Connecting To Nature And Accepting Change Through Mandala Making

by jen armstrong

Through times of hardship and struggle such as what many of us are experiencing now, creating mandalas are a great way for kids and adults alike to focus their minds through this therapeutic activity. 

Mandalas are a beautiful thing and originated all the way back to the 4th century! The word ‘mandala’ means ‘circle’, and their circular design symbolises the idea that life is never ending and everything is connected.

Use your outdoor time to teach your little ones to interact with nature and connect to it by creating something magical! You can collect all sorts of bits and bobs you find in your garden or on your local walk, things such as little stones, leaves, petals etc.. and help them where needed to create special circular patterns. 

The extra special lesson that can be taught from using natural materials for your mandalas is that leaves and petals will change by withering and may lose their bright colour or shape, but they can change into something else which is just as magical in their own way! This can help us to teach children about impermanence and that things do alter and change which can help with feelings of sadness or anxiety. Monks also will spend days making their mandalas to the minutest of detail then will destroy them simply to reiterate the underlying message that ‘nothing is permanent’. This is especially important during this current time by helping children remember that this will pass, and although there is sadness and worry, there are also many beautiful things that are appearing such as communities uniting and coming together to support one another through difficulties and challenges. 

Everything is connected - we are to one another and also towards the earth, so let’s use this time to reconnect to ourselves, to each other, and to nature. 

THE WONDER OF NATURE

While doing our mandala activity, look what else nature brought to us! Thank you to our earth for sharing your abundance and beauty. This is also an incredible educational activity for your children, particularly during this time when we’re mostly on lockdown and homeschooling. Remember what you saw out on your outdoor adventure, then learn more about it at home. In this case, we can research turkeys, frogs, turtles and geese!