A mandala is a design which represents the Universe and is used as a focal point of meditation; a collection point for Universal Forces. The term mandala is of Sanskrit origin meaning circle. Mandalas are usually created using repetitive patterns.
People of all faiths and beliefs use mandalas as a spiritual guidance tool to help them clear their minds, focus, and establish sacred space to pave the way for meditation, inner peace and internal awareness.
The act of coloring the mandala design can be therapeutic by bringing into light a sense of well-being, and finding balance. Focusing on a task, letting your thoughts wander and shutting out stressors, leads to a clear and healthy mind, body and soul.
Choose a design that speaks to your inner needs at the present moment. This book is not to be done in any particular order, but instead as guided. Different colors represent many different feelings and emotions (see the list on the color sheet). Once you choose a design, color the design based on how you are feeling, what you are presently working on personally, and what comes to you naturally. You may want to do your coloring first thing in the morning to start your day on a relaxed and positive note as part of your meditation practice. Or in the evening just before bedtime to release the thought energy of the day and promote a relaxed sense of well-being for deeper and healthier sleep.
You do not have to be an artist to color a mandala. You only need to create the time and space to tap into the energy within and allow yourself to release any energy that is for your highest good. Adding your own colors as guided makes the experience a personal and healing journey. There is no right or wrong way, just use your own guidance and intuition.
Some of the benefits of coloring mandalas:
- Concentration
- Focus
- Clarity
- Meditation
- Increased Intuition
- Pain Relief
- Stress Reduction
- Release Addiction
- Release Anxiety
- Mental Sharpness
- Mindfulness
Healing Mandalas Coloring Tips
Color is EVERYWHERE! Take a moment to look around you….notice all the colors in your surroundings. The color palette is endless! Color makes us feel many things – excitement, joy and serenity, to name a few. It helps us to express our emotions, even the negative ones, in fun and healthy ways.
Healing Mandalas Coloring Book is full of original, detailed designs and patterns for you to use in a variety of different ways. As you color these beautiful designs you will find yourself focused, centered, and at peace. The images are printed on 8.5 x 11 high quality paper so you'll have plenty of space to express your creativity. After you are finished, you'll have lovely works of art, ready to hang on the wall and inspire continued healing.
Color Symbolism Chart:
Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate
Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.
Beige and ivory symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity.
Yellow signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.
Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.
Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.
Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.
Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.
Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.
Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.
Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.
Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.
White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, cold, clinical.
Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death, austerity, detachment.
COLOR MEDIUMS:
There are many types of mediums you can use to color an image: crayons, colored pencils, colored chalk, markers to name a few. If you are just starting out, your supplies do not need to be artist quality, expensive tools. Grab a simple set of colored pencils, crayons or markers at your local drugstore just to get the feel of it. Once you have mastered a few techniques, you may want to buy artist quality tools – you will find that the better the quality, the better the result. Below I have listed a few suggested brands as examples.
CRAYONS
Crayons are an inexpensive product and they come a wide variety of colors. You can apply different colored crayons in layers, one over the other to create an effect. They are wax based and easy to apply, however, they are not blendable in nature.
COLORED PENCILS
Strongly suggested for beginners. Colored pencils come in a wide variety of colors. There are many brands on the market to choose from that vary in price based on the quality and pigment in the colored lead. Some are wax based and some are oil based. All are blendable and easy to shade with and layer colors. Colored pencil can be blended with a stump (cardboard or cotton rolled into a stick with a point – available at your local craft store in the drawing section). They can also be blended with a non-color blender marker.
NOTE: Use a separate pencil sharpener for your colored pencils that has not been used for a regular lead, graphite lead pencil; otherwise, the lead will adhere to the pencil and you will get pencil smudges mixed in with your color. Best suggestion is to purchase a separate sharpener and label it “colored pencils only”.
COLORED CHALK
Colored chalk comes in a palette with many colors to choose from. They come in squares or sticks. The fun thing about chalk is they are easy to blend and layer colors. They can be applied with a q-tip, cosmetic sponge, paint brush, or stump. The easiest applicator is a cosmetic q-tip purchased at your local drug store – they have a tip that is pointed and a tip that is round. With chalk, you simply swipe across the chalk and then apply it to the paper in a tight circular motion. The chalk becomes embedded into the fine grooves of the paper. Excess chalk can be lightly brushed away or blow on the paper to remove excess chalk dust. The result is very soft, subtle and lovely.
MARKERS
IMPORTANT: If you use markers, please use a piece of cardboard under the page you are coloring to protect the following pages. There are many colored marker brands on the market to choose from as well and costs vary. The easiest to use are the brush tip markers, but the fine and bullet tip markers work as well. You will find what works best for you as you try different products.
MIXED MEDIA
Mixed media is the use of several different types of media on one piece of artwork, such as markers, colored pencils and chalk – all used to create different effects on one artwork design.
Techniques for coloring:
It is best to start with the lightest shade of a color and add more color to it. Remember, if you color something in with a dark color, it usually cannot be changed. Dark colors are beautiful and fun to use, but if you want to layer color, you need to start light and add more color to work up to a brighter shade.
Shading is done by applying a light layer of color and then going back into the corners, edges or places where you know would be farthest away and add more color. Blend as you go along. You can layer several different colors on top of each other to make new colors! The possibilities are endless!
When coloring a mandala – choose the colors that best describe how you are feeling in the moment. Let the design help you express your inner feelings... which will help you release them... beginning the healing process. It is recommended to work from the center outward to obtain a feeling of releasing your inner spirit.
Ready! Set! Go!
Let your creativity flow! The fun part about art is there is no RIGHT or WRONG way to design it – if you open your mind to what you are feeling and let that energy flow into your work – a masterpiece will be created! And what a wonderful feeling to look down at your artwork and know if came from within YOU! Have fun! And if you make a mistake – don’t stress! Most mistakes become something even better when it comes to art – there are no mistakes! My hope is that you will enjoy coloring these designs and let your inner spirit sing!
~ Sunny Dawn Johnston
Visit our interactive website, www.sunnydawnjohnston.com/mandalas for more detailed information about the Symbols and Archangels. Share your completed artwork, see what others have created and connect with like minds there too.
