Mandalas (Inglés II)

Mandalas

Mandalas can be an excellent art therapy intervention for both children and adults.  The   word "mandala" comes from the Sanskrit word for "circle."  However, it means more than just the shape and also encompasses the idea of wholeness and unity.  Mandalas can be powerful symbols and have been present in many cultures and spiritual practices.  Carl Jung introduced the West to the idea of mandalas and often created mandalas as a form of self-expression and exploration of his internal world. 

The mandala is widely recognized as a meaningful reflection of its creator. Mandala art therapy & healing can be a great source of reflection on one’s soul.

How to make a mandala:

To create a mandala, you simply start with a circle, and then fill in the circle with patterns, colors, and symbols.  You can work with any color paper and can use any drawing material that you like.  In art therapy, clients may be given an open-ended prompt to create the mandala by adding colors and patterns.  Or they can be given a somewhat more specific prompt, such as to create a mandala to "show how you feel today."  They have been used as a container for anger, encouraging a frustrated child to "scribble all your anger inside the circle."  Mandalas can also be used as in intervention to explore the inner life versus the outer life: "Inside the circle, represent what is going on inside of you; outside the circle represent what is going on in your life around you."

Purpose and benefits of mandala making:

Creating mandalas as art therapy can be a wonderful activity for centering, meditation, emotional expression, and self-soothing. Many people find the process of drawing and filling in the mandala to be very calming.  In addition, the structure of the circle serves both to provide a sense of containment and to decrease anxiety.   The circle gives you a starting place and reminds you that this is not a typical drawing.  Mandalas can provide with a tool to use at home for relaxation and self-soothing.  Some people may enjoy keeping a "mandala journal" in which they create a different mandala every day as a way to increase mindfulness and self-awareness.   

References:

http://creativityintherapy.blogspot.com.ar/2012/11/mandalas.html

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-ideas/healing-with-mandala-art-a-multi-cultural-idea-worth-exploring/#.VUpKFfl_NBc

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201003/cool-art-therapy-intervention-6-mandala-drawing

(May 6, 2015)

Mandala by Agó Páez Vilaró