Mandala Monday – Making Your Own Mandala Designs by Cat Williams

5 mandalas by Atmara Rebecca Cloe

Although Mandala designs began as part of a spiritual ritual in Buddhism and Hinduism, it has gained popularity in the western world for use in meditation. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung described it best when he referred to Mandala designs as a “representation of the unconscious self”.

Always in the shape of a circle, Mandala designs symbolize the universe as an orderly, harmonious whole, free from chaos. The main idea of Mandala designs is to help replace the negative energy from your life by focusing your energy on the positive. Creating your own personal Mandala designs can help soothe trauma, and coloring them in with your favorite colors can bring a peaceful state of mind, replacing negative thoughts.

Some find it helpful to write words within the mandala circle, such as Healthy, Kind, Compassionate, etc. It is so easy to slip into a negative mind frame, especially if you are surrounded by negativity on a daily basis. Creating your own Mandala designs and using them as part of a meditation session can bring your mind and soul back into a state of positive love.

For example, you may have suffered the loss of a job and had to settle for a less paying and less prestigious position. That has to sting. You may feel worthless and inadequate, and find your new boss to be a pain. But it is a job and you will get through this. Telling yourself that over and over again may not be enough to overcome the negative feelings. Of course that’s just one scenario that life can throw our way. We face obstacles and let downs on a daily basis. Using mandalas and meditation together is a simple and easy way to regain your positive outlook on life.

You might try working on some mandala designs that use words that focus on the positive aspects of your job. Of use words and imagery in the designs that focus on your future job. Using specific colors will also help creative a more positive state of mind. Bright blue reminds people of strength, yellow means sunny, and lavender is a relaxing, soothing color. Some words you might incorporate into your mandalas are STRONG, GRATEFUL, and SERENE, depending on what you’re meditating on.

There are thousands of mandala designs you can find online if you don’t feel like making your own. There are mandala calendars you can purchase. There are coloring book mandalas, mandala posters, downloadable, printable mandalas, etc. Mandalas are everywhere and for good reason.

Situations occur in life all the time but your ability to deal with them makes all the difference in your spirit and mood, and mandalas can help you get rid stress and negative feelings.

Cat Williams is a freelance writer and advocate of creating your own mandala designs for use in mediation and as a healing tool. To learn more about the benefits of mandalas, see her website at Self-Help-Healing-Arts-Journal.com.

Article courtesy of GoArticles.com

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I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

Mandala Monday – Meditation and mandala healing for mental health by Cat Williams

4 mandalas by Atmara Rebecca  Cloe

Mandala healing is not one of the most well known forms of alternative healing. However, the integration of a mandala image into a meditation session can certainly boost the effectiveness of the process. That is why the concept of mandala healing deserves a closer look.

Meditation has long since been used as a means of promoting proper restorative mental health benefits. When a person meditates, it becomes possible to calm and relax the mind. This can put an end to much of the psychic noise that is present within the deep recesses of the mind. Now, this is not to say that meditation alone will cure all mental and emotional ills one may possess. Yet, it can definitely help in many regards towards calming the mind and allowing the healing process to take place.

Some may have certain preconceived notions as to how meditation is performed. They will often look at meditation from the traditional perspective of performance in the Zazen position. While this is most definitely a helpful means in which to perform meditation, there are various other ways meditation can be performed effectively. For example, walking and moving meditation is quite popular and so are two-person meditative drills as well. Then, there is also the lesser known process of integrating mandala healing into the process of meditation.

In traditional Zen meditation practices, koans are used to enhance the meditation process. Koans are parables without clear meanings that are meant to be pondered. With mandala healing, a painting or other artistic image or symbol is what is to be pondered upon.

What exactly is a mandala and how is it possible to integrate its symbolism with mandala healing? It is a circular diagram that originated in Hinduism and has found its way into Zen Buddhism. In time, the mandala was heavily integrated into tantra meditation practices. In the most simplistic terms this involves looking into the imagery and outside of the natural world. In essence, you will look beyond yourself and into the mandala to fully maximize your meditative experience.

So, where can you acquire a mandala? This is the fun part: you can make one yourself. No, that does not mean you need to be the most talented artist in the world or even possess a modicum of artistic skills. You simply need to have the basic ability to craft a decent mandala based on words and symbols that are meaningful to you.

When you meditate upon mandala imagery that you have created, you will be doing so in a highly personal manner. That will allow the mandala healing process to achieve its highest level of perfection since it has been deliberately tailored to your specific needs and goals. This will greatly enhance the entire meditation process and make it far more effective.

Try out Mandala healing by creating a simple circle and filling it with a word or basic symbol that has meaning to you. Color it in with your favorite colors, taking time to enjoy this creative process. Then when its done, tape it the the wall, sit comfortably and meditate on your new mandala for 15 minutes. You will find yourself feeling refreshed and calm and thats what mandala healing is all about.

Cat Williams is a freelance writer and advocate of mandala healing. To find more info on the benefits of mandalas, go to her website at Internet Marketing For Newbies Review.com.

Article courtesy of GoArticles.com

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I look forward to your thoughts and comments!