What is a Mandala?

You have noticed that everything an
Indian does is in a circle,
and that is because the Power of the
World always works in circles,
and everything tries to be round….
The sky is round, and I have heard
that the earth is round like a
ball, and so are all the stars. The wind,
in its greatest power whirls.
Birds make their nests in circles,
for there is the same religion as ours…
Even the seasons form a great circle
in their changing, and always come
back again to where they were.
The life of a man is a circle from
childhood to childhood,
and so it is in everything where
Power moves.

Black Elk
Oglala sioux

Mandalas are coded cryptograms or messages sent from the deep, inner recesses of our psyche or soul to our conscious mind. As we draw Mandalas, we capture on paper, our primary language system which is symbolic and pictorial in nature. Therefore, it is the content of our drawing that is important, not our artistic talent.

All images have meaning. They are a kind of shorthand that lets each of us communicate with the deeper, less accessible aspects of ourselves. Mandala drawings are rich in symbolic metaphor. They contain images which represent a variety of human experiences and feelings. Each symbol is a reflection of the individual’s personalized view of the world. Where one places each symbol in the drawing (as well as the size and the color) provides insight into one’s own, personal, secret language. These pictorial, symbolic metaphors function as a bridge between our own unconsciousness and our consciousness. The purpose of the Mandala Process is to help to unlock the code of this secret language.

And finally, The Mandala Process stimulates communication as group members explain feelings or content of the drawings, When a person explains their drawing, they tell others about themselves in a creative, spontaneous way which is often more authentic than well rehearsed speeches.

The Mandala Process is FUN, encourages imagination, motivates learning and helps to connect with one’s inner potential.