By Linda Wiggen Kraft
Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor
Creating a mandala is exercise for the soul. Mandalas are patterned images surrounded by a circle that have a deep and lasting impact on people’s lives. They are symbols of wholeness and centeredness, and are used in many cultures, spiritual traditions and healing modalities to bring beauty, healing, inspiration and peace to those who create and view them.
The word mandala means circle, essence and container in Sanskrit. There are many mandalas in nature: flowers, sea shells, snow flakes. People create mandalas with paint, sand, stained glass and other materials. Mandalas can be easily made or complex. One of the easiest ways to create mandalas is with a technique I created called Morning Mandalas.
I became a mandala artist a few years ago after many years of not creating art, even though I have a BFA and created art most of my life. When I could no longer live without making art, I spontaneously began to create mandalas. I doodled mandalas and began to paint them. Creating them became one of the most enjoyable and profoundly transforming activities of my life. But my busy life as a mother, wife, business woman, meditator and sometimes yoga practitioner left little time to create art. I had to come up with a way that allowed this creative process to be part of my busy life.
I needed materials that could be easily arranged and even put in a big purse. I needed a technique that was simple, yet complete. I needed a process that would take less than an hour. I wanted to create mandalas easily on a daily basis at home or when I traveled. I needed to share this with others so all people could experience their deep creativity.
I developed a process called Morning Mandalas. The word morning refers to awakening the artist within. It also clears out interior clutter, connects both sides of the brain, and expresses creativity through a daily artistic and writing practice. It involves meditation to go within to the source of creativity, listening to creative spirit, and expressing the depths of the soul.
Linda is an artist, garden designer and Feng Shui consultant who uses the wisdom of many traditions in her work. Visit her website: www.gardensforthesoul.com or (314) 504-4266.