A Month For Mandalas – Loving Air
October 30th, 2015
Loving Air – A Month For Mandalas
Mandala inspired by air, feathers and clouds
This is the second week of A Month for Mandalas – Session Two
Planting Mandalas, Mindfullness & Prayers – Connection to Creativity & Nature.
An overview of the entire session is from the first week’s blog.
Prayer Flag Painted on Rice Paper – to be flown outside – feathers, birds, clouds and sun
Each week is inspired by one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Air is this week’s inspiration.
CONNECTION TO NATURE. Breath is the life force that begins at our moment of birth. It is the breathing in of air, of oxygen that fills our lungs and animates our life. The air that surrounds our bodies and the body of earth is what takes us to the sky and the heavens. Birds, insects and machines fly through the air. Feathers are a symbol of life meant to fly in the air.
A collection of feather mandalas – inspired by air and flight
MINDFULL CONNECTION & PRAYERS TO THE AIR WE BREATHE. We sometimes forget that air is what brings us breath. In ancient India there was a way of connecting breath to the earth with the basic unit of time being 4 seconds or one prana. The time system was a six base system. Here is how it worked:
1 prana (breath) = 4 seconds
6 prana = one vinadi = 24 seconds
60 prana =10 vinadi = 240 seconds = 4 minutes (time necessary for earth to rotate 1 degree on its axis)
60 vinadi =one nadi = 360 breaths=1440 seconds =24 minutes (time necessary for earth to rotate 10 degrees)
60 nadi =one sidereal day/night = 21,600 breaths =86,400 seconds = 1440 minutes = 24 hours
(time necessary for earth to rotate 360 degrees)
MANDALA PROMPT: Breathe. Feel the life force of breath as you become aware of how you breathe. Feel the earth move with your breath. Take time for deep cleansing breaths that fill you to deep in your belly. Feel the breath of your creativity in every cell of your body and being. Feel the synergy of your life and your breath by bringing your unique creativity to paper, or whatever art medium you use, in the mandalas you create. Let your creativity bring the breath of light to this world.
MANDALA MEDITATION: Loving Air
PLANTING MANDALAS, MINDFULLNESS & PRAYERS – the theme of this Month for Mandala Session is to help us connect with creativity and nature. The mandalas created in this session are to help us become more aware, in the moment with nature while at the same time honoring and sending love into the earth, the air, the waters and the fire of light from the sun. Here is how I am, and hopefully some of you will be, taking mindfullness and prayers into each element:
EARTH – some of the mandalas themselves, or paper copies, will be buried in the ground of my garden.
AIR – each week a mandala prayer flag will be created that will live outside sending its energy into the air.
FIRE – some of the mandalas themselves, or paper copies, will be burned so that the smoke and their energy will go toward the sun. The ashes will be put in the ground.
WATER – some of the mandalas themselves, or paper copies , will be placed in a bowl of water letting the water soak in and dissolve the paper. The water will then be added to a larger body of water. My plan for now is to take these mandalas at the end of the session to the Mississippi River and add them to the water so these prayers, thoughts and love can flow downstream.
SHARING MANDALAS:
The last Mandala Circle at my home art studio was filled with mandala making of not only mandalas on paper, but mandala boxes that hold collections of mandalas. These boxes are painted pizza boxes that were painted with fabric dyes, watercolors and inks. They are special holders, sacred holders of creativity for each mandala artist.
Linda Massie – Mandala inspired by seeds of creativity
Linda Massie’s Mandala Box inspired by recent sunset at her mother’s country home
MaryAnn Young’s Sun Mandala – Outside of Mandala Box
MaryAnn Young’s Inside Mandala Box – a Center of Everything
Karen Martinez’s Mandala Box Outside, Leaves & Inspirations
Karen Martinez’s – Inside Mandala Box filled with inspirations and
“Yam” the sound of the heart chakra
Diana Dickes’ Mandala Box – Outside with vibrant florals
Diana Dickes’ – Inside Mandala Box filled with creative flow
BIRTHDAY MANDALA
This mandala was shared by Nancy Kibens. For her birthday earlier this year, a birthday mandala about 24 inches across was created by her friends and family. Each person created a “slice” of the mandala to honor Nancy and share their creativity. Stickers, paints and markers were used.
Thank You to all the Mandala Artists for Sharing.
SHARING MANDALAS
. Please share your mandalas, if you wish, for these blog posts. Mandala makers from around the globe have shared their creativity in these blogs. It is always an inspiration to see how others express their amazing creativity. Send a digital file to Linda (at) CreativityForTheSoul.com NOTE: put the @ sign in the email address instead of (at).
ENJOY & CREATE – Linda
