With the terms “mindfulness” and “meditation” appearing all over your screens, especially during these troubled times, some part of you might even be thinking: “nah, I’m good with my stress, just leave me alone in this corner over here with a fidget toy.”

LittlePinkTop will keep things easy for you, not vague or cliché! This article is about a possible creative solution.

First, let’s draw an important distinction.

Mindfulness simply means being aware of the present moment. Formal meditation practices include mindfulness of breathing, the use of mantras or phrases as the focus for meditation, and other techniques.

For many people, neither comes easily. The challenge of relaxing is part of the challenge of life.

What are some other options? Well, adult coloring books once had a trendy moment as a form of relaxation, stress relief, and way to practice mindfulness.

Yep, that’s right, grab your crayon… If you thought that only lazy students doodled, it’s been reported that 26 American Presidents doodled! Theodore Roosevelt — animals and children, Ronald Reagan — cowboys and football players, and John F. Kennedy — well, he doodled dominoes. Don’t believe me? Here’s proof in something called the Harvard Health Blog. They’re a good school, right? 

Now, you can doodle more sustainably without needing to recycle the paper…

With Buddha Boards, you don’t need ink, paint, or any chemicals to doodle. The company sent some of their products over to LittlePinkTop so that we could tell you about this unique method.

Buddha Board was inspired by the Zen idea of living in the moment. All you need to do is dip a brush, included in each kit, into water and serenely place artful strokes on the board surface. The more water you use, the deeper shade of black the doodle will be, and the longer it will last.          

Remember, it’s almost like The Marauder’s Map from Harry Potter: the sketch will appear on the board and will magically disappear as the water slowly evaporates, leaving you with a clean slate. 

And a clear mind, ready to create a whole new masterpiece.

Buddha Board has different sizes for these boards: the Original, which is the largest, the Enso or the medium one, and the Mini Buddha Board, which is so compact, you can just put it in your bag and bring it anywhere that practiced mindfulness might be needed (which is everywhere, technically).

These boards are also great for children! Your kids can doodle all they want, and won’t leave you with any mess, only maybe spilled water. Of course, the art will eventually disappear unless, as a proud parent, you snap a quick picture of it on your phone.

Just remember, when you hold that phone in your hands, don’t check Facebook or Instagram, that’s the opposite of mindfulness!