COLORING MANDALAS

If you ever want to design your own mandala, this is a really good video showing step by step how to do it.

You know, my lifestyle doesn't include a routine and a 8 hour job with 2 days off. I have all the time I want to do whatever I like. When I'm not traveling I'm simply enjoying life. When I feel the need to learn more, I join workshops. One of my favorite hobbies is Coloring Mandalas. I can color inside if it's raining, I can color outside close to the ocean if it's sunny. I can color while traveling. I can color whenever I feel like!

I already showed in the blog how much I love mandalas when I covered my Recipe Book with them here. Mandalas have many meanings. The dictionary says: "a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism." I like this quote by Clare Goodwin: "A mandala is a sacred space, often a circle which reveals inner truth about you and the World around you".

 

::Image Source:: A mandala means meditation for me. When I'm coloring I feel harmony, serenity and inner peace. It's like an hypnotic moment, my creativity runs away free and I'm out of space. In this moment I achieve my spiritual essence, gaining knowledge about aspects of my life, eg. getting answers to questions - this leads to higher consciousness and awareness. It's also important to work my lack of concentration because I try not to color out of lines.

If all I said applies to you give a shoot and color a mandala yourself :) You can find many coloring mandalas books here in amazon, this is one of my favorites. My friends and I buy the books and make photocopies, this way you can share and we don't have to spend money ordering the books overseas. If you don't want a book, you will find many mandalas in the internet you can print out and color for free. Type "Mandalas" in Pinterest or just Google "Coloring Mandalas".

 I bought these coloring books in Kathmandu, Nepal. They are not mandalas but also spiritual and same meaning for me: Yantras [a geometrical diagram, or any object, used as an aid to meditation in tantric worship] and Tantra [a Hindu or Buddhist mystical or magical text, dating from the 7th century or earlier; adherence to the doctrines or principles of the tantras, involving mantras, meditation, yoga, and ritual]

Sorry about the bad coloring, it sounds like an excuse but I don't like my current giotto markers quality, I prefer Stabilo 68 20-color Parade Set much much much more. I gotta buy them soon, the last I had I gave away to a backpacker who was talented but only had a pencil to draw.

I think the colors you choose depends on your mood, I rather use many colors, together with black, including some gold or silver, but mostly of the times I don't like the final mandala. This one is pretty "dark" in the centre and pretty bright in the edges. But in the end what really matters is the process and not really the final product. I don't keep the mandalas I make in boxes or bags, I give them away or place them in walls. 

Did you ever hear about Mandalas? Do you feel tempted to color one?