CEIMAS – Centro Internacional de Mandala, Arte e Simbolismo

Grid box

When she looks at this image, C. says that she feels framed, tired, and imprisoned behind the “grid box.” When asked about what emotions or memories she may keep inside that box, she mentions her father, her career choice, financial needs, fear of failure, and attachment to her current situation.

Fire ring

(after 7 mandalas)

C. says that as she looks at this image she feels a lot of anger. She still feels imprisoned, but in a different way: within a red ring, within herself; imprisoned to a frustrating life. She says that she had wanted very much to study architecture but, at the time that she should choose her course, that was not possible for many reasons. She studied management, according to what she says, to make money quickly. Years later, after she had already started to work at a bank, she took a post-graduate qualification in Finance.

Explosion

“I can feel anger. I have the right to not like how my life happens. I can cross the line…” (C. continued the movement with the red crayon until it went off of the sheet). When she looked at the image, she said that she felt freer and more relaxed. “I have the right to not like my job. I can do whatever I want instead of what others want me to do.”

After this mandala, C. notices a significant change in her depressive state during the following weeks. She feels that she has more energy to get up, to exercise, and to be around other people.

Owl

(after a few mandalas)

“I like this image. It is strong, but it does not make me feel imprisoned. I like this movement outwards. As if the colors had opened up and were able to come out. If I look at it from some distance, I see something like the eyes of an animal. Maybe of an owl.”

She explored the meaning of owls and found it important that they are associated to intuition, knowledge and night mysteries. She was quite moved and said that during many nights she had the same dream in which she built houses. In the dream, she thinks about colors for the walls, and about what plants she would put in the gardens. She always works outdoors.

Swinging Owl

(after a few other mandalas)

As she looks at the image, C. says that she breathes easily and well, that she feels lightness outdoors on the swing. She says that she feels safe as the swing has the support of a strong, living, stable structure. She particularly likes the fact that she drew an owl with open eyes during the day, even though she knows that that animal is nocturnal.

Conclusion

In the first and last mandalas, the same colors, except the green, were used in a completely different way, and C. did not even remember the first drawing. Content that had been repressed and had not been worked on previously could be released through colors and gestures. They could be recognized, better understood and updated.
During this process, C. started freeing herself from patterns that no longer served her, she started building her psychic autonomy, and rescuing the power of her choices without getting afraid about other people’s reactions. She took responsibility for her own fulfillment. At that moment, C. decided to study Interior Design during the evenings instead of studying architecture because she thought that a shorter and somewhat less demanding course would be healthier for her current life moment, and at the same time, she would be answering to her inner call.