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In The Divine Flow: Mandalas - A key to the subconscious

I Imagine and therefore I create

The visualization of being a magician is a powerful image as seen creating from inside the circle and projecting energy outward

Pin It The lotus is centered around symbols reflecting hidden knowledge and wisdom

Circle of Life reflects the inter-connection of this physical reality and the dimensions between and above

Creating a Mandala is an incredible fascinating process for clearing, creating sacred space, and meditation. Mandalas are used in spiritual practice as ritual objects and as tools to record insights and tell stories. They have also been represented in the form of circular stone structures built thousands of years ago to keep time and were also used as ceremonial centers. The general concept of the word Mandala is "circle." It is a wheel within a wheel representing wholeness and the infinity of our universe. Mandalas are traditionally created and designed as spiritual windows to enlightenment. For many cultures, colored sand and semiprecious stones are used to create Mandalas which depict beautiful imagery of deities, religious symbolism and geometric shapes formed around a center point. Mandalas designs are very detailed with rich vibrant colors.

Centering Spirituality and Peace

A Mandala can have a spiritual and healing affect on the person creating it and those who observe the finished product. The positive spiritual energy creates a sense of calm and peace amidst a chaotic lifestyle and can serve as a refuge from your everyday stress. The gravity at the center of every Mandala attracts and pulls you to connect with your own inner most core your spiritual center and reveals a path to enlightenment. Whatever meaning a particular Mandala holds for you is a source of personal inspiration. You can create your own Mandala to be used for meditation or healing. You do not have to be artistic to creatively incorporate images that are comforting to you like favorite colors and pictures. Gather them together and layout them out in the form of a wheel within a wheel the basic Mandala structure. As you build your collage, add your own creative flare to your design. Do some research and explore the many forms of Mandalas and discover a new path on your spiritual journey.

Process of Personal Discovery and Enlightenment through Mandalas

Creating a Mandala is a process of tapping into your heart, mind and spirit to express itself through imagery, symbolism, shapes, and concepts. I have included three of my own Mandalas with a brief description of what I perceived from its meaning after each were

completed. I personally try to flow with the process, building each layer and adding detail over a period of time. Most of my Mandalas are drawn over a 3-7 day period of time. There are many benefits of using this process: Dream Interpretation: Ever have a recurring dream that you need to figure out, understand or interpret? Working with a Mandala can help unfold parts of the dream that your conscious mind cannot remember and provide clarity for the things you do remember, in part. Start by drawing a circle in the middle of the paper, for right now, dont fill the center with anything. Start working around the circle by drawing, writing key words, and drawing any key images as well. Try not to think so hard, flow with the process. Take as much time as you need, then stop. Return to it when inspired or when more elements of the dream re-surface. Examine what you have done, meditate on it. Dont judge the art quality, focus on meaning.

Problem solving
Release fear and anxiety around an obstacle or situation, by working through the problem solving process while creating your Mandala. Starting with the center circle which represents you, the possible solution or even the problem, begin by drawing a circle while consciously naming what it represents. Start working from a corner, around the circle, or in a design pattern. What speaks to you- circles, squares, rectangles, multi-dimensional shapes, flowers, triangles, etc start working with these group them, spread them out, overlap them. Now step back and observe your process. Do a little more work, stop. Start to use color to define mood, tone, emotion. Do a little more work, stop. Continue until you have completely filled the space on your canvas or paper.

Meditation
I find that using colors while creating a Mandala for meditation helps to define mood, tone, emotion. Start by drawing your circles, squares, rectangles, multi-dimensional shapes, flowers, triangles, etc start working with these group them, spread them out, overlap them. Now step back and observe your process. Do a little more work, stop. Begin coloring the shapes and symbols. Now step back and observe your process. Do a little more work, stop. Continue until you have completely filled the space on your canvas or paper. Mandala Templates The goal is to create a personal Mandala which reflects your own personal spirituality. Make it a personal spiritual quest to open your heart and recognize the spiritual message coming from your spirit and subconscious mind. If you feel intimidated with drawing or dont know where to begin, use stencils to create more uniform patterns of designs or you can download Mandala design templates from http://www.livingwordsofwisdom.com/mandalacoloring-pages.html
This Hub was last updated on June 8, 2010