MariaInes

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Nowadays most people are aware of the existence of religions in the world. However, when the question is asked for a definition, our minds wander among God, gods, angels, demons, temples, people with special dresses. Others think about Christianity, Islam, Buddhism as entities that embody the notion of religion. It is a concept that is part of our daily lives, for both theistic and atheistic people but trying to articulate a definition that embraces all religions is difficult.

Time with God through prayer is an important part of the life of believers. As a Christian, I find that prayer is a mindful practice that focuses on the eternal. In other words, the here and now for believers is anchored in their relationship with God. Most of the religions have forms of recording their tenets, history, and traditions revolving around God. Christianity is not different. Our main source of inspiration comes from the Bible and life of Jesus. Even non-believers can use these techniques to find a way to practice mindfulness in the framework of art therapy.

The Mindfulness movement is related to awareness and meditation to understand consciousness. I have been exploring the concept and I find that one of the aspects that attracts me towards it, is that helps to concentrate and relax while you focus on the present. Living in the present is the mantra of this movement, but that is perhaps not the whole body of the concept. Mindfulness can be applied to all aspects of our lives if understood in a broader sense.

Traditional art is strongly tied to the sacred in ancient cultures. Dances are not different, they reveal the relationship that existed between the people and their religious beliefs. It is also important to remember that nature was seen as sacred and humans were fully aware of their interdependence. These dances are full of imagination and symbolism. On the other hand, the mandalas give a creative space to draw and appreciate the art from ancient cultures.

The original use of the word mandala in a religious context was first used by Hindus and Buddhists. Today, the concept of a mandala resonates with spirituality and meditation as a mean to center the self in the present. However, Carl Jung was a pioneer in the use of a mandala to travel to the subconscious, which helps people to be aware of problems that need a solution. On the other hand, the appearance of mandala-like symbols in the religious context of other cultures brings to our attention that there is a cross-cultural pattern related to the circle. Dances and rituals can be used to inspire the creation of mandalas.

Mandalas are found in almost all coloring books for adults. The reason behind is that they are connected to the Mindfulness movement that links Buddhism and meditation with a positive influence on our mental health. The mandalas are also used by some therapists as a window to the subconscious. I started exploring why is that a mandala can be embraced by anyone that would like to use coloring books for adults and I ended seeing folkloric dances as living mandalas.

Coloring books for adults are very trendy. This activity is associated with creativity and pleasant memories that help to soothe our senses and calm our bodies. It is an available tool to relieve the anxiety related to the frustrations of daily stress.