Mandalas

Written by Becky Riley Olin, LCPC, MT-BC

I have been drawn towards mandalas lately, seeking them out in nature and in my everyday environments alongside creating them as time and space allows. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle; it encompasses circumference, perimeter, and center. Mandala has become a word that is synonymous with sacred space. Their very presence in the world reminds me of the sacred and divine in the universe and in oneself. The circle with no beginning and no end is a symbol for the eternal whole which contains time and space. Jung stated that the mandala is the archetype of wholeness, relating it to the Self. The mandala is one of the image archetypes that often emerges spontaneously when people are in the healing process, either in artwork or in dreams. Jung used mandalas as a tool to explore the unconscious. Jung would present his patients with a white sheet of paper with a pencil-drawn circle on it and a box of oil pastels. The directions were, “Surprise yourself.” Creating mandalas promotes the use of intuition and sensing. We can see our strengths and challenges/difficulties within the context of life’s cyclical nature. We know or sense things at a deeper level than before. I like to use Jung’s original directions when I work with mandalas. If you prefer a bit more structure to this process, here are a few step-by-step directions to get started on creating your own mandala:

It is recommended to quiet the mind and focus on your breath for a few minutes before getting started.

 Take a piece of paper or whatever size feels right to you.

 Draw a circle in the middle of it – you can use a large dinner plate as a template if you don’t have a compass.

 Take a set of colors, sit in front of the circle, and relax.

 Let yourself be drawn to a color and start with that.

 Follow whatever imagery comes up, in color, line, form, or image.

 Trust your intuition to tell you when you are finished.