CREATING YOUR PERSONAL MANDALA-Workshop Exercise
-lined paper for writing positive aspects
-plain paper to create your mandala
-a round plate (for tracing the mandala outline)
-crayons or colored pencils
-meditativebackground music
Creating your Mandala:
One:Take a few minutes toslow downandrelaxbefore you begin the mandala exercise. Put on some soft meditative music and begin to focus on your breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4).
Two:On the lined paper, describe a perfect situation, job, relationship, etc.;no limits, no responsibilities, just stream of consciousness of what is perfect to you.
In a column, list the things that come to mind regarding your perfect situation, job, relationship, etc…
Three:Underline the things that can be easily symbolized. EX:reading a book=a symbol of a book,Lying on the beach=the sun, a beach towel or beach umbrella.
Four:Write a word that symbolizes the things you have underlined. Again, don’t think too much—if you can’t think of a word, perhaps a color will come to mind instead (EX:sunbeing yellow,beachbeing tan).
Five:Jot down the meaning of each symbol. EX: a book might meanpeace, solitudeorrest.Don’t overthink—just write the first meaning that pops into your head.
Six:On the plain paper, trace a circle, then divide it into quadrants.
Seven:Choose four symbols that resonate with you, then quickly draw one symbol in each quadrant. It doesn’t matter if anyone else understands your images—it’s only important that they resonate with you (EX:writingcould be drawn as a pencil/pen,readingcould be drawn as a book).
After you have drawn your symbols, write themeaningfor each somewhere within each quadrant.
Eight:Interact and respond to your personal mandala. Take a moment and think about how you might incorporate each quadrant into your life.
NOTE: None of this is literal; if there isn’t a beach near you and it’s the dead of winter, focus on what thebeach means to you (solitude, rest, feeling warm) and figure out how to get moresolitudeorrestthroughout your day.
This isn’t complicate; just a way to give yourself more of what you need, in order to feel more whole.
Nine:Jot down practical ways to bring each quadrant into your day. Ask yourself:
“How I might get morerestthroughout my day?”; “How might I get moresolitude?”
“What would this be like in my everyday life?” When can I do it; how much time can I give to it?
Ten:When you’ve finished your personal mandala, share your thoughts with the person next to you.
It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you; just share what feels comfortable. Maybe focus on how you want to incorporate the quadrants into your life. After approximately five minutes, switch roles.
When you go home, display it in a prominent place: on your refrigerator, computer or anywhere you will see and absorb the symbols on a daily basis.
Your mandala will change as your life changes. Augment it anyway you want or create a whole new personal mandala; it’s up to you and what works best for your current life and/or current situation!
Exploring Your Personal Mandala
Notice the “look” of the mandala…
•Is there a lot of space, or is it well-filled in? If it alternates, where is it spacious, and where complex?
•Have you used much detail, or big broad strokes? Or a combination?
•Does it have geometric order, or chaotic movement, or something else?
•How do the elements relate to each other?
•How would you characterize the overall sense of your mandala?
•How do all these characteristics relate to you and your life, in this moment?
Working with Your Mandala
•Upon finishing your mandala, take a few minutes to write about what you feel and what you think about it.
•Also, make note of any "conscious concerns" . . . issues that are up for you that day.
•Then put it away.
•At bedtime, let yourself gaze at the mandala while preparing to sleep. Allow thoughts and ideas to rise and fall away.
•This allows the subconscious to develop the theme in your dreams.
•In the morning, explore your mandala again. Make note of any new insights. If you've had dreams, it may help to record them as well.
•If you want to go even deeper, meditate on your mandala for a set period of time. Afterward, make notes.
•You can come back to a single mandala several times, to harvest levels of wisdom contained within it. Often after a period of time, new meanings will make themselves clear. Especially if you've also recorded your dreams.