Art as therapy: body maps

A body map is good as a check in – it’s a way to pause and notice: where are you right now, how are you feeling, and what might you need? If you do these regularly, you might find you start developing your own visual language, with different colours and symbols showing up as different things happen and you feel differently throughout your life. This can be really useful, as can help you to notice patterns you might not be aware of otherwise.

1. Draw the outline of a person on your page – as big or as small as you like, with enough space inside to be able to draw on. There’s no right way to draw your person outline. Mine usually look something like a wonky gingerbread person.

2. Take a moment to check in with yourself. If closing your eyes helps you to go inwards, you might like to close them, or just soften your gaze a little. Check in and notice how you’re feeling. You might like to explore how you feel:

   • Mentally – how’s your mind? Busy? Quiet? Anxious? Curious?

   • Emotionally – what are you feeling?

   • Physically – are there any parts of your body that you notice? If you’re noticing pain or tension, are there any places that feel more relaxed?

   • Spiritually – are you feeling connected to something greater than yourself, in whatever way resonates with you?

3. Intuitively, without thinking about it too much, represent how you’re feeling on the page. You have 100% permission to draw outside the lines – most of my body maps have a whole lot going on around my body shape as well as inside of it.

4. When you feel done, take some time to look at what you’ve created, and see if your image has a name or a word that goes with it. The first one that pops into your mind is usually the right one, however silly!

   Here are a few questions you might like to consider:

• What is your image telling you?

• Is there anything it wants you to know?

• What does it feel like, seeing a snapshot of how you’re doing there on the page in front of you?

• Is there anything you might need or want to do for yourself, after this check in?

If you decide to give this a go and have any questions or curiosities - feel free to send me a message, I’m happy to answer them for you.