| Have you ever wanted to see inside yourself? I'm | | | | see in my mind a maze-like labyrinth with tall hedges |
| not talking about an X-ray of your internal organs but | | | | and sacred coves to meditate, but he had a totally |
| an up close and personal view of who you are in | | | | different idea. He wanted a flower garden that |
| spiritual terms. Mandala art can bring forth information | | | | allowed energy to flow by following the Chinese art |
| from within you that lets you know you've | | | | of color pattern and cardinal direction. |
| contacted a Higher Power. | | | | Randy took an iron pole and drove it into the ground |
| Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle". This | | | | at the center of our backyard. He tied a string to it |
| sacred diagram or meditation symbol is usually circular | | | | and walked outward from the center pulling the |
| and is a symbol of the Universe and its energy. It is | | | | string tightly and using it as a guide to mark a large |
| used in Eastern and Native American medicine for | | | | circle where he intended to start our garden. He |
| healing body, soul, and spirit. Meditative contemplation | | | | blessed the ground as a sacred place and then made |
| of the mandala can bring the inner light of the soul to | | | | a rough drawing of a design for the garden. Each |
| consciousness, activate hidden powers of the mind | | | | quadrant features a color, a cardinal direction, and |
| and open the heart chakra to the healing power of | | | | component of life associated with it. There is a |
| unconditional love. | | | | goldfish pond in the north, a fire pit in the south, |
| When my husband and I were taking courses at | | | | metal ornaments in the east and a wooden bench in |
| American Institute of Holistic Theology, I took an | | | | the east. We've placed an altar in the middle where |
| elective class on Mandala art and he took Feng Shui. | | | | we leave gifts such as herbs, gem stones, coins and |
| While I was shading and tinting on black paper | | | | seeds to thank the gnomes and faeries who help our |
| creating designs that reflected my inner soul, Randy | | | | garden grow! |
| was arranging furniture, moving knickknacks and | | | | Our mandala garden progressed over the months and |
| making sure each room had the proper color and | | | | has become not only a restful place to meditate but |
| placement of the five elements: earth, fire, water, | | | | a work of art that our neighbors and family enjoy |
| wood and metal. One spring morning Randy came in | | | | with us. There's nothing quite like having a sip of tea |
| from working in the yard and said that he wanted to | | | | and reading a book in a mandala garden! |
| start a Feng Shui mandala in our backyard. I could | | | | |