Zen Mandalas. Suzanne McNeill

the sun is the source of energy and center of our universe, the center of the mandala is the starting point for its creation. Your thoughts at the moment your pen touches paper turn potential into reality.

      Expanding Life

      The universe is infinite and ever expanding. Mandalas express this idea with spirals. Like circles, a spiral is never ending. Instead of tracing over itself, it continually reaches into new territory, exploring and growing.

      Symmetry

      Symmetry is a corresponding arrangement of parts on each side. Nature abounds with symmetry. Night complements day… there are both storms and calm, clear skies and clouds. The earth rests all winter in preparation for the growth of spring.

      Human emotions are also symmetric. Love counters hate, joy opposes sadness. Greeks defined beauty by the degree of symmetry. In their view, symmetry equated with perfection.

      Balance

      Everywhere in nature, there is balance. No element is more important than the others. All work in harmony. Health and happiness abound when balance is present. The sage fills his time with both rest and activity and appreciates the value of both.

      As in nature, mandalas include both flexible curves and rigid squares.

      Relaxation

      Stress enters our lives when we become overwhelmed, and forget what is most important, and go through the day reacting to events. Practicing Zentangle allows your mind to slow down. Worries retreat into the background. Your muscles begin to soften, flowing with the ink of the pen as you fill spaces with tangles.

      Meditative

      The repetitive nature of each tangle frees your mind from the pressure to make decisions, to take control, and to judge outcomes. The calm that proceeds from quieting the mind opens to a heightened sense of awareness. Insights come to the fore, changing your attitude and your behavior.

      Practicing Zentangle encourages a meditative state that provides a space to examine your thoughts, evaluate your pursuits, and create dreams that nourish your soul.

      Focus

      Focus determines reality. From ancient times to modern day, philosophers have come to the same conclusion: “As you think, so shall you be.” The Zentangle process allows you to shut out distractions.

      Learn to pick up your pen and think only of the motion you are making. When you draw ‘a mistake’, don’t worry. As in life, there is no eraser. Incorporate the ‘mistake’ into the drawing and use this opportunity to create a new tangle.

      Enlightenment and discovery begin when you focus your mind and get acquainted with the spirit within.

       “Highly productive people have a great sense of balance and harmony in their lives. They are thoroughly familiar with pacing and knowing when to retreat and clear their heads of immediate concerns.”

       Dr. Wayne Dyer

      “Anything is possible, one stroke at a time.”™

       Rick & Maria of Zentangle

      Mandala - PentTangle

      by Margaret Bremner, ©2010

      Size: 11” round

       Add joy to your mandala with color.

      Margaret used Sakura Micron 01 color pens to draw this design and the tangles. She added an acrylic paint wash for pale background colors and added darker colors with colored pencils.

      Photo credit: Grant Kernan, AKPhotos

       “Every now and then, go away. Have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgment will be surer… from a distance, more of the work can be taken in at a glance and any lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen.”

       Leonardo da Vinci