World Origami Day: How practising origami aids mindfulness

Tracing its origins to Japan origamimdashthe art of folding papermdashis practised across the globe for decorative and ceremonial purposes Its growing popularity across the globe eventually led to November 11 being observed as World Origami Day Whether itrsquos a paper plane or boat many of us have tried our hand at this humble art formldquoWhat drew me to origami was its simplicity You donrsquot need special tools or paper Just use what you have access to and this is where the appeal lies whether youre a master or a beginnerrdquo shares Himanshu Agrawal a Mumbaibased origami practitioner with an experience of over 30 years Under his studio Orukami he creates bespoke sculptures art installations and conducts workshopsOver the course of his multidecade practice Himanshu Agrawal experimented with large sculptures He created this 20 feet deer in 2015 Photo credits Himanshu AgrawalorukamicomWhen asked what fuels his drive after all these years he says ldquoWe can never know everything about a subject I try to constantly challenge myself I find my practice to be extremely peaceful and truly believe that I didnrsquot choose the art but it chose me I donrsquot even think that Irsquove to fold today I have an impulse to fold even if I have a few minutes freerdquoAgrawal isnrsquot the only one who finds his practice meditative Known for aiding fine motor skills development and supporting mental concentration among kids the art form is also known to be a soothing and calming activity for adults ldquoIn India there is a perception that origami is only for kids not grownups I feel origami has a childlike wonder but is not childish Many people who dedicate enough time and practice can reap the benefits of being truly mindfulrdquo shares AgrawalThe art of origami is associated with feelings of calmness and is often found to be therapeutic by practitoners Yogi by Himanshu Agrawal Photo Credits Himanshu AgrawalorukamicomDuring the pandemic several people turned to hobbies to occupy themselves and cultivate mindfulness in their lives While some turned to baking or gardening others turned to art forms such as origami ldquoMindfulness is the ability to be present with our moment to moment experience with nonjudgment compassion and awareness We can be mindful while walking bringing awareness to the steps or our surroundings How mindfully we do any activity or partake in a hobby can help us in gradually rewiring our brain to be more focused relaxed and creative in generalrdquo explains Geetika Arora a certified mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy life coachNeha Kalra a 27yearold finance professional works long hours at her demanding job Arora has been setting aside a couple of hours a week to practise some basic folds and uses that time to recenter her focus to the present ldquoI have ten tasks to complete on any given work day and my mind is always racing Simply working with my hands allows me to zone out and just focus on the paper at handrdquo Kalra says that not being obsessed over the final result but enjoying the process has helped her concentration levels ldquoThe experience is different from different aspects of my resultoriented life and is liberating I sincerely hope I keep doing itrdquoPracticing any activity mindfully can help us in gradually rewiring our brain to be more focused relaxed and creative in general says mindfulness expert Geetika Arora Photo credits Geetika AroraWhen asked what makes origami an effective mindfulness tool mindfulness expert Arora explains ldquoOrigami has been studied as a tool for children for many years in the Japanese culture to develop creativity visualisation skills and concentration It is a great mindfulness tool that can be adapted for adults to cultivate the same skills of lsquofocused attentionrsquo Origami requires the individual to immerse into the art form with all five senses bringing a heightened moment of awareness in the present ndash the cornerstone skill of mindfulness For those who struggle with resting the mind on the breath during a meditation the movements of the hand the visuals of the folds the tactile sensations of the paper can be a wonderful way to train the lsquomonkey mindrsquo to rest on these sensations and the object being created With the peaceful craft it becomes a meditation by itself encouraging the letting go of selfjudgement or perfectionismrdquoTanya Saluja is a Mumbaibased media professional who struggles with anxiety The 32yearold was introduced to origami by a friend during the pandemic and she hasnrsquot looked back since ldquoI have struggled with anxiety for years which got exacerbated during the pandemic It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to practice mindfulness When a friend suggested origami I was sceptical After about three years I can safely say that I could never imagine that something as simple as folding paper would be so therapeutic for me Sometimes I play soothing rain sounds in the background which helps me keep any other thoughts at bayrdquo shares Saluja Also Read How a little art therapy every day keeps the heaviness away