How you can use Zentangle Meditation

Developing the mindset in which you can begin to take control of your life

I found myself no longer in my twenties — no longer in my thirties for that matter — and in a job that I hated. More to the point, the job was sucking the soul out of me. I knew I wanted to change, but I felt trapped.

It’s not unusual, from what I’ve seen, for people who are stressed beyond belief to lose their grounding. It’s difficult to find help if you no longer have a grasp on the fact that you need it.

You may have found yourself in a similar situation. It feels like you have grown with your employer to the point that you won’t be able to find another job with the same pay. Or benefits. Or a similar situation.

You feel trapped.

What became apparent was Zentangle’s effectiveness at helping participants escape from their normal everyday stressors. — Rachel Immel, BGSU

Open yourself up so that the Universe can communicate with you.

I decided to make a change, in spite of the fact that it didn’t seem possible. I would get up early to do research and to work on my own projects before I had to go into work.

But, I needed something to keep me in a mindset in which I was able to think at all. I tried meditation like my father used to have us do, but I couldn’t get my mind to settle down. Plus, we’d always done guided meditations. I didn’t have a guide.

It’s possible to find yourself worked up into such a state that you can’t find support that you need, simply because everything feels futile anyway. What’s the point?

There is a very good point; it’s just difficult to see. Meditation is a way to quiet the noise in your mind and open yourself up so that the Universe can communicate with you.

Zentangle is a nice bridge.

You can practice the muscles of calming yourself, centering yourself and opening your mind for the Universe to communicate with you. It is a way to begin.

I had seen Zentangle at an art festival one time. When I began to look for ways to help my overwhelmed mind, I remembered talking with that teacher and I searched online for information. Zentangle had been quite the craze, so there was plenty of information. I found a few books that seemed like they’d work for me. (I’ll write their names at the bottom, in case you’re interested.)

Taking the first step to taking control of your life

You will amaze yourself when you realize the mind shift you can experience when you decide to begin even the smallest steps to take control of your own circumstances.

Just doing beginning the search for information made a huge difference, before I even put Micron pen to archival paper. It put me in the position in which I was making the decisions and the plans.

When You begin Zentangle meditation, do it regularly. Any skill you learn takes practice. Do this for yourself daily if possible. You’ll find that it doesn’t take that much time out of your day, and you deserve it.

You can develop the skill of quieting your mind, of allowing the Universe to be with you, and the skill of drawing these little masterpieces. Your goal may not be to draw well; and it’s not a requirement. But, anything you practice, you will improve at.

I practiced Zentangle meditation religiously. I may have neglected laundry, but I took time for my mental health. Once I decided to meditate this way, I was faithful to myself. I never didn’t have paper and pen with me. It may not have been the official tiles, but I was prepared.

Expanding and growing

The small size of the basic tiles are the point of Zentangle, and I still do them. But, after I got used to the patterns, I branched out and did larger cards or pages. You can look online and see amazing art done as Zentangle Inspired Art.

I didn’t get quite there; creating sell-able art was never my goal. But, I did find bigger spaces to fill, I added words that I had heard hundreds of times from my ambient music; words that were like a prayer to me, regardless of what they actually said.

I gave a few as gifts. That felt nice.

Changing yourself can be frightening

By remembering this practice that I had seen at the art festival, by looking for the books and instructions and art supplies, I began to take control over a tiny part of my life, which I seemed to have lost control of. My situation had dictated my decisions for so long that taking even these small steps felt empowering, and a little frightening.

I almost felt like people were trying to catch me in the act of escaping.

The fact is that the mindset shift you’ve made (even before making changes to your life) are apparent to those around you. And their behavior toward you will begin to change. Some will be happy for you and encourage you. Some will discourage, asking ‘what’s the point?’. And some will comment on who is getting all uppity. These are the people who are too afraid to grow themselves.

Take the encouragement; leave the disparaging thoughts alone. You are focusing on you; not changing other people.

This is a powerful place to start

If nothing else, practicing Zentangle can help you remember that you do have control over your life. When the stress is causing the walls to cave in on you, it’s easy to forget that you have the right to your own decisions and your own life.

Your one and only life. Don’t spend it being a victim of your circumstances. This small meditation can put you into the place where you can reach out for help. Where you know what you’re asking help for, and where to look.

This is, though, only a beginning

I’m not going to lie; Zentangle did not cure me. I needed, and still need, a lot more than this or any meditation practice. But, meditating this way put me into a mindset in which I could make decisions about my life that were better for me.

If you are in a dark place, I am not promising that this will make all of your problems go away. But, there is help, and taking care of your mind puts you into a place where you are better able to seek it out.

Validation

If I ever had any doubts about how much this did for me, those doubts were laid to rest one day when I came across a picture I had taken of my journal. The pictures was a somewhat elaborate page of Zentangle design; I had worked on it over the course of many days, one small section at a time.

When I saw the picture, it caused a physical reaction. I felt my muscles start to relax, and my mind fell into the habit of calming down. Just by glancing at a picture.

You can build a small collection of tiles that you’ve drawn. In doing so, you can build a practice that you can fall back on for years, a meditation practice that you can turn to when you need it.

And by practicing every day, your body and mind will begin to respond by relaxing and calming and opening up for the Universe to be with you, all before you even put Micron pen to paper.

Resources:

Zentangle the inspiring and mindful drawing method, by Jane Marbaix. Arcturus

Joy of Zentangle, Drawing your way to increased creativity, focus and well-being. Suzanne McNeill. Design Originals

References:

Immel, R 2020, Zentangles for Mental Health Awareness, viewed 9 August 2020, https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/491

Visit RatherEarnestPainter.com to see more of my writing and art work.