Author: Kathryn Costa

Mandalas are everywhere. We see these circular designs with repeating patterns in coloring books, clothing, linens, and home decor. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates as “circle” or “center.” While mandalas are rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, humans have been fascinated by circular design motifs across all cultures and times. Celtic spirals, the Chinese yin/yang symbol, rose windows, and Navajo sand paintings are a few examples. In nature, we find mandala patterns in nautilus shells, pinecones, and the seed heads of sunflowers.

The practice of creating and coloring mandalas is more than making pretty pictures. Here are five reasons to start a mandala practice.

1. It relaxes the body and mind. A mandala practice can be as simple as coloring mandalas found in the many adult coloring books on the market today or downloaded for free from the web. When we unplug from our electronics in order to sit quietly and color, our bodies and minds relax. Focusing on filling the repeating shapes with color gives our minds a break from the worries of the day and the busyness in our schedules. As our minds relax, our bodies follow. For maximum benefit, turn off your phone and other devices, turn on some relaxing music, diffuse your favorite essential oils, and drink a warm beverage. Take it even further by practicing yoga, dancing, or soak in a warm bath before sitting down to color. The relaxation experienced from coloring mandalas eases stress and anxiety and helps you sleep.

2. It activates your creativity. Drawing your own mandala designs requires no artistic background. I tell my students, “If you can print your name and the alphabet, you can draw a mandala.” We use the same lines and shapes—vertical, horizontal, curved, diagonal—whether we draw the mandala freehand or within a grid. Within 15 minutes, I see students take flight in drawing their own mandala designs and discovering their creative abilities. Activating our creativity in this way helps us bring creativity to other areas of our lives.

3. It improves focus and enhances clarity. When you’re drawing a mandala, you can’t think about anything else. That clears the mind to be able to focus. After constructing the mandala, we shift gears to color it, and our attention may shift to our thoughts and feelings. We can quietly reflect on the day and use this time to brainstorm a solution to a problem, or consider possibilities for a decision that we need to make. One of my favorite practices is to focus on an intention, such as gratitude, while creating my mandala. I may even fill the shapes and spaces of my mandala with words and phrases to acknowledge what I appreciate in myself, others, and my life.

4. It centers and connects you. What’s the difference between coloring and drawing within a circle compared to other designs? The circle offers a safe container to focus one’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas—whether the mandala is in the traditional style, with the shapes radiating from the center, or a contemporary design that’s more freeform and abstract. As we draw a mandala and color it in, we see patterns emerge before us that may reflect the centeredness and connections found within ourselves, friends, family, colleagues, and communities, both local and global. These connections foster understanding and compassion toward ourselves and others.

5. It’s fun! Perhaps the number-one reason to start a mandala practice is the joy that comes from witnessing a work of art emerge from your own hands. A warning: Once you get started, you’ll find it hard to stop!

Originally written for Kripalu.org.

How to Get Your Mandala Practice Started

Read a Book: My book, “The Mandala Guidebook: How to Draw, Paint, and Color Expressive Mandala Art” is packed with beautiful illustrations and easy step-by-step instructions covering a wide range of styles, techniques, and mediums. Sample It! Download the first chapter.

Watch these Videos: I’ve taught thousands of people how to draw mandalas in my YouTube videos. Get your pen and paper ready and Tune In Here.

Take a Class: My book and YouTube videos are just the start. This 10-part series will guide you in creating mandalas quickly and successfully. Get the Deets & Sign Up!

Join a Mandala Community: The Sharing Circle is a private website for mandala enthusiasts. It’s the best place on the web to get encouragement, especially when you are just starting out! Join Here Did I mention it’s free?

What do you do when you are working on a mandala and you love one part but there are elements that simply don’t work in the design?

I faced that challenge this last week when I was working on this Squaring the Circle mandala. I loved the center sections with the lotus flowers but felt like the outside petal motif was unbalanced, busy, and took away from the serenity of the center. It was an idea that just didn’t work.

Sometimes when this happens, I cut my losses, learn from them, and start over.

Not this time.

This time, I “cut my wins.” Since the center was an easy save, I pulled out a pair of scissors and cut it out. On a fresh piece of paper, I redrew the circle and outer sections.

Here you can see how I carried the semicircle with lotus motif to the outer section. With a little glue the mandala came together beautifully.

Ahhhhh, now that feels much better.

I’ve been posting a series of Squaring the Circle mandala motifs on my new True North Arts pages on Facebook and Instagram in response to a comment from Roberta Warshaw, “I like this mandala design too but I have a hard time figuring out what to put inside.”

I hear this a lot from people who are starting out creating mandalas. To spark some creativity in myself and others, I thought I’d create ten mandalas with the same layout and vary each day how I finish it. Ten mandalas in ten days.

Meanwhile, I was invited to have two pieces of my mandala art on display at Yoga Balance in Manchester, NH. I decided to create a companion mandala using the same basic layout but used blue in place of the green.

Another way to explore a design concept is to create a series where you vary the colors.

Compare and contrast these two mandalas and you’ll find some subtle variations between these two.

Here they look in the waiting area at Yoga Balance.

They seem to be right at home here.

I’m quite fond of the crisp white mat and simple black frame. The colors look striking.

A note about the Squaring the Circle design.

I love the Squaring of the Circle motif because it is not only easy to draw but it has a balanced, calming feeling to it. Why? The squares offer a very grounded, solid design where the circles, flowers, and other design elements feel held together. They don’t float around. It’s a well balanced design.

As you look at these mandalas, imagine you are standing in the center, “four square.” This mandala is about knowing where you stand and deciding which direction you are heading. You can keep doing what you are doing or move forward by starting something new.

How about you? Where do you stand with your mandala practice?

Learn how easy it is to draw the Squaring of the Circle in my online Mandala Drawing I course.

Visit Yoga Balance in Manchester, NH to see my artwork on display during the month of May.

Looking for something new to try? Check out my new Soul Journey Mandala series. Each lesson includes a guided meditation, an art activity, and journal prompts. Try the first lesson for free.

Join the Sharing Circle a free membership community for mandala enthusiasts.