Collin County Living Well Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 24

Mindful Meditation
The Art of Adult Coloring Books

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By Kay B. Wills

oloring is an activity that we tend to associate with children.
As we age, we set aside our crayons and colored pencils in
favor of more respectable utensils such as pens and highlighters, eventually resulting in the use of tablets and smart phones.
However, coloring books for adults have seen an unprecedented
ascent to the top of the bestseller lists, and as it turns out, can be beneficial in
helping stress through meditation.
Mindful meditation is unique in that it is not directed toward changing our
inner selves, but instead enables us to become more aware of what is happening moment to moment. The sitting practice of mindfulness gives us the
opportunity to be present with ourselves just as we are. This, in turn, can
result in teaching us how not to escape but