I have been doing art for fun and relaxation and as my previous posts have said this has helped with pain relief. Apparently doing this art has helped in more ways than temporary pain relief; it has helped me chill on a regular basis. Last Friday I had a serious asthma attack and just happened to have a doctor's appointment. Normally when I am having an asthma attack and go into the doctors I am hyperventilating, my blood pressure has been at stroke level and generally there is no doubt of the severity of the attack except because I am hyperventilating my O2 level is usually not to bad (but that is real bad because when I get tired of hyperventilating my blood gases are REAL bad, I've heard doctors swear in the hall as they read my blood gas report). However this time my blood pressure was normal, I looked and acted normal and I was NOT hyperventilating, unfortunately my O2 levels were low due to my lack of hyperventilating. The PA who examined me was startled when she listened to my lungs and couldn't hear breath sounds in the bottom of my lungs. She has been treating me for years so she knows me and my lungs and reactions very well. She was very pleased with my more relaxed reaction, despite the lower O2, as it tends to keep the attack for getting more severe. Very good for me!!!!
Today, I had to be driven through Atlanta to a doctor on the north side and for the first time my blood pressure was normal when I got there. The meditation aspect of the Mandalas, zendoodle, and photo-edits just for fun has certainly made a difference in my physical well being as shown by my recent doctor visits. I am becoming more and more a firm believer in the benefits and importance of adding art to my life. To making it an absolute priority!
Now I would like your help and suggestions- please leave comments here or on my e-mail. I have a daughter that gets real stressed at college and a couple of years ago for Christmas I did up an art tote bag to keep her art supplies in, so they were always handy, organized and ready to go, so she could do her watercolors, relax and decompress. She does not use very often. How do I convince her of the benefits that can come from taking the time to use it when she does not feel that she has that kind of time? I would appreciate any help I could get, maybe personal experiences. Thanks
Johnina :^A
2 comments:
I think all you can do is tell her how much art helps you to de-stress. Then let it go. Like the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Hi Johnina,
Thanks for visiting my blog as it gave me the opportunity to find your blog. So sorry to hear you deal with chronic pain. I've been dealing with a lot of body pain myself over the past six months and tests are still in the works. I'm glad that art has helped with pain relief although I'm not surprised. When I focus on my art, I go into a zone where hours feel like minutes and my pain eases too. I believe we make a connection with our Inner Being whilst 'in the zone'....it's similar to meditation.
As for your daughter....like Debra said in her comment, it's very hard to make someone do something they don't want to do. Just tell her how much it has helped you and that it is a wonderful way to relax and de-stress. Good luck.
Btw, you have a lovely blog and I really like your mandalas. :)
Love, light and peace,
Serena
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