What the Heck Is a Mandala?
I’ve read very little about mandalas in relation to journal writing, but the topic has come up too many times just recently. So, I did a little research, mostly for the sake of my own curiosity, and have gathered it together for your interest.
I first went to Wikipedia.org for their definition, which almost put me off, to be perfectly honest. A better way to describe mandalas is attributed to Carol Schmidt: “An ancient art of free drawing designs within a circle. Colored markers make this a colorful, creative form of journaling. Davis said drawings and doodling are symbolic and open the writer’s eyes to innermost thoughts.” The above quote was taken from her article
Journaling: ‘One Perfect, Silent Witness’. You can also find information on mandalas and colouring therapy at Coloring Therapy.
If you’re less concerned with what mandalas are and just want to jump straight into learning how to use them in your journal read The Mandala/Journal Workshop, How to Design Your Own Mandalas and Mandalas: A Gentle Reflection, both from Creativity Portal. These articles led me to The Mandala Project, which has more information than I could read in one sitting.
Susanne F Fincher’s books are recommended by many who enjoy using mandalas.
Using mandalas is something I have yet to try, so please share your experiences with mandalas and journal writing in the comments section below.
Tags: coloring-therapy, journal-writing, mandalasRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Journal Styles and Techniques
6 opinions for What the Heck Is a Mandala?
Olivia Brown
Sep 27, 2006 at 12:14 pm
I don’t get mandalas. I have tried to get into coloring them, but have not been able to see the point. I do have the book you mentioned (just haven’t read it yet), so I will and will try again. In the meantime, if anyone knows exactly how this benefits you, I’d love to know!
Heather Goldsmith
Sep 27, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Thanks Olivia. I’m glad you’ve spoken up. I’d also love to hear from those who do understand what it’s all about. We’re interested. Hope you find something useful in the book. ;-)
Olivia Brown
Oct 2, 2006 at 8:51 pm
I figured it out, Heather!! See: http://www.tappingluau.com/index.php/weblog/comments/who-cares-about-mandalas/
Heather Goldsmith
Oct 2, 2006 at 11:38 pm
Thanks for sharing your response to mandalas. I’m sure more journal writers will be interested now. ;-)
Henry Reed
Jan 22, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I blog a mandala daily at
http://www.dailymandala.blogspot.com
Henry Reed
Heather Goldsmith
Jan 22, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Hi Henry,
Thanks for sharing your mandalas with us. ;-)
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