Hello, and thank you for visiting! I am currently on an extended blogging break. We have shared some wondrous times and I thank you for that. I look forward to connecting with you when I return. In the meantime... keep creating your mandalas! The process is an amazing Portal to the Soul. If you are new to the process...you can get started right now by clicking here as well as other links below. Wishing you fulfillment and joy on your journey.

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June 30, 2008

"Gyrating with joy...I take flight"

I enter the door...
the door of my heart....
the door of my soul....
The place where I "be still and know"....
I feel the thrill down deep in my bones....
I declare: "Yes, I am willing to cross a new threshold...
to choose a new door....
where my dreams take flight.
Where...I am the co-pilot of my course...
In partnership with the divine Pilot.
I enter my heart's door...
ready,
courageous,
eager,
willing,
and with persistence...
and heartfelt gratitude.
Gyrating with joy...I take flight!"
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P.S. I realize I have the last two colors out of the conventional order...but I figure, Spirit knows what she's doing...so I just keep aware of that. I see it as my third eye is summoning more of my attention...so this is all very interesting; especially when I consider this post , and this one.
Things continue to evolve.

"Ancient Portal"

Ancient portal....
This feels a bit mysterious....
and ancient to me...
I sense that wisdom...
and and ideas will speak
to me from that deep blue
Ancient Portal...
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Of the third-eye chakra, S. Fincher* writes: "This chakra is the center for creative visualization and through this chakra you receie information from your higher self. The challenge of this chakra is to accept your ability to see beyond what is on the surface...and questions, and continue to seek the truth. When dark blue appears in your mandalas, consider whether your intuitive abilities are being expanded."
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That's what I love about this Mandala Medicine - We simply create spontaneously inside the circle we deem "sacred", and Spirit reveals what we need to know and see. All I...we... have to do is continue to seek...to have a passion for the mystery.......and allow it to unfold.
I love it!
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*In the book Coloring Mandalas (Book One) page 19

"The Center Beckons..."

An invitation to the enter....
the Center
is always there...
Its stillness beckons us.
It does not clamour
for our attention...
it just remains in the
fullness of Itself...
being what it is.
The invitation comes
from all sides, and directions..
from above and below...
It comes on the breeze
through the trees...
in the birds' sweet songs...
in the magnificient
orange sunsets...
and in the
presence of the marvelous moon..
The Center beckons us...
back to Itself...
back to ourSelves...
...and I am grateful.

"Becoming..."

I am entering uncharted territory....entering they mystery...
although...the intentions I've set forth are bearing fruit....
so...some of the mystery is becoming...
de-mystified....
manifested...
a new enthusiasm,
....courage and
confidence has emerged....
gifts of the Spriit!
With these gifts...I am closer
to my Land of Oz
than I ever have been.
The irony is...Dorothy...
you are already home!
Home in my skin...
Home in my soul...
Home in my breath...
Home in being deeply ripened
to further bring all the facets...
and jewels of my life's work....
...my soul's mission....
into form...
to help awaken joy....
and heal the world...
...so we can all dip into our
Oasis of Self....
and self...
and embrace, and love it all!
Ah...this "Life U"....
is enticing us....
challenging us into Be-ing
the fullness of
what we are
already..."becoming."
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I'm dipping my toe into the Oasis of coloring mandalas, something new for me. Oh my...there is no end to this glorious, sacred unfolding mystery. This mandala is from Susanne Fincher's workbook: Color Mandalas For Insight Healing and Self-Expression. Oh my!...a rebirthing is taking place....an Awakening...is in the works! And...at every turn Life winks at me...flirts with me...confirming this! Ahh...Life is Grand!

"Joy of Expressing"

This is my joy...
of expressing
life...
creativity...
love...
joy....
and sharing
This is my heart...
expanding...
leaping...
dancing....
and singing!
This ...
is my joy!
Thank you
for sharing yours
with me!

"Room to Grow"

Giving myself...
breathing space...
in people,
places...
and things...
Knowing myself.
And knowing
that I need....
breathing space...
room to grow.

"Lift Off!"

Lift off!
The sky...
of my imagination..
and passion...
is the
limit!

"Entering New Territory"


Consciously choosing...
Pioneering...
entering new territory....
and glorious terrain!
Uncharted.
Deliberate.
Intended.
Courageous.
Elation!
Horizons expand...
Evolving options...
Joy!

June 22, 2008

Intertwined Mandorlas


colorful... connecting mandorlas
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I've been drawn to make this shape for over a year now.
I made this mandala in Nov. 2007 and I've
learned this shape is a mandorla.
It has been manifesting
as eyes in my mandala work.
Talk about mandalas being a mirror of the soul...
this one reveals how important meaningful
connections are to me.
Connections...
with my Self...
my family...
and my family of friends.
It reminds me of onion skin layers
so closely connected...
and revealing more of itself
with every peeling-back of the layers.
Just like us.
Each experience...
each thought...
each reaction...
each response...
...or lack thereof
reveals more of what's at core...
revealing more of "us"...
and more about "us"...
to "us"...
layer... by layer.

June 21, 2008

Eye See With the Heart

Today eye seek to see...
with...
the energy of my heart
.
Today I allow my heart's eye
to shine light in the corners
of my psyche...
to coax self-compassion
from the corners...
and shadows...
so it can
rain on me...
so it can reign...
through me.
.
Reign on me, heart energy...reign, reign, reign
I am open to your reign....
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The Barbara Striesand movie (which I saw recently) and song lyrics - On a Clear Day... just flashed into my awareness - and oh...is it so true. On a clear day, we can see forever.

Synergy Mandala - Mandorla

Synergy occurs when...
the total is greater
than the sum of its parts...
like our energy
..at the Mandala Oasis.
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That's what this mandala represents...
Synergy created
in the combined
energy of
.
Synergy is found...
in unity...
...the area in common.
In this case where the
two overlapping circles....
create the almond shape, called
.
Synchronistic synergy abounds...

"Auuuummmm"

Ahh...yes... breathe...
let each breath relax
your mind...
and body...
and just...be...
feel the peace
in every cell...
breathe....and
rest in that peace...
"Auuummm"
* * *
This mandala truly is a blessing...telling me just what I very much need to do.
That little inner-chatter-box has been having a field day with me.
When I began making this mandala, I though it was going to be a circle of light
representing my third eye. As I colored the dark blue, the color tapered a bit
...and I realized there was a face that wanted to come thru...
and here she is!
I do love this process of creating spontaneously
in the circle and going with the flow of what happens.
So many ways to benefit from the mandala...
which Doreen writes about in her post "Yantra for the Moon"
on her blog Rooted to Fly . And in a few weeks at the Mandala Oasis
we will be learning more about, and experiencing
the healing power of mandalas as we

June 18, 2008

Tangled thoughts


Tangled thoughts.
Sometimes...
it's all just
too much...

"Just be you"

"And please, if you decide to approach this...do it with all the compassion for yourself that you can find. You are probably not a great artist or writer or psychologist or spiritual adept. So don't expect to draw like Leonardo DaVinci, write like Jane Austen, analyze like Carl Jung, or have insights like the Buddha." -
"Just be you."
~ Cheri Huber in How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything - A Workbook

I am passionate about turning others on to the creative, relaxing and insightful practice of making mandalas. There are many ways to make them, from hand-drawn to digital, to coloring pre-made mandalas. What I like most about it is that it's spontaneous, intuitive creativity. It's creativity as self-discovery and release...especially at times when words escape us...we can always make marks and doodles inside of a circle. And..it's so very interesting to see what turns up...and how it changes even as we create it. What's equally interesting is "how we are" in the process of creating, which can tell us a lot about ourselves. Ahh...this is such revealing work.

Whew...I experience a sense of relief and release of emotions and a sense of satisfaction after making/working on a mandala. I often work on one a little at a time, not always in one sitting. That creative time is becoming an Oasis for the Spirit for me. Each stroke, squiggle, squirl, curly-Q and curve... is an inner-mirror and mystery of the self. Only we can determine what it all means...to and for us. For me, that message comes from Spirit as intuition, a flash of insight, or syncronicity of information or a person shows up. My mandalas are often confirmation of an idea, feeling or emotion I've not consciously realized. The answers do come by continually being open to the process, by being open to the mystery, having passion for (seeking) the answers...and exploring the questions. Journaling, self-dialogue, free-writing with the mandalas helps too. I find this entire Mandala Journey of artistry and exploration...is exhilarating and fascinating! I trust that if you choose to exlplore it, that you will too.

Please note: Sometimes there's a tendancy to compare our work with the work of others, that comes with being human. Cheri Huber has advice on that too. In the same book as noted above, she writes:

"Comparing yourself to anyone else is like comparing apples and oranges. No comparison is possible! ...Just see if you can become more interested in the process of comparing than in what is being compared". (Again... "Just be you.")

June 16, 2008

"I am a wild flower"

I am a wild flower
Free to grow
in whatever way I choose.
I grow in some of the unlikeliest places.
I survive and thrive in ideal...
and less than ideal conditions.
I am hearty.
I know how to find sustenance...

I am a wild flower.

I am strong.

I am fragrant.

I am beautiful.

I am varietal.

I am free spirit.

I reach for the light, and find it.

I am a wild flower...

growing...and free.

"I bloom, anyway"

I bloom, anyway.
Breaking through the layers
of stone and rocks
and the hard clay of life
I bloom no matter what.
Reaching up, seeking my own
touching the sky and kissing the stars
I bloom...anyway.

Mandala Challenge: "Connect"

"In nature, we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it." ~Goethe

The focus of this week's Mandala Challenge is: "Connect"...along with its siblings: Connection, Connecting, Connected, Connector. Also invited on this week's journey is Connect's contrary cousin, "Dis-Connect"..and its siblings too. Sometimes simply being aware of a polar opposite is all we need to either shift, or realize the reality of where we are so we can shift to where we want to be...or celebrate where we are! So, some connections might include those to: celebrate...to look forward to...to grow into...let go of (like my ocassional connection to mindless eating)...or reconnecting with a creative project, a defered dream...a person...or situation... the sky's the limit!

So...let's let's allow the awareness of "connect" be our companion over the next week or so.

What would that connection, or disconnection energy look or feel like if captured in a mandala?

Might it be helpful to create a "connect" and "disconnect" mandala?...a symbol of releasing...and embracing?

"Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into conneciton with action. They must be woven together." ~Anais Nin


If you've not yet joined us, you're invited to share your mandalas and thoughts at the Mandala Oasis Yahoo! Community - or by leaving your blog link under comments. Ocassionally I will post our regular Creativity Promppts here, but the most will be posted at the Mandala Oasis Yahoo! Community.

June 13, 2008

Creating Your Own Mandalas



"The creative process is about surrender, not control." ~ Julia Cameron
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Below is my prescription for making mandalas, or "Mandala Medicine" as I like to call it; the Process is indeed medicine for my soul. It's relaxing...takes me out of my mental meanderings and allows my heart and soul to express.
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Ahh... self-expression without boundaries...through spontaneous creativity: marking, drawing, doodling, collaging, painting etc. inside the circle in whatver way you like;,,, setting the intention to release the energy of what we're feeling onto the page and into the circle...letting our energy articulate in images and symbols when words escape us.
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In making Mandala Medicine...whatever visual energy we express in the circle...it is what it is...and its relase is one more step closer to emotional, mental liberation...and the door of insight is opened; whether we realize it at the time or not.
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The photo above shows what I use in creating my Mandala Medicine. I gravitate to markers. Create yours using whatever medium you're drawn to or what you have on hand. Allowing yourself to express is the main ingredient needed. Let your heart, emotions, frustrations, joys and inights soar! There are countless ways to make mandalas...which Google will attest to...this is one of them.

HERE WE GO!
1.) Draw or trace a circle of any size (a CD or a plate traces nicely...anything round!) and color, doodle, or paint, inside the circle without giving it much thought; whatever shapes, lines objects you are lead to intuitively draw...let it happen. Simply play! ~ Use whatever medium you're drawn to: crayons, markers, glitter glue, glitter/metallic pens, colored pencils, paint, collage, beads, found objects of any kind, you name it! ~ Allow yourself to get into the flow of 'just creating'...moment by moment, intuitively and spontaneously. Have fun! There are no mistakes. A seeming-mistake becomes another doorway to what lies deeper within. - This is spontaneous creativity, nothing planned here! So...begin!
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Now, if you've gotten started...that's wonderful, no need to read further; but if you're thinking..."Wait a minute..there's got to be more to it than that"...there isn't...but I can provide a bit more insight and guidance, so...please read on.
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2.) As much as possible, surrender to the process vs. straining to create a certain end result. Follow your inklings and urgings in selection of color, medium and whatever forms you create in the circle. This process is for your personal release of emotion, physical feelings, inspiration and creative expression. Creating in the circle informs you of..you! This is a healing process, it's medicine for your soul. So, if you have a difficult time doing this...take a few deep breaths, be patient and set the intention to give yourself permission to express that very energy (resistance, fear, grief, joy, love...whatever you're feeling,..no need to name it) inside the circle...it's a good release. You might even hear yourself exhale with an "Ahhh.."
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3.) Remember there are no mistakes. A seeming-unintended mark or blob becomes another message to be revealed. You will know when your mandala is finished; then, make another one, then another! You'll likely discover that the more mandalas you create...the more you release and the better you feel! The sacred circle of the mandala is a safe space for the energy of your emotional body, as well as your physical body to express. For each mandala you create, place them where you can see them; and reflect on them every chance you get. Then make another one...and put it so you can see it too. Repeat!
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4.) Remember to keep your heart open so you can hear and feel the message of your mandalas, and the messages of your heart; giving them your attention, they will eventually speak to you in some way. It might be a whisper of a thought, a feeling, a dream...or an idea, so be sure to pay attention to any inklings you receive and follow where the threads leads by journaling, talking about it aloud, or sharing with kindred, like-minded souls (the Mandala Oasis Yahoo Community is a good place to start).
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5.) Consider jotting down: how you feel about your mandalas, what feelings came up, how you feel about making them...or just a word or phrase or two, it doesn't have to "make sense; or what you feel when you look at it...and any other insights that come. ~ Notice the colors, shapes, symbols and how they feel to you. ~ Mandalas have also inspired individuals to write poems, affirmations, prayers and short stories, and conversations between themselves and the mandala energy. This is amazing stuff!! And if you're not drawn to write anything down, that's OK too! Mandala Medicine works whether your write what you've created, or not!
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6.) Most of all, allow yourself be a vessel for what needs to come through...regardless of what it looks like. All of your creations are clues to the mysterious, beautiful, hidden treasure that is YOU!
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Creating mandalas is creative play, and a form of meditation for many. Read how making mandalas has helped others at this link... scroll and read the inspiring "comments" that other bloggers left.
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To become part of our online community, meeting others who are passionate about making mandalas (including digital mandalas) consider joining the kindred Mandala Oasis Yahoo Community that I started (click here to join) Share with others from all over the world doing this amazing, healing and revealing...and innately creative work.

June 6, 2008

"I am enough"

This poem made it way to me as I opened myself to the message of this mandala. I have a feeling there will be more to come:

"I am unique
I stand tall
I flower
Alone on a hill
Balanced in eternity
Rooted through and through
I am enough"

There is an elaborate root system far beneath, and beyond my flesh and bones. It holds me up when I feel like I'm stranded on a hill, or a mountain...of life's challenges and requirements. Then, this Root System acts on my behalf...oftentimes even before I have asked. Yes, that's Grace, for which I am very thankful. I then realize that as I stand on that mountain wondering what to do, and where to start...this Root System reminds me that I am not alone, and that It's always here doing what it does naturally: feeding, nurturing, supporting, assuring and showing me the way. Now I see...I don't just have this root system, it has me! And, I discovered something else....I'm not alone on a hill or mountain...I am bathing in an Oasis of Spirit!

"Yes...
I am enough
I am more than enough
...And I flower"