Centering

I'm often asked, how do mandalas aid in healing? I reply that when we focus and allow our attention to be present, in this case on the circle or center, our minds become centered and relaxed. They are at rest from the constant chatter that our thoughts create. It is why, I begin the mandala workshops with a meditation to help bring the mind into a peaceful & rested state. For those who struggle with calming their minds, creating mandalas can be a tool to help center them and provide a space for calm to enter. Using already designed mandalas are one way to begin to learn how to relax the mind. This way, you do not have to think or worry about what you are going to draw when creating a mandala from scratch. There are many mandala coloring books that provide different mandala designs, which can be photocopied and colored. I recently took a training where I colored in a mandala design using Crayons. The use of Crayons I was told allows us to tap into the child in us helping to eliminate the "shoulds" and perfectionist adult within us.

Here are a few mandala color books to get you started:

Enjoy in peace.

Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book, Monique Mandali

Mystical Mandala Coloring Book by Alberta Hutchinson by Alberta Hutchinson

Coloring Mandalas 1 by Susanne F. Fincher

Creating Mandalas in Sickness & Health

Recently, I was under the weather with bronchitis and a flare-up of a foot issue. Not only did I turn to my antibiotics, vitamens, nasal sprays, tissues, and chicken soup, but I brought out my colored pencils and square paper. It was relaxing and calming to draw mandalas while not feeling much like doing anything else. I wanted to space to let my body speak. I let the pencils lead me and found for that moment in time, my illness was not in center stage. Creating my mandala provided a distraction from my sniffling, coughing and fatigue. I like to call it creative alternative health. Next time you're down and out with a cold, flu or other alment, bring out some paper and pencils and add drawing mandalas to your arsenal of remedies.