THE MANDALAS

The term mandala derives from Sanskrit and is a term that indicates a sacred object of a round shape and which therefore, by extension, could also indicate the Sun and the Moon.
They are much more than a refined art form: it is a spiritual and ritual symbol of very ancient origin that represents the universe.

 

In fact, traditional mandalas are still made today with immense patience by monks, who use very fine sand of different colors to trace intricate circular and concentric designs that are used to define a sacred space, focus attention, rediscover calm and balance, to increase self-awareness and to encourage meditation.

It can take whole days to complete one of these works.

As soon as the drawing is finished, it is immediately destroyed during a ceremony in which the sand used is mixed and thrown into a river, as a reminder that everything is ephemeral and that nothing lasts forever.

 

The circle in the mandala represents the acceptance of the conflicting parts that each of us possesses.
The lines of the square, on the other hand, bring to mind the concepts of rationality and concreteness, while the triangle indicates the direction one decides to follow in life, which can change by crossing with other triangles; finally, the dot symbolizes the origin.

 

Anyone can draw a mandala or simply color one: in fact, there are many mandala drawings to print and color on the web or collected in albums, to be completed according to our artistic skills.

When we draw or color a mandala, we are actually expressing our mood and our inner world. Not only that, coloring a mandala frees the spirit, purifies the soul and puts us in communion with the positive forces of the universe.

There is no right or wrong way to color a mandala, the important thing is to try to create a work that reflects as faithfully as possible who we are and how we feel at that moment.

Generally, however, mandalas are colored starting from the center and proceeding towards the outside of the drawing: this way of coloring mandalas is said to invite you to be more open to others but starting from self-knowledge.

 

Choose the colors for your mandala instinctively, even better if with your eyes closed, and at the end of the work observe which colors you used, how you combined them and what type of stroke you used: they will give you valuable information about your essence and your state of mind.

Let's see the meaning of the colors in the mandala: 

• red symbolizes courage, helps to overcome laziness and orient oneself towards goals; 

• yellow represents the mind and intelligence, denotes a serene character and announces growth and evolution; 

• orange indicates warmth, contentment and cheerfulness. It is the color of the renunciation of material goods to pursue spiritual goals;

• blue is the color of those who challenge their limits, of those who have a character aimed at the imagination, daydreaming and spiritual openness; 

• green represents the earth element and consequently the growth of all that germinates in a person. It also points to precision, logic, and the need for more personal space;

• black indicates a need for reflection and purification, for a break to get rid of something that is overloading us; 

• white indicates the air element and represents the contact of our mind with higher ideas. It also denotes a desire to attain a greater degree of understanding of the divine; 

• brown indicates the plowed field and life that opens up to new furrows.

 

The benefits of coloring mandalas are now universally recognized: in fact, many researchers have observed how coloring a mandala has a profound effect on our brain.

In particular, when you color a mandala the right hemisphere of the brain is activated, it promotes cerebral synchronization and also improves the ability to concentrate and solve problems.

The mind lightens, creativity increases and the birth of new ideas and projects is encouraged.

Not only that, coloring a mandala has an ordering effect on our psyche and puts us in a mental state similar to the one obtained by practicing meditation. 

Furthermore, at the end of work, we often feel less anxious and stressed and more self-aware.

Although it may seem incredible, this relaxing creative activity even has positive effects on our body: it helps to decrease muscle tension and eases breathing and heart rate.
This doesn't just apply to adults: coloring mandalas also has beneficial effects for children, who can achieve a state of calm through this activity.

 

Carl Gustav Jung studied mandalas for over 20 years and even wrote four essays on the subject. 

The famous Swiss psychoanalyst says: 

 

“The Mandala represents an ordering scheme that to a certain extent superimposes itself on the psychic chaos, so that the whole that is being composed is held together by means of the circle that helps and protects. 

Every morning I sketched a small circular drawing in a notebook, a Mandala that seemed to correspond to my intimate condition of that period. 

Only a little at a time I discovered what the Mandala really is: 

the Self, the personality in its entirety, which is harmonious if all goes well”.

 

This note is a summary of the article MANDALA: THE SYMBOLS AND THE MEANING

(symbols on the web.it)