After I had began to recover from the first year of Wellness disease treatment I was beginning to see real shifts and getting back to a much more “normal” way of life. During one of my bi-annual appointments with a classical homeopath – she asked me a question that really gave me pause.
After telling her that I was feeling pretty good, and really seeing improvement she replied and inquired:
“That’s great! So……. have you gotten your creativity back yet?”
It was such an interesting question. I hadn’t really thought about the relationship between wellness & creativity – but it made so much sense. When life takes over, or times of stress or illness are upon us, creativity can go right out the window. LIke “play” or “dance” – creativity is a key way we express and access JOY in our lives. But they can also be the first things to go when we aren’t feeling our best.
Her questions helped me realize that I needed to create a focus on that creative energy – and I was surprised to see how much bringing creativity and joy back into my daily routines opened the door to new levels of healing as well.
Desiree East has made it her life’s work to support healing and thriving through creative arts. She is a nature girl, a plant lover (runs a successful native landscape company on the Central Coast of California as well!!!) and leads programs and workshops on Mandala art for wellness and personal transformation.
She shares below a little exercise in creating your own personal mandala.
The word “mandala” is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean “circle,” a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself–a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.
Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.
Whether you are seeking healing or balance – or even a more full expression of your life’s purpose and passion – creating mandala art can be a powerful way to reconnect you to source and to a deep sense of peace and flow. I hope you will try it.
(In fact, I think that working with mandalas is so important that I used the mandala as the foundation for our Shift Wheel App. And “Creativity” is one of the areas on the wheel to track! 🙂
From Desiree East
Healing and Transformation through Creative Expression
Draw a mandala.
Start at the center.
Use simple lines and shapes.
Work your way out.
And breathe…
I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, Des, you must have a lot of time on your hands…”
Actually, I don’t.
But, I make the time. To create. Because for me, it really is like breathing.
Zenning out on doodles and such is my go-to — my escape from all the to-lists, the deadlines, the {fill-in-the-blank}, that makes life kinda nuts.
It calms me down. Clears my mind. And helps me get back to into focus.
And if you know me well, I’m all about zenning out.
Join me, will you?
DO YOU FIND SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS DOODLING, ZENFUL? ARE YOU A SEASONED MANDALA ADDICT? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SIMPLY DOODLED? HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTERWARDS?
You can read the original post HERE!
