Book Review of Mandala Workbook for Inner Self - discovery by Anneke Huyser- 2/1/15

I had read about mandala drawing as a substitute for meditation and in my initial attempts at meditation dealt with a very active mind.
I doubted my ability to meditate and imagined it would be a bit dull . But after trying a few guided meditation sessions, I was pleasantly surprised by my mind's ability and willingness to let go of continuous chatter and found it very invigorating. The calm energy provided by guiding voice was the helpful tool.
For those who want to add variety to your meditation, drawing mandalas can be a good alternative.
In order to have a sustained practise of any new routine, be it new health supplements or fitness regime,  for me knowing the mechanics of how and why it works feeds in the habit. For that reason, I bought the Mandala workbook by Anneke Huyser.

Anneke made her first mandala in the form of an embroidery piece and 15 years since her first one, has seen her work reflect the changes in her life-including a divorce,  moves, marriage, birth,  death and changing jobs.
Through her business of running a bookstore in the Netherlands,  she has read and researched the history background and symbols in the mandalas.
This book offers tools for beginner mandala enthusiasts by touching on approaches dealing with reflective and creative processes. Different techniques and examples are suggested for different abilities and interests.
There is a section on Symbols in Mandalas mainly of the Tibetan mandalas and I am hoping to appreciate the  next traditional Tibetan mandala I see geared with my new found interpretation of the symbols and colour.
My doodle mandalas are  black and white with mostly geometric patterns in organic shapes of leaves or petals. It has not enabled me to interpret my work yet.
The last few pages provide relaxation and visualisation exercises with the Mandala which I am going to try. The book encourages the reader to enjoy the journey while making your own mandala, observing your state of mind and release of emotions and not necessarily aim for a pretty picture. Accepting any hiccups in the process is empowering.
Overall I think the book is a good introduction to Mandalas for beginners and presents a good cultural and creative context. There are several examples of mandalas made by the author which will encourage most readers to start. I personally enjoy a visual feast of images and would have loved to see more variety in styles from different artists but I suppose the author wanted to focus more on the journey than overwhelm readers with final outcome.
If like me you need visual references,  there are plenty in pinterest to get your creative juices moving.
For my interests in Mandalas and its effects on healing, on states of mind, on introducing new habits and changing unwanted ones through mandala meditation,  when we access our subconscious mind,  I would like to read The Art of Mandala Meditation by Michal Beaucaire, next.
Hope this review helped.
Bye for now

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year            31/12/14


Hello readers!

Hope you've had a great time during Christmas with friends and family. I have certainly been busy during the holidays. My children are at home and i've had a few fun get-togethers. In fact, ive a pot luck party tonight at my place, and i look foward to board games with spirited friends. Board games and good food!


Anyways, i have not been very regular with my pictures, but, i have filled up my sketchbook quite a bit8 I hope to share, my doodles in a pageflick video shortly.

I've also been reading this book on Mandalas by Anneke Huyser, and shall post a review soon. Today im sharing a happy new year Mandala! And i wish you all, my dear readers, a fantastic new year!

Expressing Wholeness

Expressing Wholeness          23/12/14

"In the products of the unconscius we discover Mandala symbols, that is, circular and quaternary figures which express wholeness and whenever we wish to express wholeness, we employ just those figures."   

-Carl Jung

Geometry and Nature

Geometry and Nature    22/12/14

Sunflower seeds, broccoli, snowflakes, conch shells, pinecones, etc, bring such vivid images fractal geometry in nature alive in our thoughts.

I love my rose succulent echeveria which sits on my windowsill and brings a smile every time I look at it. I started at the centre using the image of the echeveria .

And gradually, I added shapes and patterns around it. It was not a very planned effort and was almost natural. I followed my natural flow of thought. There are many possibilities to be explored. I hope to experiment with paint for a different style of Mandala next time.

I look forward to hearing from you about any of your favourite style of Mandalas.

Pebble Mandalas

Pebble Mandala                  21/12/14


Good morning everyone! I've painted some pebbles this morning and following their natural contour, a circular mandala doodle was a natural outcome. I've used acrylic paint and black marker. I had always wanted to paint pebbles since i saw some beautiful examples online.

I am sure like me you would have doodled on a newspaper or a envelope cover, and surprised yourselves with pleasing results.When our creative right side of the brain takes over, while the analytical rational left side of the brain is not engaged is when our inner self exposes itself. In the modern stimulating environment, when our mind jumps from one stimulus to another, it's very grounding to touch base with ourselves. In what starts as a abstract expression, but with regular practise leads to a natural order of self and restores harmony.

Carl Jung extensively explored Mandalas, and made one everyday. I have my own Mandala sketchbook and am enjoying doing it. Try making your own Mandalas and please share your
Mandalas and your experiences with it.  

Introduction to Mandalas

Mandala 1

Mandalas            20/12/14

My interests in art and healing has lead me to explore traditional arts and crafts from Mandalas to Sashiko embroidery , Crochet, Watercolours , and so on, I plan to make a blog post every day and attempt to maintain my discipline for these crafts, and enjoy my journey, which i would like to share with you all. 

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Mandalas, meaning the "Sacred Circle" in Sanskrit have been practised in various cultures, and is a very helpful tool for meditation and healing.

Take a moment to relax doing your own Mandala "doodle". Mandalas can be done in a very precise manner using a compass, and it can also be done freehand. You can draw a circle as a starting point, and using patterns and shapes, like a semicircle, squares, shapes inspired by nature like petals, leaves, and geometric shapes like diamonds and spirals. Build up on layers in a circular manner. It doesn't have to be a very calculated effort, just be guided by your inner feel during the moment. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The shapes that come out help release your personal expression, and at end of the practise one reaches a calmer state then before the start of the Mandala.