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It is said,“It’s not stress that kills us; it is our reaction to it”. The same way it matters that how we react to our stress and then stress attacks accordingly. The life we are living has lots of ups and downs, and so a healthy mind is what we aspire for but had to struggle to get it. With Love in association with PatnaBeats organised You - With Love Session 2.0 on the theme- De-Stress yourself through Art on Sunday, 28th July 2019.
In the first session, the taboos related to mental health were discussed; an interaction was done on self –love and self-care. Stress management through mandala art activity was the basic motto behind Session 2.0. The event was handled by the three facilitators –
Ms.Farheen Rashid, Mental Health Social Worker
Priya Ranjan, Artist and Art Trainer
Dr Shubham Shree, Psychiatric Social Worker
The session started with an introduction by the three facilitators who talked about stress, mental health and how we deal with stress. Priya Ranjan gave the introduction about Mandala and how art forms help to release stress, she even shared the history of the mandala- the way it formed and was used to manage stress.
“Mandala is an art form, where you can draw numerous geometrical figures inside a circle. The color you choose and the figures you draw depict the way of the person you are. You don’t need to be an art enthusiast to practice mandala for stress management; it is just a way to remove all tensions from head and focus.”
“Art gives you a kick start to observe everything with a new perspective. You can explore your skills or capabilities through adopting art”, Said Dr. Shubham Shree from the facilitator panel.
The session moved further with the activity in which Ms Priya Ranjan gave representation of mandala art , the way to draw it and how a circle holds various geometrical shapes and designs within. The activity was led further by distributing a sheet of paper and a pencil to each participant and let them feel light by drawing a mandala. The experiences were shared about how focused they were while drawing a mandala.
‘Stress is not always a bad thing. It can actually have some positive effects. Good stress also called “Eustress” keeps us feeling alive and helps us stay motivated. It is important to become aware of stress and identify the factors that cause your stress because stress is a normal part of life. We cannot avoid stress but we can learn how to manage it.”.- Farheen Rashid, Curator of With Love.
When Self- care tips and stress dealing interaction indulged the participants in which they came forward to discuss reasons of stress and anxiety-like- death in the family, being abused, relationship issues, employment issues, financial issues etc. It is also important for us to know our strength. We find it easy to note down 5 weaknesses on a paper but it becomes tough for us to explore our strength.
Aastha, one of the participants shared her experience of visiting a rehabilitation centre where the people with mental illness are not treated well, the psychiatric treatment is not given on time.
Maqsood Warsi said, ” Being an artist I know how art gives words to your feelings and release stress. I am an introvert but I use my way to art to express and speak what is in my head. This session was a fruitful visit, I am looking forward to more With Love sessions.”
“It’s a different kind of event that never happened before here in Patna, I think we need to create awareness about mental health & why it’s important just as physical health, by these kinds of event, we can make a good change. Also, it’s good for all kind of people, no matter about their age, gender, profession & culture, mental health discussion should be a common thing in our society & other places. ” said Ranu Singh.
All the participants ended with a note that they expect more such sessions in the city. Patna Beats congratulates With love for bringing such good initiative in Patna and make people talk about mental health.
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Quote of the day- “The greatest weapon against stress is relaxed breathing.” ― Amit Ray