Mandalas and naturally sourced materials

 

Nature mandala made by nature informed art therapy group using found & picked seasonal plants from wooded site.

Mandalas are used in many Eastern spiritual traditions as a form of meditation. Mandala means 'circle' in Sanskrit. Some consider the mandala a symbol of the universe. They are used as a form of stress relief by therapists today because clinical studies have shown that making a mandala can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and pain, promote sleep and ease depression. Art therapists sometimes ask clients to make their own mandala to express how they are feeling in the present moment as a check-in at the beginning of a session. When making a mandala inside, people often work from a template and are invited to use line, shape, form and color in any way they wish. 

A mandala made with natural materials found outdoors in a therapy session is present-centered activity that invites clients into a quiet absorption. When indoors, provide natural objects or cut plants on for selection and placement on a table or floor. Begin with found objects gathered from nature. Be mindful of whether it's alright to pick living plants at the site where the art therapy session occurs. Select what appeals to you from what's available. 

If unsure where to begin, start in the center. Or set the outer boundary first, then fill areas in any manner. 

Allow the natural mandala to spontaneously evolve in any way desired. 

When finished, invite clients to write in a journal or share thoughts about the process and experience. Often surprising discoveries, phrases, revelations and associations come to mind. Sometimes, it's helpful to give the mandala a title to end or close the mandala making session. 

Time spent making a mandala encourages direct connection to nature through haptic touch, feeling textures, seeing colors, measuring forms found and used as mandala materials. The mandala is an ephemeral land drawing: transient and changeable. These inherent qualities may also be something to reflect upon as it relates to life cycles, accepting change, and letting go. Nature informed art therapists hold an ethical responsibility to be well appraised of pre-established outdoor locations. The site itself must be secured with liability insurance and the client's written consent  before venturing outdoors. 

Watch for the next blog entry about the expressive therapies continuum and how natural materials might be integrated into this important art therapy theory (first developed by Kagin and Lusebrink in 1978).