Bijou writes... We hear from our community that one of the greatest challenges in recovery and sobriety lies in interrupting the powerful cycle of addictive thought patterns and urges. The Zentangle Method offers an effective and gentle tool in this journey. The nature of the method creates a natural pause... a moment in which the brain is redirected away from craving and toward calm, focused creativity. The practice of putting pen to paper grounds the tangler in the present moment and offers a healthy, accessible outlet for restless or anxious energy. And what makes the Zentangle Method particularly meaningful in...

Jen writes... It is the middle of the night, bleary-eyed, I am double-checking my spreadsheet to make sure I am giving the right medicines at the right time.It is the middle of the night, I am holding her hand, trying to say goodbye, but trying to hold on.It is the middle of the night, I am weeping softly into my pillow, because alone, in the middle of the night, is the only time I can empty some of the bucket of tears inside me.These are snapshots of times in my life. I am a caregiver, not as a profession, but...

CZT Jennifer Marchand writes... Encouraging a State of Flow and an Optimal Healing State As an art therapist, we often use structured creative practices to help clients achieve a state of calm and integration, such as making mandalas. Structured and repetitive creative tasks can support shifts in brain activity away from the fast-paced thinking that accompanies daily life and toward slower, more integrative states associated with relaxation, creativity, learning, and healing.  As attention becomes gently focused on the drawing task, many individuals enter what is often described as a flow state, a state of absorbed, effortless attention. In this state,...