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Education

Mandala of the Children®

Transformative Art

The Power and Magic of Mandalas

The creation of the Mandala is born after a delightful, empowering process has taken place.

Guided visualization and movement are used to seed the creative field from which a Mandala will emerge.

The special nature of these exercises takes the child on a journey of Self recognition. This is illuminated in each Mandala as it becomes a unique expression of the child’s inner essence and beauty.

 

The Joy Within

In this process, the children get in touch with their inner heart, the joy within.

The Mandala born out of this process is a reminder that happiness is within themselves. It teaches them a tool to bypass fear and to remember to go within to find the place where joy resides. 

 

Finding one's own Guardian Animal

The goal of this project is for the children to know that they are not alone and they can ask for help or get information from within themselves.

This topic comes from the tradition of Native Americans. Transition from Elementary School to Middle School acknowledging the past and moving into a new phase of life.

 

Building Positive Body Image

The goal of this process is to integrate all unloved body parts or parts of the self which are unloved.

The journey to create the Mandala initiates healing and supports the emergence of a positive self image.

The Mandalas shown in the gallery have been created by third, fourth and fifth grade students. The children enjoyed these projects immensely and were very proud of their work.

The intention of The Mandala Process® is to embrace and love the body and self.

 

Love heals. Dislike and hate kill and distort everything. I know through my own recovery from an eating disorder that loving myself was the only way to heal. My journey to full recovery took many years. It was the door

to a deep understanding of human nature and a rich peaceful inner life. 

 

What I created with The Mandala Process® is the manifestation of the idea that emerged after many years

of working with different processes, to empower women and children by embracing their body and loving themselves. I believe that full aliveness is possible only when each body part, every inch inside and outside

of one’s self is loved, accepted and embraced. This state of aliveness comes from being at peace with one’s own body. Suffering from an eating disorder and a dislike of the body is just a reflection of how much the self

is not loved. This state of being prevents one from being fully alive and engaged in one’s life.

 

In Sanskrit, Mandala means circle and center. Mandalas can be very intricate, like the Tibetan Mandala and is

a process of centering-the gathering of oneself.

 

The Mandala Process® in itself, is simple and yet powerful. No directions are given  about one’s own Mandala except a white page with a circle. The circle is fundamental in sacred geometry and is held as such by Native American. The creation of the Mandala in The Mandala Process® unfolds intuitively and in an organic way through a journey of different processes. These processes bring the attention from the outer to the inner and the creation arises from the inner to the outer. So, the creation of a Mandala in The Mandala Process® is the

'gathering of oneself'.

 

Centering practices, visualization, inner dialogue, movement and journal writing are used to initiate the healing process. These different exercises help participants to become aware of the quality of relationship they have with themselves and their body. Connection and love of body and self are deepened. Self love is increased and with self love, compassion and forgiveness follow. The last process before painting is the visualization of healing colors and symbols, which are brought to the drawing.

The simple act of creating with the loving intent, an integration of a rejected body part or a rejected part of the self, initiates healing and “wholing”- the act of becoming whole. The body is a living intelligence and it responds to the energy of love, to the energy of embrace and to the energy of acceptance. 

 

The creation of the Mandala in The Mandala Process® is the anchoring of the healing taking place

in the inner into the physical plane. The healing acceptance of the body continues by taking some time each day to focus on the drawing, which has been framed and hung with loving intent. An adult may light a candle

to bless this sacred journey into wholeness, while a child’s Mandala is simply framed and hung in a special place.  

The intention behind this teaching is to teach the students to build a positive body image and implement healthy eating behaviors. The foundation of the classes is self love. Each of the exercises are designed to evoke this principle and build self esteem and self acceptance.  

 

The goals are:

 

  • Increasing awareness about which behaviors are based in self love and self acceptance.

  • Increasing awareness of how self love or lack of it, shapes their behaviors and their choices.

  • Acceptance of one's body shape. The process of accepting one's unique shape increases tolerance for self and others.

  • Understanding the changes related to pre-puberty and puberty. A very important understanding for girls is how a female fat cell functions at this time of their life. This helps to cultivate a comprehension of the dangers of dieting, unhealthy eating behaviors and fixations on food intake. Understanding such as these provide benefical support in embracing an ever changing body. 

  • Understanding the needs of the body: sustaining foods and the necessity to move the body.

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A student’s direct experience empowers the wisdom of the teaching as it unfolds through movement, centering practices, visualization, drawing, role-playing and journal writing.

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SAYING 'YES' TO SELF LOVE

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I AM IT

 

I am special

Among millions

I am the only one

Like me

 

My gifts are unique

My body is unique

My shape is unique

 

The body is a gift to me

With it I can feel

Laugh, cry, love

In it I experience life

 

The body has its intelligence

In letting it be

Loving it

Accepting it

It will support me

In unfolding the beautiful being within

 

My body shape simply is

Embracing it, saying yes to it

I will then be free to

Listen to my heart

Follow my dreams

And be fully alive

 

– Francine Ramu

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