I will be going live with a tutorial of how to either color match or to blend using what I call color layering to get the appropriate visual representation of whatever you are attempting to paint. I will do this on Saturday, I hope to see some of you artwork posted up on the previous posting and to hear some feedback from how your tour through breathwork and mindfulness went. Until then I look forward to seeing you all there on Saturday at 12:00pm CST!

🧘‍♂️🍃Meditation/ Mindfulness Exercise: I want all of you to close your eyes take 5 Deep Healing breaths in utilizing your diaphragm as you blow the out all of the restrictions that life puts on you I want you to imagine that you are blowing it out through a straw. (As you do this take note of the weight lifting off of your chest, and the feeling of relaxation that slowly takes hold over your body. Listen to the sounds around you, feel the air on your skin is it cold or hot? Is it windy, calm, raining? What smells can you smell?) 🪞REFLECTION: After you finish this breathing exercise I want you to KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED and say the word PAIN aloud. I want you to listen carefully to how you say it. I want you to feel how that word makes you feel. I want you to reflect on this and then come back here and tell us all your findings. Does it make you sad, angry, frustrated, confused, or are you indifferent? Why do you think that is? ⛹️‍♂️Challenge Activity: Paint an image of how pain makes you feel or Draw one or if you prefer working with clay as a medium use that, it does not have to be good, it does not have to make sense to anyone other than you. We do not explain what we do here. This place is about expression. So express yourself however you choose...... Take a photo and share with the classroom so we can support you on your Journey to Paint Your Pain Away! Basic evidence Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, evoking a complex, multi-layered response across physical, emotional, and cognitive systems. The responses evoked by the experience of pain include: 1. Physiological Responses - Autonomic Activation: Pain triggers the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a "fight-or-flight" response. This includes elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and dilated pupils. - Reflexive Withdrawal: An immediate motor response (nociceptive reflex) is often evoked to remove the body from the harmful stimulus, such as pulling a hand away from a hot surface. - Sensitization: Repeated pain can lower the threshold for future pain, causing the nervous system to become more reactive. 

Shannon.M.M@paintyourpainaway.net

Key Mental Health Benefits •Stress & Anxiety Reduction: The focus on colors and brushstrokes shifts attention from worries, lowering cortisol (stress hormone) and promoting relaxation. •Emotional Release: Painting offers a safe, non-judgmental space to externalize complex or difficult emotions (anger, sadness, confusion) that are hard to verbalize. •Mindfulness & Focus: The act of creating requires being present, quieting the mind and reducing intrusive thoughts, making it a meditative practice. •Boosts Self-Esteem: Completing a piece, regardless of perfection, provides a sense of accomplishment, skill development, and validation, which builds confidence. •Trauma Processing: Art therapy helps individuals process traumatic events by expressing feelings indirectly, which can be less overwhelming than talking about them. •Dopamine Release: Repetitive, creative motions can trigger dopamine release, leading to feelings of joy, focus, and motivation. •Brain Health: Activates multiple brain regions (visual, motor, emotional), improves problem-solving skills, and enhances neural plasticity. HowIt Works •Non-Verbal Expression: Translates internal feelings into external art, bypassing language barriers. •Flow State: Engages the brain in a way that separates you from daily stressors, creating a state of "flow". •Tangible Results: Creates physical evidence of progress and competence, fostering self-worth.

Hi. My name is Anjuli and I live in Bloomsburg, PA. Here’s a watercolor I did last year. I joined to meet people and make friends.