How to Use Mandala Coloring Books to Focus Your Meditation
I’m sure we all have fond childhood memories of coloring books. I remember how much fun it was to shade in the details of a story so removed from my own in the colors of my choosing. It felt like I was being transported. This idea of being transported is what makes mandala coloring books so therapeutic for me. While coloring in the confines of beautiful, intricate designs, your mind finds itself busy, but relaxed.
The circular shape of the mandala is meant to symbolize infinity. Engaging with a mandala, whether through drawing your own, or coloring one in, is supposed to create a feeling of greater connectedness with the universe. I know that sounds a bit "hocus-pocus", but even my critical mind can vouch for these benefits. Coloring the mandala is a form of mediation. One of my ultimate goals for myself is to develop greater compassion and empathy, both for myself and for others. What is this goal if not a desire to be more closely connected with the world around me? But in a more practical sense, the mandala gives the mind a chance to go on auto-pilot while a new design blooms before you. When negative thoughts come, it’s only a matter or refocusing your mind onto the design. For those of you who are tired of negative self-talk or plain old idle chatter interrupting your attempts at meditation, a mandala coloring book might be just what you need. The word "mandala" comes from ancient Sanskirt and loosely translates to “circle” or “center”. The patterns were first used by ancient Hindus, but the designs that we see more frequently now are usually Buddhist in origin. [gallery ids="2291,2292" type="rectangular"]
Hindu Mandala Design Buddhist Mandala Design
Aside from the larger than life idea of interconnectedness, there are some immediate results that you can see from mandala coloring books.
- Spark creativity! – I have to say that coloring just gets my imagination going. That's not always so good for actually finishing the mandala because inevitably I get so inspired that I start to write, or embark on some other creative venture. As far as I'm concerned, that's a plus!
- Increase self-awareness - It takes a certain amount of intention to color. Your busy mind, taken up with following the design and admiring your progress, will be more able to cut through mental chit-chat and connect with the present. The less noise there is the more clearly you will be able to hear the way that you’re talking to yourself. Then, you can challenge and dismiss any negative thoughts that threatening to distract you from this awesome pattern in front of you!
- There’s no right or wrong way to do it - There is no right or wrong way to color the mandala. Whatever you did is right and it’s damn near impossible to make them ugly!
- Color at your own pace – When I run off to write a new post or work on my fiction stuff after coloring half of a mandala, I know that the only person that might judge me for leaving the job half done is me. So, I just forgive myself and come back to it later!
Have you ever used a mandala coloring book? Did you experience any of the benefits, I mentioned? What was your experience like?