Integrating Art Therapy and Yoga Therapy. Karen Gibbons
inhibited in other activities.
Making art also shifts a person’s focus away from repetitive patterns of thinking by introducing new tactile experiences and new decisions to be made. The tactile nature of art materials engages proprioceptive awareness and allows physical shifts that may be soothing and relaxing. There are multiple decisions: choice of materials, colors, shapes, line quality, positioning and so on. Self-esteem and executive functioning are bolstered by the mastery inherent in making satisfying decisions.
However, the greatest benefits derived from art making in a therapeutic setting are the result of the therapist creating relationships, applying their skills and considering the qualities of art materials and imagery in relation to various client groups. Art therapists are experts at matching benefits to needs.
Yoga
Yoga was developed up to 5,000 years ago in India as a comprehensive system for well-being on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. While Yoga is often equated with Hatha yoga, the well-known system of postures and breathing techniques, Hatha yoga is only a part of the overall discipline of Yoga. Today, many millions of people use various aspects of Yoga to help raise their quality of life in such diverse areas as fitness, stress relief, wellness, vitality, mental clarity, healing, peace of mind and spiritual growth. (Yoga Alliance 2014)
This is a beautiful description of yoga today, given by the Yoga Alliance, a non-profit professional organization in the United States, which registers yoga teachers after they have completed training at approved schools. Typically, the many styles of Hatha yoga have become established as an influential teacher develops a particular point of view and gains many followers who find their method effective. This is the case for Iyengar yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Kundalini yoga, Forest yoga, Anusara yoga, Integral yoga, Sivananda yoga and others. In this way, the various styles of Hatha yoga commonly practiced in the West might correspond to theoretical approaches in art therapy. Yoga has affinity with art therapy in that it is most efficacious in promoting wellness when the yoga instructor applies their knowledge and training with skill and sensitivity to the people and situations in which they are working (McCall 2007a).
The various styles of Hatha Yoga have in common that those who practice them find specific gains. According to Yoga Journal (McCall 2007b), yoga improves flexibility, strength, circulation, oxygenation and may lower cholesterol. Documented emotional benefits include stress relief, reduced anxiety and improved self-control and concentration. Yoga studies have also shown increased serotonin levels, which may correlate with higher levels of happiness (Danhauer, Mihalko and Levine 2009).
Yoga therapy
The effects of yoga on the relaxation response and stress relief are well known (Benson and Klipper 2000). Similar to art making’s ability to create a shift in brain functioning, yoga techniques cultivate activities that elicit calm and focus. In Yoga Chikitsa, Dr. Bhavanani (2013) states:
Yoga is the science and art of quieting the subconscious mind, a way of life, skill in action, union of thought-word-deed, integration at all levels, the science of conscious evolution and the method to attain as well as the state of emotional and mental equanimity. (p.210)
While yoga is not usually thought of as a mental health treatment modality, it does have that role for some yoga therapists. One of the antecedents to modern yoga is Yoga Chikitsa, which can be translated from Sanskrit as yoga therapy. Traditionally, mental and physical health were equal components of the holistic health that the yoga practitioner would seek. Yoga Chikitsa is an individualized approach to personal health, which might include yoga poses, mudras and compliance with other yogic practices (Bhavanani 2013). The one-on-one approach with which yoga was practiced traditionally grew into varied approaches, which might be more familiar to Western yoga practitioners. Now it is more common to find classes where the instruction is not modified for individuals but instead the class members adjust to the teacher. Yoga therapists value the time-honored approach of working one on one, or if they lead a group they modify the practice for the individuals present with knowledge of their health status.
In more recent times, yoga therapy has become a profession with certification and accredited schools. The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) supports research and education and has worked since 1989 to establish yoga therapy as a healing profession. Specialized training at IAYT accredited schools is required for certification. The training prepares the practitioner to work with any health problem by treating the whole person using yoga techniques (IAYT 2014).
Mudras
Mudras are sometimes referred to as “yoga of the hands.” Mudras are simply hand gestures that are used in all cultures. We all use hand gestures in our everyday lives and can acknowledge the power of a clenched fist, folded hands, or shoulders shrugged with palms facing up. The use of hand gestures culturally and religiously is universal. The effect of the gesture is felt in the body and may be so strong that it effectively communicates the feeling to others. The word “mudra” can be translated as “seal” or “attitude” (LePage and LePage 2013). In yoga, mudras have been used for health in the body, emotional balance and spiritual devotion for thousands of years. Here, we will focus on mudras that are traditionally recognized in Hatha yoga.
In the Hatha yoga tradition, mudras are understood as “energetic keys” to yoga’s insights, which may be integrated into all levels of our being (LePage and LePage 2013). The shapes made with the fingers direct the incredible energy of the hands. The hands and fingers are capable of assuming many shapes, and thus mudras are a means of accessing many possibilities for potential healing. In Hatha yoga, the fingers are each associated with one of the five elements. The thumb is linked with the fire element. The index finger represents the air element. The middle finger is associated with ether or the space element. The ring finger corresponds to the earth element and finally, the pinky or little finger is linked with the water element. These elements are said to be the components of the universe and, therefore, by manipulating the fingers we can awaken “core qualities” in each gesture and begin to use the shapes as vehicles for uncovering our own inherent positive qualities (Menen 2010).
Mudras can be performed at any time. In fact, you might like to try Hakini mudra right now. Bring your hands to face one another in front of your navel. Then allow finger and thumb tips to meet, each meeting its same finger on the opposite hand. Hold the shape loosely open, as if your fingers were around a ball. Relax your shoulders and notice any shift in feeling. Many people will notice a sense of wholeness or integration. If you gave that mudra a try you might begin to notice that the more still and calm you become, the greater the effects of the mudra. This is why mudras are ideal to couple with meditation (LePage and LePage 2013).
Meditation
Everyone has an idea of what the word “meditation” means to him or her. Meditation is defined by Merriam-Webster (2014) as:
1.to engage in contemplation or reflection
2.to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.
Many forms of meditation offer techniques to transform the mind. Some popular forms of meditation are mindfulness, a Buddhist tradition, also known as Vipassana. Zazen is a Zen Buddhist term for seated meditation. Transcendental meditation involves the use of a mantra; while Kundalini meditation is often paired with kriyas, or actions, which are meant to carry energy upwards in a person’s energetic body. Qi gong uses movement and breath to circulate and direct qi, or energy. Guided visualization is a technique whereby a person is guided to focus on an imaginary environment. Trance-based meditations are practices where awareness of one’s self and environment are suppressed (Bair 2010).
Different styles are appropriate according to what you wish to achieve. Some meditators simply want to relax. Some would like time to contemplate their thoughts, others would like to slow down their thoughts and focus on being in the present. Some use meditation as a way to find clarity around emotional issues. The purpose of meditation in the context of this book is to aid in customizing a practice of yoga and art therapy for an individual or a group. This means that the focus will be on an intention that is used as a mantra, or repeated phrase. Seasoned meditators who have used a mantra will find