Regulating Anxiety with Intuitive Mandalas
"Smile, breathe, and go slowly."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
I have been creating morning mandalas as part of my meditation practice for the last several years and have just recently finished my 365th mandala. My mandala practice took about 15-30 minutes of quiet focus before I started my working day. During my mandala-making journey, I noticed some profound effects.
- Increased calm
- Decreased worry
- More inner silence.
- More peaceful self-acceptance.
After creating 365 mandalas I am now able to keep my mind more effortlessly peaceful on a regular basis. My thoughts calmed down naturally when I focused on drawing and colouring small details.
Deep Concentration for Anxiety Regulation
For those of us who suffer from anxiety, it is helpful to "work small." In my art studio work with others, I have witnessed the calming effects of intense creative focus. I have seen firsthand how engaging in small tasks, such as painting and colouring detailed patterns calms anxiety.
Deep concentration on a focused creative task helps us to quickly experience a tranquil state. Concentrated awareness is one of the easiest meditation practices to learn, and it is a powerful way to quiet the mind. The benefit of a concentrated creative practice is a deeply focused state of calm.
My concentrative practice of creating 365 intuitive mandalas was a form of daily emotional regulation aimed at healing a lifelong habit of worry. And, rather than buying pre-drawn mandala colouring books, it was much more fulfilling to create my own intuitive mandalas to colour, paint, and collage!
I invite you to visit my completed Intuitive Mandala Gallery HERE.
