What is a Mandala? Mandala Art is a very powerful tool for healing, self-discovery and personal transformation. Carl Jung used Mandala Art extensively in his practice, believing them to originate in dreams, and to speak to the individual in the soul’s language: the language of symbols. Mandalas incorporate the use of color, balance, repetition, symmetry, and symbols to achieve a very powerful synergy that can actually have a physiological effect on the viewer. Mandalas encourage focus, promote a sense of calm, and even aid in the individual and collective healing of our society! You will see examples of mandalas throughout history and across many cultures, thus demonstrating their timeless nature and universal appeal. A popular theme for mandala art is that of religion, though the mandala itself is not a symbol of one particular religion. You will find mandalas in Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Taoist, Baha’i and Christian traditions, as well as many others, so we see that while mandalas are a powerful way to represent the spiritual, they are not limited to just one religion. “Mandala” is a Sanskrit word that translates “sacred circle”. There may be several reasons why the circle seems to be such a commonality to people of all backgrounds. We begin life encircled in a womb, and are birthed through a circular passage. The earth itself, the sun and the moon are circles. The galaxy we live in, the planets, the rings of a tree, flowers, seed patterns, our own eyes, even the very structure of atoms... all are circular! You cannot find a square anywhere in nature! The circle then is a very powerful symbol for all people, regardless of background. Mandalas represent wholeness, life, fullness, balance and structure. When you spend time meditating on a mandala, you begin to relax, to sense this balance and structure, and your place in it. You begin to trust life and the perfect completeness of things. And resting in that trust and place of beauty, you begin to let your body, mind, and spirit return to its original state of balance and health. Please enjoy the mandalas in this gallery, and feel free to contact me for information regarding personal commissions or workshops. I also plan to add a page where people can share their personal stories- specifically how mandala art helped them through a difficult time, so please email me with ( a concise version of ) your story if you would like to be considered for that page. May you be richly blessed! Namaste’! Janine Logue Wooten man·da·la (n.) Any of various ritualistic geometric designs symbolic of the universe, used in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation. Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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