Mandala represents one of the oldest ancient symbols and has powerful meaning. The mandala plays a central part in the spiritual life of many people and this time we will talk about this very interesting and popular topic.
Mandalas are symbols that on the most basic level represent wholeness, balance, unity, and harmony. Mandalas are built in special ways and each mandala has a special meaning.
Today, mandalas are popular widely in the world and affected many other beliefs and tradition all around the world. Mandalas portray the spiritual teachings of many other religions and sciences as well as their concepts such as psychological balance(Jungian psychology), cosmic order (Taoism), Christian indoctrination, the impermanence of life of the Navajo Indians etc.
There is an interesting bond between Carl Jung and mandalas. Father of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, himself drew mandalas to aid his self-growth. Every morning he would sketch a circle in his notebook, and within it he would draw what he felt reflected his inner situation.
As he wrote in his autobiography: “Only gradually did I discover what the mandala is … and that is the self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious.”
However, Jung’s interpretation of the mandala is only one of many interpretations. In Tibet, for example, mandalas are created as meditation aids for the Buddhist monks who design them.
In Islam, mandalas are created purely for devotional purposes, and in celtic paganism the mandala represents the three worlds of body, mind and spirit. Mandalas have always played important part in the simple everyday lives of our ancestors.
You can and should draw your own Mandala! It is simple, easy and enjoyable. It’s always a good time to raise your creativity levels and do something useful for your spirit. Learning how to draw your mandala is a special and unique process that defines your individuality and has a strong absorbing and meditative effect to your mind and soul.
By drawing your own mandala you are entering another level ofconsciousnesss and unleash your inner artist. It’s also impressive the fact that you can produce deeper insights about life itself and your own being, on all levels of existence.
In this article, we teach you how to succesfully draw your mandala.Before you create your mandala you will need a few materials:
- A piece of paper or visual diary
- Pencil, permanent marker and eraser
- Optional: ruler, compass and protractor for drawing lines and circles (otherwise you can draw them organically by hand)
- Optional: coloring pencils, watercolor paints or oil pastels
- Get comfortable — find a quiet and undisturbed place where you can relax. Being interrupted might cut your creative flow.
- Create a purpose — in other words, what is the intent behind your mandala? Do you want to simply express your unconscious mind, or do you have a more specific intention such as creating a meditation aid? Perhaps you might even want to creatively express feelings such as anger, love or gratitude?
- Draw whatever comes to mind using a lead pencil that can be freely erased. You might like to use a compass, protractor and ruler … or free-hand draw your designs.
- Mandalas are all about symmetry, so it helps to split your page into two. Whatever you draw on one side, draw on the other. This creates balance.
- If “mental chatter” enters your mind, stop, breathe and let it pass. Once you’ve reconnected with your creative juice, you can continue drawing.
Once you’ve finished your mandala, you may like to think about coloring it in. Different colors have different meanings, so choose what colors resonate with your intention. Here are some examples:
Yellow for joy and happiness
Orange for self-awareness and creativity
Red for energy, passion and strength
Pink for femininity, love and gentleness
Purple for mystery and spirituality
Violet for insight and intuition
Blue for healing and peace
Green for nature, groundedness and connection
White for purity, truth and consciousness
Black for shadow work and power
Most importantly, your mandala needs to be soulful. Don’t concern yourself too much with making it look “correct” or perfectly symmetrical. We use our analytical left-sided brains too much in daily life! Let your mandala art be free flowing. This way you’ll enjoy creating it much more and it won’t be a source of perfectionism or stress for you.
Here is a short instructional video:
