218. A Mandala a Day
I’ve been coloring a mandala a day for over a year now—first thing in the morning. I have a three-part ritual that starts with my use of the lap labyrinth. Then I color in a mandala, and then write a few words of reflection.
I have a clipboard and fix the outline of the mandala on nine or ten pieces of paper. I have a container of colorful markers, so everything is set and ready to go.
In the year I’ve just done it—read no books—and have found it a delightful way to start the day. At a certain point I started giving the mandala a title and I did that for a while. Now, sometimes yes, sometimes no.
I think the circle provides a structure within which I can work. I’m not starting out with a totally blank page. And many times something evolves. It seems to get my day in gear and starts it off with form and color and a smile.
Now I’ve bought a book about mandalas. We’ll see if that changes the process at all and I’ll write “A Mandala a Day—#2.”
