Mandalas For Healing

On election night I sat drawing while watching the colors emerge on the returns map. The next morning I looked at my sketchbook and realized I had drawn a mandala, a change from my normal doodles and scribbles. The mandala is a symbol for wholeness, connection, the cosmos, unity and I needed them all.

I started my drawing with a circle and placed a dot in the center then a horizontal line intersected with a vertical line, symbol for me of the four directions, which I began to fill in with shapes similar to the structure of a snowflake. I think the drawing process gave me a sense of balance and stability, which I needed during this momentous moment in time.

The creative process can help relieve stress and anxiety by getting us out of our thinking mind and into the moment. And the coloring in of patterns can provide a relaxed state similar to meditation. The circle can also be thought of as a container for thoughts and feelings.

In my studies as an Art Therapist, I was fortunate to be exposed to the work of Carl Jung, a psychiatrist and psychologist who was also an artist. He created his own art and encouraged his patients to create mandalas as part of their treatment. His mandalas can be seen in "The Red Book: Liber Novus" which is a folio manuscript that he created between 1914 and about 1930. Many of his prints can be seen at theredbookprints.com.

There are many mandala coloring books available and books on art as healing. In my sketch book for November, I have decided to draw a mandala a day using markers, colored pencils and some collage. The circle does not need to be symmetrical, but can be spontaneous and free, and can be combined with words and affirmations. Being playful and having fun is also an important part of our healing. This is for all ages and can be fun for families to share.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become” - Carl Jung

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