Water-Activated “Buddha Board” Encourages Calmness – Review

The water-activated Buddha Board is supposed to help you focus on the now. And having used it for a couple of days, I can share that it does offer a unique way to promote calmness in your life.

I was provided with the three Buddha Boards mentioned in the article for free to review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

We take mental health quite seriously at The Geekiary. Everyone has their preferences when it comes to destressing. Talking about myself, sometimes I like to read a book, listen to an audiobook, or go out for a walk. Sometimes I binge-watch YouTube videos without really paying attention. However, more often than not, I find myself picking up a pencil and doodling away. So, you can tell why I liked the convenience offered by the Buddha Boards.

The concept behind using a Buddha Board is easy. You simply place the board in front of you and then only use water to draw whatever you want on said board with a paintbrush. The self-drying board will make the painting slowly fade away and you will be left with a blank canvas to draw on again. There’s no need for any paint or ink at all. And even if something spills, it’s just water.

I was provided with three Buddha Boards. And I tested all of them.

The ‘Original Buddha Board’ measured 12 inches high and 9 inches wide with a 1/4-inch thickness. As of writing this, it will cost you $37.95 USD.

The package also included a plastic stand which also had room to store water. The stand had a groove for you to place the bamboo paintbrush (included in the package). There was also an instruction manual that went over how to ensure the board remained protected and lasts you a very long time. I don’t know what the board’s actually made of. But it’s supposed to be quite sensitive. So, make sure you don’t scratch it. Even oils from your fingers can potentially ruin it.

Coming to how it worked, simply pour some water into the stand and place the board on one of the two grooves. And you are ready to draw after wetting the soft-bristled paintbrush.

The darkness of your painting will depend on how much water you use. Getting the hang of balancing the amount of water and the pressure you needed to apply didn’t take long. And once I understood how to move the paintbrush, I realized the ‘Zen’ part of the Buddha Board. There’s just something about seeing the way the strokes appeared on the board and then slowly faded away.

You can easily keep on doodling on the board for hours or practice your calligraphy. You can even pretend you are living in the fictional world of Avatar The Last Airbender and start drawing the tribe symbols or try mimicking the alphabet from your favorite Asian show.

Check out the video below to get a better idea of what I’m talking about!

As for the two Mini Buddha Boards, the ‘Black’ version and the ‘White’ (Special Mindfulness Edition) version, both came in at 5 inches high, 5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick. These portable units included a small paintbrush as well as a small depression for storing water. In contrast to the bigger version, these units basically folded onto themselves to offer you an in-built stand. The Mini Buddha Boards are $17.95 USD each.

The mini boards performed the same as the larger board. All you need is a paintbrush and some water to begin drawing. However, in my opinion, drawing on the mini boards didn’t feel as satisfying as drawing on the larger unit. There’s just something calming about being able to go for longer brushstrokes on the larger board. Also, I didn’t find the smaller paintbrush to be the best. Even if you want to use the mini board, I would still recommend using a larger paintbrush.

The Buddha Boards are about experiencing the present and being okay with letting things go. However, if you feel like you have somehow created a masterpiece on the canvas, you can always take a picture from your smartphone because the drawing will fade away!

The no-mess water-based nature of these boards makes them perfect for all ages.

So, if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, you can go ahead and get Buddha Boards from the official website.

Have you used a Buddha Board before? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

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You can check out some of my digital art over at the AJ Raven Redbubble store. Profits from sales help support The Geekiary.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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