You’ve likely seen them, but do you know what mandalas actually are? Mandala is the Sanskrit word for “circle” and represents any circular work of sacred art. Mandalas start in the center and build outward, and all of their beauty and energy are contained within the circle. They include organic or geometric shapes that are repeated around the circle for a beautifully symmetrical work of art.
Mandalas reflect the beauty of creation and represent circle patterns found in nature. In fact, once you start looking for them, you will see that nature abounds with mandalas! The solar system and sun are God’s beautiful, cosmic mandalas. On Earth, you can find mandalas in the rings of a tree, a spider’s web and a variety of flowers. Even many foods—including heads of lettuce and the inside of an orange—are nature’s mandalas. And did you know that your eyeballs are mandalas? Each eye builds outward from the pupil to the colorful iris, containing the energy within this sacred circular work of art!
Mandalas are a part of a number of spiritual traditions, as they represent the connection between our inner selves and our outer reality. Creating or meditating with a mandala can be a great way to focus our thoughts and channel our energy. The process of creating a mandala can be a meditation in itself. Because we choose each line and shape to draw as we go, it’s easy to get lost in the process, forgetting our stresses and concerns for the world as we focus on the simplicity of a mark on paper.
If you have never created your own mandala, I invite you to try following the steps below to create your own beautiful mandala. (Or if that’s more than you want to try, start by printing out my finished mandala and coloring it with colored pencils or crayons.) Because a mandala can be simple or complex, it can range from a quick doodle on the side of your page to a detailed drawing that takes hours to complete. Remember, your mandala is yours, and it can be whatever you want it to be. There is no wrong mandala!
If you’re willing to take this journey with me, here are the basic steps (with images below) to creating your own mandala:
1. Cut a sheet of paper into a square. Use a pencil and ruler to draw light lines dividing the paper in half vertically, horizontally and along each diagonal. Use round objects you have around the house, such as coins, drinking glasses and plates, to draw several circles of different sizes around your center point.
2. Now switch to a pen, marker or crayon. (Trust me—you’re done with the pencil!) Draw a small circle or spiral in the center of your pencil lines.
3. Using your pencil lines as guides, draw a shape, such as a flower petal, from your center circle or spiral to your second circle. Repeat the shape around the circle so it is symmetrical.
4. You may want to fill in your pencil circle to create a base for your next row of shapes. (I gave mine some visual interest by varying my line weight.)
5. Continue adding geometric or organic shapes and repeating them around the circle so your drawing is symmetrical. Remember that your pencil lines are just guides, so you can use them or ignore them as you see fit!
6. Allow your mandala to grow organically, adding the next shape or line that comes to you. Try not to worry too much about what you’re drawing—just draw!
7. You may choose to keep your mandala perfectly round by going all the way to your outer circle. Or, it can have a scalloped or shaped edge, like mine.
8. Once your whole circle is filled with shapes, go back and add lines, dots or any repeated pattern within each shape. Vary your line weights and color some areas in for more visual dimension.
9. Gently erase your pencil lines. Now take a moment to marvel at your finished mandala. What do you see in it? What did creating it bring out in you?
—Andi Lewis, Prairiewoods marketing coordinator