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 Life.
Pema Chodron
Mandala is a Sanskrit word, the ancient language of India and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, which means Circle.
The idea of the Circle originated very early in Human History. Ancient rock carvings in Africa, Europe, and North America made use of the circle, the spiral and similar designs.
The first representation of the Circle was the Sun and the Moon. Being providers of light, energy, and resources, the circle became sacred since the beginning of time and slowly evolved to be the discovery of the Self and its connection to the World.
The Mandala is used in many Asian traditions and religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, through many Islamic Temples and representations, and it is also found in many Christian Churches, called as Rose Windows or Rosettas.
In all, it represents the awakening of the Soul, the return and connection to our inner Self and spirituality.
In Psychology, it was brought to the Western World by the Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung, who discovered its healing benefits through his own experience before he even knew what Mandalas were. He wrote:
“When the Self finds expression in such drawings, the unconscious reacts by enforcing an attitude of devotion to life.”
Mandalas through my own experience have the power to transform negativity and awaken altruism and compassion in the viewer.
The Mandala is a profound, universal symbol and is a physical representation of our interdependence, the notion that everything and everyone is interlinked.
If you would like to know more you can download my free Mandala Guide where I take you on a journey through history, the way you can benefit from them and how to create them yourself.
SunFreeStar 