Healing Children Mandala

This mandala includes the four elements - earth, water, fire and air, and was created with the intention to send healing energy to a newly blended family. The four hearts in the center represent the four children in the situation; the four roses are the four parents, new ways to grow

It definitely took a few layers to create the right shading, both to create the secondary colors and to create the range of light within the colors. I thought a lot about energy blending while doing this exercise, noticing which colors were harmonizing and which were complementary, realizing this would be a good tool to use when creating mandala to create areas of flow as well as areas of creative tension.

Healing Relationship Mandala

The healing relationship mandala was the one I spent the most time on. I meditated upon four symbols to represent blending families and to create a healing for my daughter and I, most of which came to me during a cranial sacral treatment. I created arcs of energy that linked four of us together, surrounded by a ring of symbols for friends and family, and a bigger circle representing being grounded and connected to the earth. I abided by the instructions to just keep working, and in the end know I created a potent symbol of my own process of integrating family dynamics as a part of an alchemical whole.

Blossoming Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

Upon meditating with the intention to journey into the divine realities of nature, I was surprised not to receive animal guides but instead plant guides. I created a mandala of a blossoming lotus, with a heart at the center and surrounded by a circle of green leaves. In particular I enjoyed creating a system for out lining the petals, doubling their number with each ring. I thought about how my health is blossoming, especially after a long winter.

Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For this exercise I found myself creating the outline of a heart in the center of the page in a deep red. Radiating out were rays of orange and yellow, with blues and greens creating a background. It was interesting to contemplate the " black void" of the heart as a contrast to the outpouring of rainbow colors. I enjoyed this a meditation to cultivate light heartedness.

Peace Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

After blessing my materials, I sat to contemplate a healing symbol, my intention being to focus on peace. Of course, the peace symbol popped up in my mind's eye, and I created a large white peace sign centered on the page.

Next, I outlined the peace symbol in rainbow colors. I filled the background with vines and roses. I felt this was a very useful tool in a current conflict, and can easily see myself sharing the image with them now to literally bring peace to the situation.

Dark Heart Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For this mandala, i have to say I love how the luminous effects are an interplay between dark and light, and I found myself thinking a lot about the recent work we did on "owning the shadow" in the hypnotherapy program that I teach at Twin Lakes College, and the need to embrace and integrate all the aspects of the self to create that feeling of enlightenment.

Reiki Hand Mandala

This was one of my favorite exercises. After outlining my left hand, I felt the use of the white pencil to radiate the shape was the perfect symbol for reiki energy. I added a quote my Assata Shakure, " ...I believe in the magic of the hands and the wisdom of the eyes..."

Note: For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

Galaxy Mandala

For my master's degree, I took an elective on mandala art. We worked from a few texts, my favorite being Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell, PhD. I will be posting my own mandalas here on my blog, and encourage you to create your own. It was therapeutic, engaging, and most importantly, fun! I used colored pencils on black construction paper, both purchased from my local art store.

For the beginning exercises, I enjoyed creating the scale of light, playing with the subtle pearl shades of a nautilus shell unfolding across my black paper. It felt very tranquil and relaxing, just listening to the scratching of the pen and the rain outside while the drawing seemed to simply spiral out by itself. Here I tried a few variations, my favorite being a spiral unfolding into a galaxy full of stars and moons. It felt light and playful, a joyful moment in creation.

Star of Life Mandala

In creating this mandala, I liked the build up of the numerology: from one blank page, to the duality of white pencil on black paper, the introduction of the three primary colors, now adding the secondary, creating a six, just like the star of David shape in this exercise. I added three pencils to my mix and pondered the ways I have added new tools to my practice over the years, and how this has allowed for a finer refinement of tints and shadows, literally and metaphysically.