{"id":9919,"date":"2022-12-23T19:39:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T19:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/?p=107691"},"modified":"2022-12-23T19:39:25","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T19:39:25","slug":"looking-to-deepen-your-yoga-practice-break-out-your-crayons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/23\/looking-to-deepen-your-yoga-practice-break-out-your-crayons\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking to Deepen Your Yoga Practice? Break Out Your Crayons"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re trying to keep your yoga skills fresh, there is no shortage of workshops, Zoom classes, and yoga books<\/a> you can try. But if you\u2019re trying to learn a new skill\u2013or polish up an older one\u2013you may want to break out the crayons. Two new coloring books (yes, for grownups) promise to help you deepen your understanding of yoga\u2013both the physical practice and the philosophy.<\/p>\n

Adult coloring for stress relief<\/h2>\n

When adult coloring became a trend a few years ago, it was presented as a nostalgic way to relax and relieve stress. I jumped on the bandwagon and bought an elaborate mandala book and a box of colored pencils that contained every color in creation. I\u2019ve always had an artistic bent and I thought it was a way to wake up my latent skills. The promise of calm was a bonus.<\/p>\n

But trying to follow the intricate patterns and stay within the lines triggered a life-long perfectionism<\/a> that I had no desire to re-awaken. For me, it was more tedious than relaxing.<\/p>\n

Instead I bought a regular kids Tinker Bell coloring book and an 8-pack of Crayolas. I sprawled out on the living room floor and was immediately transported back to second grade\u2013and an uncommon sense of calm.<\/p>\n

How coloring can help you learn<\/h2>\n

As it turns out, the relaxing nature of coloring doesn\u2019t just help your stress level; it can make your brain receptive to learning. Researchers found that participants who colored a mandala<\/a> for 20 minutes were calmer and more content than participants who were asked to read a passage of text. But they also saw an increase in creativity<\/a>, which allows people to approach complex problems from a number of different perspectives.<\/p>\n

Coloring can also offer a playful and artful way to help your brain lock in new information. In education circles, there\u2019s a concept called multisensory instruction<\/a>. The idea is that when you\u2019re trying to embed a new or complex concept, or remember detailed information, it may \u201cstick\u201d better if you engage more of your senses. Coloring counts. The texture of the paper, the waxy smell of crayons, the vivid colors register in different parts of your brain. Color<\/a> in particular is effective in helping you learn and remember information.<\/p>\n

Of course, no two people\u2019s brains work the same; we all learn in different ways. For some people, having a hands-on experience may be less effective than reading about yoga. Coloring might be an especially helpful approach for people who are creative and respond to images or color. These new coloring books take advantage of the creative and cognitive benefits<\/a> of coloring to help you take your yoga skills to the next level.<\/p>\n

Color the Sutras<\/h3>\n
\"Cover
(Photo: Blu Lotus Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Coloring Book Series<\/a><\/p>\n

by Rebecca Polack<\/p>\n

Based on the belief that \u201cwisdom unfolds from play,\u201d author, illustrator, and yoga teacher Rebecca Polak created a series of coloring books that translates the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali into images. There is a book for each of the four chapters: Book one covers the Sam\u0101dhi P\u0101da, the chapter on meditation; book two is the S\u0101dhana P\u0101da, the chapter on practice. This month, Polack released the Vibh\u016bti P\u0101da, the chapter on special powers. The final chapter\u2014on Liberation, the Kaivalya P\u0101da\u2014is forthcoming.<\/p>\n

For each of the 196 sutras, she has composed a page with the sutra in Sanskrit, as well as the English translation, in a hand-drawn font. The words are surrounded by images of animals, flowers, and plants in an intricate tapestry inspired by Madhuban\u012b, a folk art form found in northern India. Polack presents this \u201cpurposeful coloring\u201d as a departure from traditional ways to study, and calls it a transformational practice.<\/p>\n

$21.95 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Yoga Anatomy in Color<\/h3>\n
\"Cover
(Photo: North Atlantic Books)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Anatomy of Yoga Coloring Book: Learn the Form and Biomechanics of More than 50 Asanas<\/a><\/p>\n

by Jo Ann Staugaard-Jones<\/p>\n

There are plenty of excellent anatomy books on the shelves\u2013and most have elaborately detailed pictures to illustrate the parts of the body. But If you are spending time coloring in the muscle or tracing the line of a tendon to its attachment, you may remember the information more vividly.<\/p>\n

The book contains more than 50 full asanas, as well as anatomical drawings of body systems\u2013nerves, fascia, muscles, skeleton, digestion, and respiration. There are even pages that cover the chakras<\/a> and the subtle body, as well as movement and planes of the body. At more than 200 pages, it\u2019s as detailed as any yoga anatomy book. The difference is that you get to make it yours.<\/p>\n

$19.95 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Get in touch with your inner child<\/h3>\n

If you, like me, need a super low-stress coloring option, try a yoga coloring book for kids<\/a>.  There are several on the market\u2013most illustrating simple poses. While they may not help you learn the sutras or brush up on anatomy, lying on the floor with a fresh pack of crayons may re-awaken the carefree child in you.<\/p>\n

\n

Tamara Jeffries is a senior editor at Yoga Journal<\/em> who loves both books and art.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Looking<\/figure>\n

Two new adult coloring books offer a fun, effective way to advance your understanding of anatomy and philosophy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post Looking to Deepen Your Yoga Practice? Break Out Your Crayons<\/a> appeared first on Yoga Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,35,36],"class_list":["post-9919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayurveda","tag-blogs","tag-yoga","tag-yogacourseware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}