Welcome to this week’s Inspiration Mandala called “Return to Self”.
This week’s mandala was inspired by a friend’s suggestion for me to create a mandala around the theme of being homesick. I also wanted to do something more abstract and not symmetrical after receiving such a positive response from sharing last week’s black and white asymmetrical Light and Shadow mandala, as well as Jacinta Cubis’ urging to break patterns in last week’s The Creative Life Interview.
Read further to find out how you can create your own mandala in a similar style.
Whenever we travel a road unfamiliar, our heart yearns for what was. This is not to be unexpected. However, you now have the gift of knowing two worlds, a raft of opportunities, and the potential for exponential growth. Do not discount the wealth of what you already bring along with you. It has shaped who you are and what you will become.
Your past moves through the present to help build your future.
And while you may never return to where you began unchanged, it helps to serve as a reminder of who you were and what you are now.
It is the beginning, the end, and the return to your self all in one.
You can create your own mandala that is similar in style to this one. I used the same technique that I did to create the Mother’s Day Mandala. The only difference is that in this Return to Self Mandala I used two different sized circle templates to create the main focus, and hand drew different sized triangles with some added irregular curvy shaped lines. For further instructions head over to the Mother’s Day Mandala page.
You can also receive free mandala colouring pages to download when you sign up for the special Mandala Inspiration Inner Creative mailing list.
Curious about mandalas?
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. For 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 special Mandala Inspiration Inner Creative mailing list.
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