Meditate As You Doodle

India’s first certified Zentangle teachers Malathi and Dilip Patel are spreading the therapeutic benefits of the art form, reports Chitra Ramaswamy.

- Chitra Ramaswamy

Meet Malathi and Dilip Patel, India’s first certified Zentangle teachers. Tell them you “can’t draw for nuts” and they will put you at ease. “Anyone can draw a dot, line, loop and curve,” elaborates Malathi. “Combined, these symbols unravel endless patterns, each of which is unique in its abstractness. Once you start drawing, the process will absorb you and you will be amazed at what you are capable of.

Zentangling is an art form believed to possess the therapeutic effects of meditation. “There is no pre-planning and no post-judgement of a Zentangle creation,” Dilip tells us. “Take your pen for a walk and allow the pattern to reveal itself to you. And while you, artist or no artist, draw consciously, the final outcome is generally an unexpected pattern.”

The word ‘Zentangle’ is derived from the Japanese word ‘zen’ for meditation and English word ‘tangle’. While the process bears resemblance to doodling, to Zentangle is a conscious activity, unlike doodling. A mere 10 minutes spent Zentangling is found to relax the mind, relieve stress, improve focus, increase attention span, improve hand-eye coordination and enable general mindfulness.