February 2009 – Calmness

This month’s mandala came to me rather quickly today. And when I put the question out there about what word goes with this mandala, the first word that popped into my head was “calmness”.  I highly recommend that you read Wikipedia’s definition of calmness and Merriam-Webster’s definition of calmness.

It’s interesting that it is the word “calmness” (abstract noun) versus the word “calm” (adjective).   As an adjective, “calm” further describes another word (ie: a calm day, a calm sea, she remained calm…how did she remain? calm).  The word calmness, however, describes a state of being, it stands on its own.

This mandala is about creating calmness in our lives regardless of what’s going on around us.  Calmness can be achieved in many ways; yoga, meditation, deep breathing, to name a few.  In general, coloring, and especially coloring mandalas, is a fun way to meditate allowing you to achieve calmness.

This particular design has many possibilities, especially if you rotate it around; it changes with each different perspective.  To me it looks like floating sheets of paper interlaced with each other, like catching a snapshot of cards being shuffled.

For the month of February strive to achieve calmness in whatever way works best for you.  Coloring this mandala is a step in that direction.  Bring it and your pencils or crayons with you so that when you are in a situation that’s stressful (and it’s safe to do so), pull it out and start coloring.  Just 15 minutes a day will make a big difference.

Happy Coloring!

Maureen, The Mandala Lady