“Creativity awakens in us the power of now and brings value and meaning to every aspect of our lives.”
One of the ancient principles of Mandala making from India and Tibet is that their creation signifies the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy.
The Mission of the Mandala Medicine Movement is to bring mandalas as points of connection, beauty and peace to cities and towns all over the world. Foundational to our method is that it is free, involves people of all ages and all artistic abilities. We are fostering the next generation of community builders in our method so the joy, beauty and sense of belonging may be shared and continue to grow among the people.
The Community Mandala is a large painting on the ground, in the street or in a park, sponsored by grants and donations, is designed and planned with a team and brought to the community to paint. It is a 40ft-60ft Diameter circular painting that is drawn with chalk and painted with tempera paints. It is not permanent and can last for months, fading over time.
Community Mandala making is often allied with city celebrations and special events such as Earth Day, etc. They provide a "magic carpet" or stage upon the ground on which ceremonies for special events can take place. They also provide a beautiful stage for spoken word, musical and dance performances to take place.
We are continuing to develop our MMM programs and we are regularly updating our website as we go forward.
We will be presenting our 2 week Residency Program which includes workshops, team building presentations in the community, the Mandala and a completion circle. Our intention is to teach this method of using art to build community and, as part of our legacy, passing the method.
Reach out to River at MandalaMedicineMovement@gmail.com
We base our method on these principles:
- Inclusivity - all ages, all abilities, all genders
- Honesty - We are sincere and straightforward in our communications
- Love - we treat each other as friends. We care about each other and exercise and model compassion.
- Humility - everyone is important. Their presence and participation has value.
- Creativity - everyone is creative and we encourage and inspire participants to be brave and to allow their creativity to shine forth.
- Generosity - All materials and guidance are provided free of charge to participants. This is possible because of generous support from the community through donations, grants, support from the city and local organizations and the volunteerism of our friends, neighbors and visitors.
- Spirit of Place - We guide the pictorial artists to ponder on what they love about their locale and to consider the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This encourages participant's connection with the land and places them with the here and now. This is foundational to our Mandala Medicine Movement method.
- Cohesiveness - All participants and helpers are guided to work well together. We foster harmony in the space.
- Freedom and Improvisation - we encourage sharing ideas on the spot and supporting each other's expression in the space.
- Respect - we respect each other, from the smallest baby to the eldest and all those in between.
- Peace - a peaceful atmosphere is promoted and protected.
- Wisdom - we make decisions and take action keeping the good of the individual and the whole in mind. We apply our experience and knowledge with sound judgement.
- Legacy - We are sharing this method of community engaged mandala making with the intention of leaving a living legacy and published “blueprint” for those yet to come.
The painting event works best when we have “grandmothers” in leadership. Participants naturally feel safe and seen when elder women are facilitating. Grandmothers care for others and have come to terms with their egos and that's where we want to lead from. This comes from natural order. Our elders who have reached mastership guide the group.
The method works best with a mix of ages and genders on the support team. That is not to say that younger people or other genders cannot lead, it is an observation from over 30 years of the method.
This is your opportunity to learn fro River who is sharing her over 30 years of experience using art to build communities.
Reach out to River at MandalaMedicineMovement@gmail.com
