Today's book reviews may not be on weighty topics, but they can be serious about improving health and sanity--or so say the authors of adult coloring books. I'm not big on coloring, but I do have any number of other creative projects filling my days. It seems that the publishing industry has just recently discovered that adults like coloring just as much as children do, and some recent studies have revealed a number of benefits of the arts in general.

What I like about these three books from Special Ideas.com is that they provide more than just nice designs to color. They include meditation on a virtue while engaged in the activity, instead of just mindless doodling. (Not that I'm knocking doodles; they have already proven their inspirational usefulness for generations.) Doodling is clearing the mind and being open to whatever speaks to us. Meditative coloring allows the mind and soul to absorb and integrate the virtue illustrated graphically.

That could be heavy stuff, but really, coloring is fun. No reason fun can't be educational, as well, right? Check it out and let me know what you think of the latest article from the Baha'i site at BellaOnline.com -- in the forum or email.

Coloring - Tool For Meditation
Review of three new coloring books from Special Ideas.com. Done with mindfulness, according to the authors, coloring can be good for mind, body and spirit!

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art301653.asp

And last week's article advice on ways to avoid burnout could include spending some time with your fav coloring book and pretty pens!

Avoiding Burnout
Burnout is so common that it is now the norm for populations in industrialized countries. Here is some of the preventive guidance I have found within the Bahá'í Faith.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art301620.asp

Do visit bahai.bellaonline.com for more articles on ways to change the world through improved parenting, education, and tools for character building, plus links to the sacred texts of the Bahá'í Faith. You don't have to rely on only my understanding, when you can go straight to the source!

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Cheryll Schuette, Baha'i Editor
http://bahai.bellaonline.com

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