Maybe you’ve been coloring for a while now and you’d like to try something new. Or maybe you keep hearing about coloring mandalas and are curious to know what all the fuss is about. So what exactly is the purpose of a mandala in adult coloring, anyway?
You can use mandalas in adult coloring in whatever way works best for you, but to achieve the most benefit, it generally helps to focus on regularly scheduled mindful coloring sessions. Focusing on coloring mandalas in a quiet, relaxing space will be more than an enjoyable evening; it can improve your overall well-being, too, as we’ll see below. So, why do people use mandalas in adult coloring?
The purpose of a mandala in adult coloring is to facilitate mindful coloring, which has many benefits, including:
-
-
- Sense of connection
- Self-expression
- Increase relaxation
- Improve concentration
- Foster mindfulness
- Relieve stress
- Decrease depression and anxiety
- Alleviate insomnia
- Lower blood pressure
- Strengthen brain function
-
Mandalas have been used for their restorative properties for centuries by cultures and religions all over the world. Their place in adult coloring makes a lot of sense since both mandalas and adult coloring provide many of the same benefits. Let’s take a deeper look at some of those benefits now.
Sense of Connection
Mandalas have been used for centuries by many cultures, so they represent different things to different people. So if you think about it, it makes sense that people coloring mandalas as part of an adult coloring practice would also each find different meanings associated with them.
Mandalas have traditionally been associated with:
-
-
- Symbolizing the universe and our connection to it
- Introspection and personal journey
- Higher self and deeper meaning
- Order within the self and greater cosmos
-
Many people to this day color mandalas to achieve a sense of connection, whatever that means for them. That can be:
-
-
- Connection with the inner self
- Connection to a higher purpose
- Connection to the universe
- Connection to a higher power
-
Regardless of your beliefs or the meaning, you associate mandalas with, coloring them can be a centering activity that leaves you feeling more connected.
Self Expression
Mandalas are excellent tools for fostering creative self-expression, so much so that they’ve been regularly used in therapy since about the 1800s.
Why are they such effective tools?
-
-
- The structured patterns provide boundaries that let people safely explore their creativity. This is especially helpful for people who don’t consider themselves to be creative, or who put too much pressure on their creative pursuits
- Mandalas can be excellent tools for reflecting a person’s inner landscape, based on the colors they choose and the way they color (messy or neat, hard or soft, etc.)
-
Even if you’re not in therapy, mandalas can provide the perfect opportunity to take a break from your hectic life and have a little fun with colors. Try coloring a mandala based on your mood, and see what pops up – the colors you choose might surprise you!
Increase Relaxation
A regular coloring practice with mandalas can help you relax, and let’s face it, relaxation is something we all need in the modern world. Sometimes all you need to relax is some quiet time alone to yourself, coloring in your favorite mandala coloring book. Maybe some quiet music and a nice cup of tea, and you’ve got yourself a self-care date. Plus, the act of coloring itself is a soothing one, with the repetitive movements of moving the coloring tool across the page. Mandalas even take it a step further, since you have to concentrate a bit more to color the intricate design.
Improve Concentration
Using mandalas in your adult coloring practice can also help to improve your concentration levels. It’s easy to forget, the brain is a muscle, and any muscle needs to be trained to grow. So think of concentration as a muscle that you’re building every time you have a mindful coloring session and keep your thoughts focused on the page and the task at hand.
Foster Mindfulness
We’ve mentioned “mindful coloring” a few times now if you’re not sure what mindfulness is exactly, it’s just the practice of focusing your mind on the current moment and nothing else.
So if you’re practicing mindful coloring, you’re keeping your thoughts trained on coloring:
-
-
- How the coloring tool feels in your hand
- What the colors look like as they transfer onto the page
- The sound the tool makes as you use it
- What your breath feels like
-
Mindfulness is often done in sitting meditation, but it can be done in any situation, and adult coloring provides a perfect chance to practice it since it’s a calming, repetitive activity that doesn’t take a ton of mental effort.
There are too many benefits of mindfulness to go into in this article, but unsurprisingly, each section listed is directly linked to the positive effects of the practice.
Relieve Stress
Coloring mandalas not only relaxes you temporarily but doing it regularly can lower stress levels overall.
This may be partly because it’s so important to allow yourself recreational downtime, sure. But coloring mandalas also quiets a lot of the internal mental chatter that often tends to make stress worse than it has to be.
After all, be honest – how many times in your life have you been at home, fuming and replaying an unpleasant thing that happened at the office hours ago, only to find yourself angry all over again each time you thought of it?
We’ve all been there. But ruminating in this way doesn’t help us feel better, and it doesn’t solve the problem, either.
Focusing our mind elsewhere for a while, on coloring a mandala, for example, gives our poor tired brain just the break it needs to cool the fires a bit.
Learn more about the benefits HERE.
Decrease Depression and Anxiety
Mindful coloring practices like coloring mandalas have been associated with decreased depression and anxiety if done regularly over some time. Of course, this is in conjunction with other treatments as recommended by a therapist or doctor, not as a replacement for them. In addition to the mindful aspect of the practice, coloring mandalas is a soothing activity that helps you focus your mind on something, so that’s helpful as it is.
Alleviate Insomnia
If you suffer from insomnia, try this: set up a bedtime routine that involves getting away from all screens and electronic devices for at least an hour, and using that time to practice mindful coloring instead. After a week or so of this, your body will start to pick up on the bedtime signals and start relaxing more during this process, so that after an hour or so of mindful coloring, you’ll fall fast asleep. Even if you can’t do this daily (we get it, changing routines is hard), regular mindful activities have been proven to reduce insomnia, so try coloring mandalas a few times a week if you can, even if not at bedtime.
Lower Blood Pressure
Adult coloring can lower blood pressure, believe it or not. This means, of course, regular mindful coloring sessions – you can’t expect to have perfect blood pressure levels the second you pick up a crayon (we wish).
This might be for a few reasons, many of which we’ve already mentioned:
-
-
- Opportunity for relaxation
- Lowered stress levels
- Better sleep due to reduced anxiety and insomnia
- Better feelings of overall wellness, resulting in healthier choices
-
Regardless of the science behind it, if an activity as enjoyable as adult coloring can have such a positive physical effect, there’s no reason not to try it!
Strengthen Brain Function
It’s not enough that using mandalas in adult coloring can improve your mood, sleep habits, and blood pressure, it can also strengthen your brain. Literally.
Mindful habits have been shown to:
-
- Improve left-right brain connection
- Increase the volume of grey matter
- Strengthen the hippocampus
- Lessons activity in the amygdala
What does this mean for you, though?
-
- Improved learning ability
- Better memory recall
- Enhanced concentration
- Better mood overall
- Increased problem-solving ability
People have known for centuries how important mindfulness is, but thanks to modern technology, scientists are now able to show conclusive proof.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it: the purpose of mandalas in adult coloring, all in one handy list. Remember, mandalas are just one of many tools in the adult coloring toolkit, along with other mindful coloring practices. Experiment with different forms of coloring until you find one that resonates with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I use for coloring mandalas?
You can use virtually any art medium that you prefer, although tools with finer points tend to work better on intricate designs such as mandalas. These include colored pencils, gel pens, and fine-tipped markers.
Can I draw my mandalas?
You can draw your mandala instead of coloring in an existing one if you prefer. This involves making concentric circles, breaking them into sections using straight lines that radiate out from the center, and filling each section with repeating shapes and patterns.
Maximize the benefits of coloring with my free adult coloring eBook and by signing up for my email newsletter HERE!
Disclaimer: The information provided by ColoringMasterpiece.com (“The Site”) is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however, we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on the Site. Under no circumstance shall we have any liability to you for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the Site or Reliance on any information provided on the Site. Your use of the Site and your reliance on any information on the Site is solely at your own risk. This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Terms and Conditions: https://coloringmasterpiece.com/terms-and-conditions/
