Art Yoga Resource Companion - Whakatau Mai

Welcome to Art Yoga

Art Yoga grew from Dinny and Giulia’s shared belief that creativity and mindful movement belong together. This companion gathers their favourite ways to arrive, explore, and close a practice safely at home. Take your time with each section; the goal is to notice what feels alive in your body rather than achieve a perfect pose or finished artwork.

You deserve unhurried space to breathe, stretch, scribble, and see what stories want to unfold today.

Prepare Your Space

Time: set aside at least 40 minutes so you can move slowly between movement and art prompts.
Surface: a table you do not mind getting messy, or place down an old sheet. Keep a chair or cushions handy so you can shift between sitting and standing comfortably.
Materials: pencils, crayons, or chalk pastels; a sketchbook or loose paper; a cup of water and a cloth for gentle clean up; optional natural materials (leaves, shells, twigs) to trace or stamp.
Sound: choose a playlist that invites calm. Our facilitators recommend acoustic guitar, taonga puoro, lo-fi beats, or silence with birdsong if that is accessible to you.

Before you press play on any music or video, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Notice your breath. Name how you arrived—tired, curious, overwhelmed, hopeful. There is no wrong answer.

Practice Flow

1. Grounding (8 minutes)

Sway and reach: standing or seated, sway side to side letting your arms follow. If it is comfortable, take a gentle reach overhead, then let your hands fall through the centreline of your body as if combing your own energy.
Foot tracing: trace the outline of your feet on paper. Colour in how you want to feel as you move—steady, fiery, soft, planted.
Box breath colour wash: with every inhale draw a line across the page; with every exhale draw a line downward. Repeat until you have a loose grid. Fill the squares with colours that match your mood.

2. Explore (20 minutes)

Shape stories: move your shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees in slow circles. After each joint exploration, draw the shape your body made. Let the page become a map of spirals, zigzags, and pauses.
Mindful gesture: pick one emotion you are holding. Turn it into a gesture—hands on heart, arms wide, head bowed. Breathe there for three counts, then sketch the outline of that shape without lifting your pencil.
Layer and release: add layers of colour or collage over your line work. Each layer is a new exhale. You can cover, reveal, or carve back with an eraser or the edge of a card.

3. Integration (10 minutes)

Resting fold: sit or stand, folding forward comfortably with a pillow or block under your forehead. Feel the back of your body widen. If folding is not accessible, lie on your back with calves resting on a chair.
Three closing breaths: inhale through your nose, sigh out through your mouth. Notice a word that describes your energy now. Write it down somewhere you will see later.
Art share: take a photo of your piece (optional). Title it with the word you captured. Consider sharing it with a trusted friend or bringing it to a peer support session.

Reflection Journal

Use these prompts immediately after the practice or the next morning when your insights have settled.

What sensations were most vivid in my body today? Where did they begin and where did they move to?
Which colours or shapes surprised me? What story might they be telling?
What helped me feel safe? What would I adjust next time (lighting, music, pace, company)?
If my artwork could speak to me, what encouragement would it offer for the week ahead?

You might like to paste your artwork into a journal and add sticky notes over time describing how the image continues to evolve for you.

Micro-Practices for Busy Days

Palette breath (2 minutes): with eyes closed, imagine a colour that matches your current feeling. Breathe that colour in for a count of four, hold for two, breathe out for six. Repeat with a colour that represents how you want to feel.
Thumbprint mandala (5 minutes): dab your finger in paint or an ink pad. Press thumbprints in a circle, turning the page each time. Add doodles between prints. Whisper something kind to yourself with each round.
Snapshot stretch (7 minutes): pick a photo on your phone that captures joy. Mirror the body language you see for one full song, then draw a quick contour sketch of the pose using a single line.

Caring for Yourself Afterwards

Drink water and eat something nourishing. Notice any emotions that arose and reach out if they linger. Our peer support crew is available at [email protected], and you can connect with others in the Whakatau Mai community on social media to share what you created.

More Ways to Explore

Attend the live Art Yoga session in our upcoming calendar to create alongside others.
Pair this guide with the Art Yoga on-demand video in the digital library for additional facilitation.
Browse the Mindful Journaling resource if you would like to expand your written reflections.

Remember: you are allowed to take up space, to make a mess, to cry, to giggle, to leave half-finished pages. Your practice is complete simply because you showed up.