Mandalas for Self-expression & Healing

Mandalas for

Self-expression & Healing Ashmi Sheth

Artist | 3D Animator | Art therapy

Mandalas – Meaning & History

¥ Hindi word derived from Sanskrit meaning ‘circle’

or ‘centre’

¥  Found across cultures – used for meditative and

contemplative purposes

MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiShethMandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

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NativeAmericanIndian

Navajo Islamic

Arabic

Aztec

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The circle ¥  Circles suggest wholeness, unity, the womb, completion and eternity.

¥  According to Gestalt psychology, simple, closed forms, such as circles, are

more quickly perceived and recognized as meaningful (Kohler, 1992).

¥  universal symbol for spiritual growth

¥  visual form of meditation; help individuals to focus inward

¥  Creating a circle = sacred action

Each person’s life is like a mandala—a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life.

~ Pema Chodron


Self-expression

5

¥ In psychotherapy, mandala is believed to be a reflection of self – inner self.

¥ It is used for insight, healing, and self-expression in a circular design, reflecting

the wholeness of the person creating it.

¥ The use of mandalas as a therapeutic tool was first mentioned by Carl Jung (Jung,

1963)

¥ According to Jung, mandala is a perfect symbolization of the Self – a symbol of

individuation. This process of individuation involves a striving towards wholeness.

¥ a structure to contain personality chaos or disintegration.

MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

“To paint what we see before us is a different art from painting what we see within” ~ Carl Jung

“When we create a mandala, we make a personal symbol that reveals who we are at the moment”

~ Susan Fincher 6MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

¥  Assists meditation and concentration – meant to aid concentration by narrowing down

the psychic field of vision and restricting it to the centre.

¥  Within the realm of art therapy, the mandala generally refers to any art form that is

executed within a circular context. It can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, abstract or just

scribble – but inside a circular boundary.

¥  As Louise Gale suggests that the process of making mandalas centers the mind and

produces a sense of peace and calmness. “Anyone can use mandalas as a tool for

meditation, relaxation, and introspection.”

¥  the severe pattern imposed by a circular image of this kind compensates the disorder

and confusion of the psychic state; through the construction of a central point to

which everything is related, or by a concentric arrangement of the disordered and

contradictory, irreconcilable elements.


“The fact that images of this kind have under certain circumstances a considerable therapeutic effect on their authors is empirically proved and also readily understandable, in that they often represent very bold attempts to see and put together apparently irreconcilable opposites and bridge over apparently hopeless splits. Even the mere attempt in this direction usually has a healing effect, but only when it is done spontaneously. Nothing can be expected from an artificial repetition or a deliberate imitation of such images.”

Carl Jung Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious


MANDALA Self-Awareness ACTIVITY! (20 minutes)

¥  Let’s do an activity to know ourselves better!

¥  WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

ª  Download and print the circle outline provided through the WhatsApp

Group. If you do not have a printer, you can create a circle with a compass

or plate on an A4 size sheet of blank paper.

ª  Pens/Pencil

ª  Crayons/Markers/coloured pens or pencils


“Enjoy the process of creation without being overly concerned about whether the final product is “good art” or not. Many people think of art as something that is displayed for others to see, but art can also be private and focused on the process, not the final product.”

¥  Take a comfortable position

¥  Pay attention to you body posture. Relax

¥  Restful breathing

¥  Gradually focus on the center of the mandala

10 MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

¥  Remember: Focus on the process, not the product.


Create an art piece that uses the metaphor of a path or a road to represent your journey – as a person, in a specific role (mother, daughter, student), or as a

professional (whatever your field of work may be, your career, etc).

¥  Once you have completed the artwork, gaze at it for a few seconds.

¥  Ask yourself some questions:

ª  What made you draw what you have drawn?

ª  Are you satisfied with your journey? (This does not mean the drawing per se,

but the content of it) ª  Does your drawing elicit positive or negative emotions?

ª  If given a chance, what would you like to change in the artwork?

¥  Now that you have a clearer picture of certain aspects of your life and yourself as

a person, or a professional, NOTE THEM DOWN in a journal or a notebook, so that

you can come back to these points later, as and when required.

¥  If you have difficulty in writing them down, try to note down “topics” or “words”

that most closely represent that specific concern or quality. 12 MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

Sharing is caring!

“Viewing the completed work can be breathtaking, while processing the mandala can be revealing and insightful”

~ Tracy Turner- Bumberry, Finding Meaning with Mandalas

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MandalasforSelf-expression&Healing,©AshmiSheth

Mandalas for insight, healing & self-expression

¥  Importance of materials and environment

¥  Colour is an integral part of the mandala because it “expresses your

innermost thoughts, feelings, intuitions and physical sensations.”

¥  the process of creating a mandala – with repetitive patterns – helps one

enter into a meditative state called “the zone” or a “state of flow.”

¥  Mandalas, like mindfulness meditation, provide an additional tool in which

to focus one’s thoughts.


¥  Within colour therapy, the mandala represents a symbol of healing.

¥  Coloring the symmetrical form of the mandala with its repeating patterns and complexity purportedly helps to draw individuals into a state similar to meditation.

¥  Meditative state leads to self discovery.

¥  This enhances and suspends the individual’s inner dialogue recognized as internal conversation, which can be self regulated when it is recognized.

Therefore, this technique can reduce anxiety by controlling and understanding thoughts related to feared stimuli.

“Coloring mandalas is also a great way to calm the mind. This art form is being used more and more frequently to promote creative play, enabling the right side of the brain to run free. This means that even those who may not want to create a mandala from scratch can still benefit from the healing and reflective process of coloring these sacred circles.”


¥  Drawing Mandalas helps reduce anxiety through the repetitive and rhythmic movements of your hand and your concentrated attention in creating it.

¥  Focus on the process and inner emotions & dialogue

¥  Creating mandalas – both structured and unstructured as well as colouring mandalas can have significant positive effects in relieving stress

¥  Creating mandalas has significant effects on elevating and enhancing mood: mandala serves as an “active ingredient” in mood enhancement (Babouchkina & Robbins 2015).

¥  Mandala making can also help women effectively cope with major life transitions such as entering motherhood or accepting menopause.


Key takeaways

¥  “Mandala” is a Hindi word derived from Sanskrit meaning “circle” or “center”.

¥  Mandala symbolizes the inner self and is used for gaining insight and self expression in therapy and healing. Mandala represents the wholeness of the person creating it.

¥  Jung suggested that the act of drawing mandalas had a calming and healing effect on its creator while at the same time facilitating psychic integration and personal meaning in life.

¥  Focusing on the center of a Mandala for a specific period of time and clearing your mind of every single thought except the vision of the center helps you improve your attention span while building your concentration levels.


Key takeaways

¥  Although both structured and unstructured mandalas have significant positive effects on anxiety reduction and mood enhancement, creating unstructured mandalas have found to be more effective than simply colouring the mandalas.

¥  Within the realm of art therapy, the mandala generally refers to any art form that is executed within a circular context.

¥  While creating a mandala for therapeutic purposes, always remember to focus on enjoying the process, without being too anxious or worried about the final end product.


Reach out to me!

[email protected]

@artist_ashmi_sheth

Ashmi Sheth

Ashmi Sheth

@Ashmi_Sheth

8080 32 92 36

www.ashmisheth.wordpress.com

Mandalas for Self-expression & Healing

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