Welcome to the Mandala Inspiration series at Inner Creative!
This week’s mandala is a tribute to ANZAC Day.
ANZAC Day (on the 25th of April) marks the landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand) forces on Gallipoli in 1915. It’s a national day of remembrance for all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died during war or in service. Lest we forget.
I created this mandala a year ago during my 30 day Mandala Play Adventure. I made a stone rubbing from a local war memorial last ANZAC Day morning (hence the texture and bumpiness 🙂 ).
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.
~José Narosky
I remember this quote from a morning writing exercise that my class was given back in Grade 3 to mark a remembrance day. It has left an indelible impression.
Mandalas are an ancient and sacred art form that involve creating patterns and shapes within a circle. Mandalas have been around for centuries. They have been used in various cultures and traditions (ranging from Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas, Native American medicine wheels, and rose stained glass windows in Gothic cathedrals). Mandalas have also been used by psychiatrist Carl Jung with his patients after he discovered that drawing within a circle could be used as a tool for self-expression.
There is power when you create a mandala with an underlying intention. The act of sitting down and drawing a mandala also creates an opportunity to be still and totally absorbed in the task at hand. Drawing a mandala can be relaxing and form part of mindfulness practice. Its calming effect can ground and centre us. It can also provide us with a tool for self-expression and reflection.
Mandalas can also be used as part of a meditation practice. You use the mandala to settle your mind and provide a focus point for your eyes to rest on during your mediation. Whenever your mind gets distracted then bring back your focus to the mandala. Here is more information on how to mediate on a mandala.
Looking for more Inner Creative mandala inspiration?
Then head over to previous Mandala Inspirations (see some more links below), or the Mandala Play Adventure series where I created a different mandala each day from the same colouring page for 30 days.
You can also get these weekly Mandala Inspiration posts delivered straight to your inbox each Monday, as well as other free mandala colouring pages and creativity tips, by signing up here for the Inner Creative mailing list.
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