for our emotions. Artists make work, they allow the feelings and emotions to become embodied in artwork. The collector then chooses to hold and admire this emotional and artistic expression. ReM(i) includes the community in the creation of art making.
Much like the Tibetan Monks who make sand mandalas only to sweep away their work, clients can allow the feelings to leave, pass and be elevated through art, and into someone else's home.
The mandalas are swept away to communicate the impermanence of existence, and sand is released into water to spread healing throughout the world. The impermanence of these sand mandalas symbolizes the transitory nature of our lives and beings.
The act or making a Journey Drawing brings value to the emotions themselves. The emotions are of value simply in the present tense through being, and now have added value as art.
The act of art making also manifests the three levels of intellect: a spark, the wisdom drawn down and the actionable thought on a material plane. Sharing our feelings through speech, touch and artwork is a kind, transparent and loving act, bringing a quality of humanity to our daily life.
Symbols such as the dot, or yud from Kabbalah relate to the symbols of mandalas. ReM(i) employees the universality of its iconography to touch as many people as are looking to become self healers, and maintain tools for the mental health upkeep. More about the The Work on the corresponding page of this site.
Mandalas originate in Buddhism and they were produced in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia and date from the 4th century to present. These symbols and their identifications are harmonious with ReM(i)'s iconography:
Dot: everything is one, the yud or most concentrated of the Infinite
Circle: wholeness, integrity, unity
Horizontal line: Divides up from down, the earth and the sky. With ReM(i) depending on the number of lines represents the levels of the world where the story is taking place.
Vertical line: connection between worlds, energy. Divides right and left. You will see in many drawings lines originating from the top right corner of the Beis Samech Dalet, explained on The Work page, and transitioning down the page in tsimtsum (or contraction of Infinite energy)
Cross: two lines meet and form a center. Recognition. You will see in many of the drawings that paths cross, or lines cross at intersection.
Triangle with the vertex pointed upwards: aspiration, energies pointing upwards, in the direction of the spiritual sphere. In many ReM(i) drawings buckets leap upwards or plants with energetic lines following
There are additional symbols with the mandala which can be easily found but are not relevant to the work of ReM(i).
Request a Journey Drawing
I’m excited to artistically answer your question through a Journey Drawing.
About the Author
Elanit Kayne Linder has achieved wide acclaim for her books on topics such as personal healing, EDMR and aging with grace. Her books have been top-sellers in the self-help genre and she has been referred to as a bestseller by numerous publications.
Her writing has inspired countless readers to take control of their lives and find joy in their everyday existence. Elanit’s passion for helping others is evident in each page of her work and it is easy to see why she has become so widely respected in the industry.
ReM(i) provides self-care tools for upkeep. Visit our YouTube Channel for more.
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