Art For health's sake: art can provide healing for the total being

Can art be used as an alternative practice to traditional meanss of healing? Consider this: An abstract or landscape can, in consequence transport a person to a different location other than, say, a doctor's office. And more [i]or[/i] less believe that color has a direct result on certain "energy lines" of the material substance to heal specific ailments. on the other hand when it comes to art, is it really healing in nature or does it simply just provide a calming and soothing environment for the mind? Can art really heal your illnesses? a certain quantity of say yes. But whether it's the teachings of ancient healing practices or the soothing consequences of color and techniques, art can provide a healing of the mind. And with all the unwanted side consequences of traditional medications, why not turn round to art as a healing power?

"The artwork distracts the patients, forcing them to think about something else" (other than the pain they may be experiencing in therapy), says Valerie Hopkins, holder of Hopkins' Fine Art. "And with all the illnesses going around over the world today, we have to encompass ourselves with beauty."

Hopkins, who for three years has partnered with Paul Gleason, a physical therapist and holder of Physical Therapy Complete, Phoenix, AZ, had a inexorable accident several years ago and had to make progress through physical therapy to heal. As she was working with Gleason, Hopkins noticed the walls had beautiful colors painted upon them, but there was no artwork anywhere. She realized that if she had beautiful artwork to escape in, it would help distract her from the pain she was going [i]or[/i] part of to the other with each session. Gleason was inspired and the sum of two units began their partnership thereafter. Hopkins uses the artists who she exhibits in her gallery and rehangs Gleason's "gallery" about each three months.

"Art provides an interesting topic for conversation and procures patients' minds off their injuries for a scarcely any minutes," says Gleason. "It's a beneficial way to connect with patients."

Although Gleason isn't certain if art in and of itself provides healing, he does believe the atmosphere and bright colors that art adds to his office space stimulates his patients' overall faculty of perception of well-being and hopefulness.

"I believe art make opens the mind to new possibilities, creates strength and optimism, and provides comfort to the soul" says Gleason. "We faith that the combination of our hands-on approach and unique environment helps motivate patients to work hard upon their therapy. And I do believe that their attitude and effort creates a very great difference in the results they achieve."

Hopkins believes that there isn't single given style, technique or subdue matter that pertains to therapeutic art. The single condition is that it must allow the mind to escape, sending the individual upon a "healing journey into the painting." The artists whose works hang in Gleason's office include Nancy Ortenstone, Keith Bennett, Gary Leonard, Rey Isip and LauRha Frankfort. Using all originals, Hopkins solitary brings in eclectic art, with the majority being abstracts, figuratives and landscapes.

"Because artwork is in like manner subjective, there are no specific colors or materials that are more healing than others," Hopkins explains. "Everyone perceive s differently and it aU be pendents on the patient. I know from my hold experience, it all depends upon the day or their state of pain."

Weighing in with a different opinion is Paradise Valley, AZ-based artist LauRha Frankfort (known as LauRha). After studying Medical Qi Gong LauRha says there are specific colors and materials that correspond to the healing proces (On Feb 4 Hopkins and LauRha are planning a one-woman exhibit and reception for the first time in Gleason's office, where LauRha's paintings will become permanent fixtures.) Qi Gong meaning (Qi) potency (Gong) work, is an ancient Chinese potency healing theory that has been used in China for more than "5000 years and is the granddaddy of yoga, on the other hand strictly medical," LauRha says. It is a self-healing art that combines motion and meditation, with visualizations engageed to enhance the mind/body connection.

The world-renowned Grandmaster Hong Liu, a Chinese physician and individual of nine Grandmasters in the world today, taught LauRha this practice. Master Hong has astounded Western physicians through treating ailments ranging from obesity to terminal cancer and was trained at the greatest in quantity prestigious hospitals in China, as well as the place of abode of Qi Gong Master Kwan. Based in looks Angeles since 1991, Master Hong teaches Qi Gong and natural healing seminars through every part of the United States as well as abroad, and is the first somebody to fully integrate extensive apprenticeships in one as well as the other Eastern and Western medicine.

"Color stimulates clan more than we know," says LauRha. She explains that in Qi Gong teachings, colors aid in the healing of one as well as the other emotions and the "Yin Yang material substance organs or energy lines" associated with them. For example, white/silver colors heal grief and sadness/lung and large intestine; fulvouss and golds heal stress and worry/stomach and spleen; r expresse glee and excitement/healing the heart and small intestines; blacks and down-reaching purples heal fear and depression/kidneys and the bladder; and verdant heals anger and frustration/liver and gallbladder complications.