Heaven Earth Natural Therapies Clinic

 A Balance of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

 Acupuncture - Herbal Medicine - Lifestyle Counselling - BodyTalk - Kinesiology

Creating personal illuminated symbols for

Healing and Inner Peace

An article by Robert and Shauna Kendall

Mandala Gallery Images

Drawing Holy Mandalas

1. It might help to explain a little of the particular techniques we use. First we start with black pastel paper (symbolising the void, unformed spirit, black being all absorbing)
2. then use a white pencil (symbolising light, manifest spirit, white reflects all light) to bring forth the inner light, to illuminate the symbol.
3. An empty circle is drawn on the paper, thus being a receptive container for our energies. To receive a symbol, we go into meditation.
4. As we meditate, with the intention of directing transforming light upon a given situation or invocation, we then welcome the light and ask for a symbol to be revealed, followed by a blessing of our tools.
5. The pencils and paper are visualised full of vibrating atoms - energy/light and we imagine the point of the pencil as our point of focus in the drawing meditation.
6. In the act of drawing, we quickly get feed back when our mind drifts because the drawing becomes dull and flat. Pencils, if not sharp, cause the paper to get waxy and this has a tendency to flatten out the mandala.So as we work outwardly, we have to work inwardly to stay aligned to the creative wource who is really doing the work.

Working with white on black

The exercises are designed to allow the radiance of the Mandala to emerge. Therefore, before any colour is used, the mandala is illuminated with white. Not all the black is covered, as the symbol is most powerful when some areas of black are left, giving the white a strong background contrast.

According to Raja Yoga and Hindu philosophy, this work of bringing in the light builds up an etheric or astral blueprint of energy in and around the body which strengthens with each practice. This blueprint will eventually affect the physical body and this is why mandalas or sacred symbols are often used to promote healing.

Carl Jung writes: "When I began drawing the mandalas, I saw that everything, all paths I had been following all the steps I had taken were leading back to a single point - namely, to the midpoint. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation."

When we work with Judith, she doesn't concentrate on getting people to process their pain. She only points them back to their connection with their inner light. When someone has a problem or gets stuck she consistently keeps saying "Go inside and ask that it be revealed to you, ask to be shown the next step."

This annoyed me at first because I thought she was avoiding dealing with our negative 'stuff' but after many mandalas, I now know that God's love is waiting there for all of us, we only have to surrender to the love and healing powers that are waiting to come through us - we only have to forgive ourselves enough to ask for help and all will be revealed

We need to concentrate on what works; to make a map of heaven, not hell. We know the 'hell' patterns all too well. Spirit wants to, indeed has to work through us. That is why we have the ability to create.

In developing our own symbols, our own sacred art, and bringing them into form to share and help heal the world, we are confronted with creativity,light, intuition, beauty and love.

For me, drawing mandalas, is a gentle form of devotion. In drawing a sacred symbol I open up my heart to my own sacredness and unlock my inner light to illuminate my Soul's path to the Divine.

My difficulties have always been to quieten my mind, to trust what is in my heart and to act on what I feel comes from Spirit. The sacred art of mandalas offers a gentle visional path to all of those things. It is a devotional creative practise which is truly a gift of creative expression from the Great Creator.

(Shauna And Robert Kendall are based on the Gold Coast, Australia. They wish to acknowledge that the inspiration for this article comes from the work of Dr.Judith Cornell Ph.D., author of 'Mandala: Luminous Symbols For Healing.' pub: Quest Books.)

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Mandala Gallery Images

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contact us
Shauna & Robert Kendall

@HeavenEarth Natural Therapies Clinic
Phone (07) 5522 04111/12 Classic Way,

Burleigh Waters. Queensland. Australia

What is Art Therapy

Art therapy uses the creation visional art to help people discover and express their feelings.

Unlike art for art's sake, which focuses on the finished piece, art therapy focuses on the process of creation itself.

Moreover, the activity is undertaken primarily for its healing benefits rather than for the creative end result; in fact, the piece of artwork may never be shown to anyone outside the therapy session.

The act of making a piece of visional art triggers internal activity that contributes to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Art therapy can be incorporated with psychology (in which art is used to uncover hidden emotions) and physical therapy (which uses art to help build self-confidence and aid rehabilitation).

Child psychologists and family therapists often use art therapy because children have a hard time putting feelings into words.

Art therapy helps healing in various ways .

1. The aesthetic quality of the work produced can lift a person's mood, boost self-awareness, and improve self-esteem.
2. Research shows that physiological functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, slow when people are deeply involved in an activity they enjoy. (This is the alpha state of the brain wave pattern)

In addition, making art also provides an opportunity for someone to exercise their eyes and hands, improve eye-hand coordination, and stimulate neurological pathways from the brain to the hands.

The creation of art helps people get in touch with thoughts and feelings that are often hidden from the conscious mind. It is often easier to express yourself through a visual medium, instead of speaking out loud.