September 26th, 2015

It was a little surreal to just sit and relax this afternoon after being in a constant state of motion all week, but I did make myself take some time to recharge. I ended up doing a page in a Japanese brocade-pattern coloring book that my mom sent me in the mail.

Complex patterns like this, as well as mandalas and similar, are great tools for active meditation; that is, if you find it difficult (as I sometimes do) to calm your mind just sitting still, then coloring is a good way to center and focus while still doing something.

Now, I wasn't doing this as a meditation today. Instead, I sat watching some YouTube videos by other Pagans and just generally trying to expand my knowledge base. Still, in the future, I may very well use it as a meditative technique. I may also cut up a page or two and paste smaller drawings into what I've decided to call my Scrapbook of Shadows, especially if I need decorations for pages on Shinto deities, practices, etc.