A container of essence

Henriette Lamprecht – It has been used through the ages all around the world and across all cultures. If you pay close attention, you would see its circular design of repetitive patterns in architecture, cultural designs, nature and part of religions. A circle representing nothing and yet everything, with the Sanskrit word for mandala meaning a container of essence.“If we look at nature, we can see mandalas in a flower, the rings of a trunk, a pebble thrown into a pond, the curl of a shell and the growth of a succulents leaves,” explains Suzy Seha.Used as a tool for transformation, contemplation or meditation, mandalas can be used as a mindful and even meditative activity to draw one’s awareness inward or expand it outward. “It can be used to look within oneself and to expand one’s views outward to the world or a greater meaning. It helps to focus one’s mind and bring stillness which allows time for problems to find answers,” explains Suzy. Today mandala colouring or mindful colouring has become a popular form of stress relief and relaxation.According to her some do and some don’t have a specific meaning. “It depends on who is ‘doing’ the mandala and for what purpose they are using it. Mandalas can be very symbolic and have a very personal meaning for the creator.”Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, described the mandala as “a representation of the unconscious self” and spent years researching and creating mandalas, says Suzy.She emphasises one doesn’t need to have to be artistic to create a mandala, being less about the art and more about the process.Mandalas can be made in a variety of ways. Either making a nature mandala using objects such as pebbles or stones, leaves, seed pods, sticks that you find lying around on the ground or you could draw one with a stick in the sand. Before starting your mandala, sit and take a few deep breaths to become centred, says Suzy. “To create a drawn or painted mandala you would start with a dot in the middle of your page and, using a compass, draw bigger and bigger circles as a guideline. You would then divide the circles up with the help of a protractor and ruler as if cutting a pizza. You must then decide if you want to start in the middle and expand the repetitive design outward or work from the largest circle in towards the dot in the centre. The design should be repetitive and can be anything you would like it to be.”Besides being extremely beautiful, the therapeutic benefits of mandala creating make it an accessible tool for stress reduction, inner awareness and relaxation in our stressed and busy lives, says Suzy. Colouring a mandala (rather than actually drawing the entire mandala yourself) can be an equally mindful and relaxing activity. The process of colouring a mandala can help to relieve stress and anxiety and reduce high blood pressure. It is also used in art therapy and psychotherapy and transcends all religions and cultures, becoming a representation of life.Nothing special is needed, says Suzy, you could draw a mandala using a stick in the sand! “You can use a pen for the outline and colour pencils or felt tip pens to add colour to it. Or you can use the finest of art materials. The choice is yours! The basic tools for drawing a mandala however on paper or a canvas would be a compass, protractor, a rules, a pencil, a fine liner, and something to colour the mandala with.” – suziseha@gmail.com; www.suziseha.com

A container of essence

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Republikein 2025-05-01

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A container of essence

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