It took me a moment to figure out what this was.
My niece recently gifted me a meditation board, also known as a Zen meditation board or Buddha meditation board. At first, I didn't know what it was for, but soon realized it was a calming way to doodle with water.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
What is a Meditation Board?
The meditation board is an easy and creative way to relieve a little stress and practice the "art of mindfulness." It encourages one to clear the mind, keep thoughts in under control, and focus on what is happening in the now.
While there are many techniques to practice mindfulness, art inspires a creative outlet that allows one to explore their creativity.
After using the meditation board for a few days, I found that it is best used for quick doodles to break up the monotony of chores or tasks.
Package Contents
The package contents included:
Meditation drawing board
2 traditional bamboo brushes
2 water brushes
Water holder/stand
User's manual
The board is ready to use and needs no preparation. Use a wet brush to draw directly onto the board. Dark lines will appear on the board for each brushstroke made.
There are three round brushes and one flat brush. The brushes are different sizes allowing for varying stroke thickness on the board.
The two water brushes have a squeeze barrel for housing water. These brushes eliminate the need for a container of water.
The stand serves as a water container for wetting the traditional bamboo brushes if preferred. There is a pair of groove cutouts for propping the board upright vertically or horizontally. There is another pair of groove cutouts for resting a brush not in use.
How to Use
Below are the steps for using the meditation board (adapted from the steps provided in the user's manual):
Place the board vertically or horizontally into a pair of groove cutouts on the stand.
Fill the stand with no more than a half inch of clean water.
Dip the hairs of the brush into the water.
Start drawing with water on the board!
My Thoughts
When I first unboxed this unexpected gift, I had no clue how to use it despite the helpful instructions in the user's manual. I watched a helpful short video to learn how to use the meditation board.
Because my house is dry, my water art evaporated faster than expected. At first, it irritated me. I wanted to draw more detailed art on the meditation board. Instead, a simple circle would begin fading after a minute.
Eventually, I treated my meditation board as a 'quick doodle board' instead. I stopped focusing on creating more detailed art and focused on doodling in the moment for the heck of it.
Before long, I realized the water brushes worked better in the drier climate that is my house. Water art on the board did not evaporate so quickly. I was able to appreciate my doodles a tad bit longer.
I put the water brushes in My Daily Travel Art Kits and left the traditional bamboo brushes with the stand. The water brushes would be great to use for watercolor painting in my car.
By changing my mindset, I started to appreciate this gift greatly. It was calming to stop whatever I was doing to spend a minute or two to doodle. This would have been nice to have on my office desk at the workplace to doodle in-between meetings or while I was listening into a teleconference.
I originally intended to place the meditation board on my desk but forgot about it on my kitchen counter after my initial use of it. The next day I walked out to see my Dad adding his own doodle to the meditation board. He excitedly called me over to view his stick figure masterpiece.
My meditation board now resides on my kitchen counter for my Dad and I to doodle on when we are in that space. We use it several times a day, more than I anticipated. In fact, I figured it would sit on my desk going unused for weeks. I am glad I was wrong about that.
What's Next?
I recently just completed making my own DIY travel paint palette. I'm still drafting my blog post and editing the accompanying YouTube video, so check back next week to see how it turned out!
Can you see yourself using a meditation board for creating doodles? Comment below to share if you think this is a good way to practice mindfulness.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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