Have you heard of Zentangle?

The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.

Rick and Maria, an American couple, discovered Zentangle and developed it into a course so that others could learn this different path to creativity and meditation.

They also train others to teach Zentangle. One of their students is based in Chennai where she has been practicing and teaching Zentangle for five years.

Sandhya Manne's eyes light up as she explains her art.

Text: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com. Production: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com

I have grown up across India. I have always been interested in art and colours. I did not study art. I have a master's degree in commerce. I got married early.

I used to paint at home when my kids were small. It didn't give me any monetary benefit, but it kept me occupied.

Zentangle is a meditative art. We take pen and paper and we create repetitive patterns.

Then we put them together to create abstract art. That is the art part of it.

The Zen part of it comes in when you are doing it.

As you concentrate on the lines, your mind is full of only those lines.

You are in the present. You don't realise that you have spent an hour on it.

That is where the meditative part comes in.

You have forgotten all else at that time when you are drawing those lines.

My husband was posted in the US and we went there with our two little kids.

I heard about this class that was being conducted and being an artist I joined immediately.

That one class changed my life.

Unlike my paintings which need canvas, oil paints, brushes, a stand and so many other little things, this needed only pen and paper.

And when my child needed my attention I could just cap the pen and attend to her. Unlike oil painting where you need to block a solid 3 hours to work.

I started creating regularly and my self confidence grew.

As my self confidence grew I started participating in exhibitions where I used to put my Zentangle work and also my oil paintings.

When you are making lines continuosly you will realise that you forget everything else, so engrossed will you be in the pattern you are creating by drawing the same lines again and again.

I can prove that you are meditating by just telling you to change the pattern mid way.

It will take a couple of seconds for you to stop doing that and doing what I am telling you.

You will then realise you lost yourself in that work.

I enrolled for the teacher's class and then started conducting my own classes. For the teacher's training course I paid $1,800.

I got certified in 2011 and started taking classes there. It was still new in the US. In 2013 we moved to Chennai.

After settling down I started classes in 2014. I passed the word around through friends and also posted it on Facebook.

Now I regularly get students. This is not a monthly course.

The first session is 3 hours long and after that you are ready to go as a beginner.

There are more sessions where I teach advanced and new techniques.

I cannot certify teachers here, that only the founders in the US can do.

My class has 13 seats and now when I announce a session it is houseful.

The beginner's session -- 3 hours long -- costs ₹2,000. The advanced classes cost ₹1,700 per session and I give them a kit.

The idea behind Zentangle is to make people believe that they can do what they thought they could not do.

It is art and meditation.