The Mandala (Sanskrit for “circle” or “completion”) has a long history and is recognized for its deep spiritual meaning and representation of wholeness. Buddhist, Tibetans, Native Americans, and Hindus are a few that have included the Mandala’s in their art and their lives.
The “circle with a center” pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy.
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung has called it the Mandala “a representation of the unconscious self.” The mandala is widely recognized as a meaningful reflection of its creator. Native Americans used Mandala’s to uncover the deeper meanings of our hearts, and assists in observing our motivations in life in connection with the grander scale of the universe. In every part of our world you can find Mandala’s as part of man-kinds history. Is coloring a Mandala a form of unstructured therapy ? It’s amazing if you look on the web all the pictures there are with Mandala’s. You can incorporate them almost anywhere if you want.
Many people find meditation difficult to attain even though the benefits are well documented. When were kids and our parents wants us to engage in a quiet activity often they would pull out the crayons and paper. In an essence they were introducing us to Color Therapy. When your coloring, the focus of meditation is easily attained through the activity of coloring itself. Coloring is a way you can quiet the mind, listen inwardly and open up to higher knowledge, bring healing into your life and tap into your creativity. This alternative to formal meditation practices can help people of all ages in recovery, improve coping and awareness skills through an enjoyable activity. I wonder was this the intention when Mandala’s were being creative to have a focused activity during their meditations or was it for the artistic work ?
Don’t just stop at coloring try adding some soothing music. I always find it interesting when coloring to take a look at the finished product and review what colors have I used. Color itself can give us so much insight into our subconscious.
The next time you find you can’t pull yourself out of a bad mood or want to share in an activity with your children/or perhaps with friends pull out the markers, crayons or coloring pencils and have some fun. This link gives you wonderful Mandala options that can be downloaded: http://www.free-printable-mandala-coloring-pages.com/free-mandalas-to-color.shtml
