Index of Thoughts

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Labyrinths & Mandala Art

Last week the girls and I studied mandala art.  A mandala is typically a circular, symmetric form used in most cultures.  The earth is a mandala, the yin yang symbol, the sun - it's anything that represents wholeness and life.

We studied different mandala art in different cultures.

We also created our own mandala art with flower petals.


We also colored some mandala art coloring pages with the more traditional Indian mandalas.

Download PDF HERE

For our Funday Friday my mom and I took the girls on a field trip to visit some real life mandala art.
Labyrinths are a type of mandala and are also so wonderful for meditation and reflection not to mention their beauty too.

Of course, the girls just ran around all over it at first until they settled down a bit to walk it.  You are supposed to walk it slowly and think about your journey.  The girls walked it very fast but my mom and I walked it slow.  It is such a wonderful metaphor for life.  There are so many activities that you can do with a labyrinth.



You can find a labyrinth near you using the Labyrinth Locator.

In the Southwest Colorado area, there is one in Delta, Grand Junction, Ridgway (covered in snow still), Norwood, Telluride and Dolores.  I recommend calling first.  Some are private and some are public.  I have really been pushing for Pope John Paul II Academy here in Montrose to build one on their school grounds.  I think it would be awesome to have there.

We ended up also going to a private labyrinth at one of my mom's friend's house in Ridgway that was amazing!





Inside:
Some activities that you can do with your kids with a labyrinth:
-Gather large rocks and paint a labyrinth on each one.
-Glue seeds in the shape of a labyrinth on a piece of sturdy handmade paper over a penciled labyrinth shape.
-Fill a shallow bin with sand and draw a labyrinth in the sand. For variation: arrange shells or rocks in the sand.
-Finger Labyrinths or a printed out labyrinth on paper. Walk/slide your fingers through the labyrinth. Try using your non-dominant hand or closing your eyes.

Outside:
-You could create your own labyrinth at home using rocks, rope, chalk, bird seed, etc...



Learning Tool:
- It can be used for things like dealing with grief, problem solving, conflict resolution, building community and celebrating joyful events like the solstices.
-There are a lot of books to use with a labyrinth and they are popping up all over at schools.

For more Info:  Go to The Labyrinth Society

1 comment:

  1. So awesome! I cannot wait to find a labyrinth to walk with the boys!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...