Indigo-Daisy

When I was first introduced to meditation, I started by focusing on a Mandala, a sacred form of geometry which is intended to draw your focus to its center.

The word mandala is a Sanskrit word which means circle. It comes from the word “manda” meaning “essence” and “la” meaning “container”. Together it becomes the “the container of essence”. At the center of the mandala you will usually find a “bindu” also a Sanskrit word meaning “drop” or small dot which signifies the center of creation.

To use the mandala as a tool for meditation, first find one that is appealing to you and focus on its center. The one I chose for this post was created from a digital photo I took while on vacation. Notice how the tiny point at the center draws your eyes to its core like a magnet. This tiny dot is very powerful.

The idea behind the mandala, is that by focusing on it for a few minutes, it will help to clear your mind. It should have almost a hypnotic effect, slowing your thoughts, calming your emotions and becoming aware of your breathing.

Tibetan monks believe that mandalas have healing powers and spend days creating them as sand paintings.

If you are interested in creating your own mandalas and have Adobe Photoshop, Komra Atiri Cheyean Moriko of Earth Mandalas has a wonderful tutorial as well as some beautiful mandalas of her own that she has created.

Here is another neat site; Grace Cathedral in San Francisco has an online labyrinth which is accompanied by music. You use your finger to move a small icon on a path which leads to the center.

Looking though the plethora of mandalas that can be found on the net, I have found that they all seem to be a symbol of great peace.