Between working in health care, helping people on their personal path of healing, writing, cooking meals and taking pictures, designing, blogging and doing research, I really love to color Mandala’s. It is the perfect way to brighten the brain, to tame the monkey mind and to recharge my battery with prana. In a way it makes me so relaxed, that I sometimes completely forget time.
For a new series of children’s books I am making a lot of Mandala’s at this moment; working for me doesn’t really feel like ‘work’ at all. When you do what you like and follow your talents, you are actually doing what you are suppose to do in life according to your dharma; this will always feel more like a great hobby than an obligation. Every evening when I stop working late, I cannot wait until the morning to continue what I was creating! I call that ‘being amazingly blessed’ and I am very grateful for that.
Every day is a new learning experience. Mandala coloring is very good for creating patience; you cannot do this quick or without focussing, because then it will definitely go wrong! Especially when someone is a perfectionist like myself, you really need to take time for it. Though it is possible to let your intuition guide you during coloring, while in a meditative state. Then it is the Higher Energy who is picking all the beautiful colors instead of your own mind; that way the most surprising and beautiful color patterns will appear!
Mandala coloring is not ‘just’ filling your paper with ink, paint or colored sand; it is a sacred activity. In hinduism and buddhism it is used as part of the path to Moksha, enlightenment. It is used to still the mind and to control thoughts, emotions and actions, while controlling the breath during the whole process. You will become in a state of Samadhi, in between thoughts, connected. This creates beautiful virtues like forbearance and mindfulness. The form of a Mandala represents according to Vedic knowledge, the circle of the Universe. And did you know that a Mandala is actually reflecting ‘sound’? If you film the water crystal-structure like Emoto during the singing of a mantra, every single word and sound will appear in the water as a different Mandala!
Being creative really helps to balance the throat chakra; it is the fifth chakra called Vishuddha and stands for communication. Through music and art it is possible to express your own originality and to go with the flow of our own truth, Sathya. So in a way the creative process of Mandala coloring, brings you back to yourself again, your true ‘soul self’. A perfect holiday gift to spend some time coloring and becoming ‘you’ during this amazing winter! Namasté and God bless you.
YOGA LIFESTYLE 