1. Mandalas

2. Where did mandalas come from?
"mandala” East Indian language of Sanskrit

3. What is a mandala? "circle" yet is more than a simple shape
represents wholeness
model for the connectedness of life
an art piece that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

4. Symbols represent Represents celestial circles - earth, sun, moon
*circles of friends, family, and community.

5. Patterns in many religious traditions
Hildegard von Bingen - Christian nun-12th century, created mandalas to express her visions and beliefs.

7. In North and South America
Indians created medicine wheels and sand mandalas
Native American teepees are cone shapes built around a pole representing the "axis mundi" or world axis.

8. The circular Aztec calendar
both a timekeeping device and a religious symbol of ancient Aztecs

9. Asia
Taoist "yin-yang" symbol represents opposition as well as connectedness
Tibetan mandalas - highly intricate illustrations of religious significance used for meditation.

10. Website of mandala art

11. Making your own mandala
Get white inner circle piece
Decide on how many section of your life you are going to represent
Optional sections:
emotional, social, physical, intellectual, spiritual

12. Directions continued
On a piece of paper = brainstorm ideas for drawing symbols that represent important components in each area of life
Example – drawing music notes, violin for emotional wellness

13. Art directions
Divide the circle into the pie pieces for each section of your wellness concepts
Draw symbols and color in your sections for each component
When done, mount inner circle on a background

14. Poem directions
Create a stanza that tells about each section of your mandala
Work on rhythm, word choices and phrasing to make the poem flow