Getting to know mandalas

The word mandala comes from Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language) and means wheel or magic circle. The circle is a primal symbol and has no beginning or end. The outer edge of the circle symbolizes infinity. The inner space of the circle offers a safe, protective space in which you can find rest and peace with yourself, allowing all kinds of inner processes to begin. The dot in the center of the circle symbolizes 'before the beginning and after the end' of everything; it is the seed, it is timeless, the silence, the unmanifested, love and light, in other words, the concentrated primal force. Mandalas were originally used as a tool for meditation. We encounter mandalas in a great variety of cultures; these mandalas often have to do with the symbolic representation of religious matters. You can participate in the introductory workshop and then decide if you want to further expand your mandalas in future workshops. Each lesson has its own theme, such as: drawing the primal form, the wave movement, the lemniscate, form compositions, spirals in a mandala. There is a clear structure to the lessons, making them easy for everyone to follow. The lessons always begin with a short meditation, allowing you to find rest and make more contact with your true self. Next, we do some spontaneous drawing exercises related to the subject of the lesson so that you become freer and looser in your drawing. These drawing exercises can also give you more insight into your process of inner growth and self-development. After a short break, a compass and ruler are used to create a layout for a mandala that you can continue to develop and finish in your own way during the workshop and afterwards at home. If you like, you can then bring your finished mandala to the next lesson.