Mandalas are geometric designs in various colors. Traditional mandalas are created with patterns of concentric circles with various repeating and symmetrical designs within each layer. You can make these pieces of art as simple or complex as you like.
One of the great things about mandala art is that it's so versatile. You don't need to buy specific supplies, but you might want to invest in certain art mediums that you most enjoy working with. Here are a few of the ways you can draw, paint or color mandalas and the supplies required:
Engaging in mandala art offers numerous benefits for older adults. If you aren't already involved in a craft or social activity at Bethesda Gardens in Monument or a community senior center, you might consider gathering some friends to create mandalas together.
As you can see from the supply discussion above, mandalas are such a flexible art form. If you like any type of arts or crafts, you can find a way to work mandalas into your hobby. In addition to the options listed above, you might knit, crochet or embroider a mandala design. Even woodworking techniques, such as woodburning, can be used to create mandalas.
There aren't a lot of technical rules with mandala creation, making it an ideal art form to reduce stress. It requires enough of your focus and attention to help you eschew the worries of the day without requiring so much concentration that it becomes stressful.
According to the Sage Neuroscience Center, art practices in general reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Spending around 45 minutes engaged in painting, coloring, drawing or other art forms can reduce your natural stress hormones and help you face the rest of your day in a more peaceful fashion.
Mandala art can also support other mindfulness practices you might already use to reduce stress. This art form is traditionally associated with meditation, as both creating the designs and looking at already finished mandalas can help you quiet your mind and enter into a more meditative state.
You can also pair mandala creation with prayer. Perhaps you pray a specific thing or for a specific person with each row of the mandala you create, for example. This can help you stay in prayer longer and more effectively.
Creating mandalas can also be a fun social activity. You can do this type of art with friends or with grandkids or other relatives. You could even host a themed mandala painting night, creating mandalas with certain color schemes or as decorations for specific seasons or holidays.
When you spend time on them, mandalas can produce beautiful works of art you'll want to hang on your wall or otherwise display in your home. You can also give these items as gifts to others. For example, imagine the meaning behind a river rock painted with a prayer mandala, each circle of the pattern representing a time you prayed for the recipient.
