Four Fascinating Facts about mandalas

1.  Mandalas are some of man's earliest creative expressions -  Found among the most ancient art forms created by human beings, rock carvings  all over the world incorporate the circular form and its variations such as spirals, crosses, concentric circles.

It is thought that they represent worshipful awe of nature’s cycles and the mysteries of life and death. The alternation of day and night, the ever-changing moon, and the rhythms of the seasons are aptly expressed by circular designs. These natural occurrences became the foundation for a worldview based on circles.  

Source - Suzanne Fincher - Creating Mandalas

2.  Tibetan Monks create sand mandalas and then...destroy them - teams of Tibetan monks work anywhere from days to weeks to create sand mandalas sometimes requiring millions of pieces of sand. The creation of a mandala, the representation of the world in divine form, is perfectly balanced, precisely designed, and meant to reconsecrate the earth and heal its inhabitants. 

More than a picture, it is meant to replicate the floor plan of the sacred mansion that is life.  It requires the interplay of vivid colors and ancient symbols purposefully calling the community to meditate and become aware of something larger than their own small world. 

When the mandala is finally finished, however long it takes for the monks to compose this divine geometry of the heavens, they pray over it —  and then they destroy it.  Why?  Because the underlying message of the mandala ceremony is that nothing is permanent. Nothing. 

Source - Sister Joan Chittester OSB - Contributor to Huffington Post

3. Mandalas were/are used in psychotherapy - Carl Jung  is credited with introducing the Eastern concept of the mandala to Western thought and believed it is symbolic of the inner process by which individuals grow toward fulfilling their potential for wholeness.   

 Jung used mandalas in his psychotherapy by getting patients to create mandalas which enabled him to identify areas of emotional disorder and work towards healing and balancing the personality.  Jung stated, “It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the center.  It is the path to the center, to individuated oneness.” 

Source - Carl Jung - "Man and His Symbols"

4.  Using mandalas to meditate has health benefits - Mandalas can be used in meditation  which has proven health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and stabilizing cortisol levels. 

 Mandalas are used in meditation as a focal point, just as a mantra  (a personal sound or word to quiet the mind). They are beautiful,  symbolic visual aids representing wholeness and harmony with the universe. They facilitate reflection on mind, body and spirit and bring us closer to a higher consciousness. Their hypnotic effect can help take your mind off of day-to-day mundane thoughts and chatter so that you can better focus on your spiritual journey. 

Mandalas allow the creative mind to break free from the constraints of the analytical  mind. Color and sound therapists often use these images as healing tools.  They also have become a mainstay in psychic meditation and in the alignment of the chakras.

Source - Beyond Books - Psychic Library