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Workshop Description
Beach Mandalas
A mandala is a drawing, painting or pattern made of geometric shapes. The act of making a mandala is often meditative, involving philosophical meaning and significance. This is because mandalas have phases of both creation and destruction, representing impermanence; they are a reminder that nothing lasts forever, and everything is in constant change. Mandalas can be free-flowing, organic, and asymmetrical, or they can be exact, meticulously measured, geometric, and precise. They are often made in circular patterns. Spiritual practitioners sometimes decipher many layers of significance in such artwork, but in its most basic form, it speaks to us about the fleeting nature of life, the fragility of existence, and the importance of doing, living, and experiencing life. To believe that we can hold onto or maintain anything is a futile endeavor that will ultimately result in sorrow. Making mandalas helps to relieve stress, anxiety, worry, overwhelm, fear, and depression while calming the body and mind and cultivating feelings of happiness, inner peace, and general well-being. We occasionally work on these mandala patterns in the sand at a nearby San Diego beach, aware that our efforts are fleeting and that the waves will eventually wash them away.