As the warmer weather is approaching and we are able to enjoy our parks and beaches again I want to explore two of my favourite things…art and mindfulness! We can create art anywhere! It is such a great medium to allow us to be ‘present’ or ‘in the moment’ as we are thinking and concentrating on creating, allowing the pace of the world to just slow down.
So welcome to the first part of Mindfulness in Art!
Nature Mandalas
A Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Circle’ and represents harmony and balance. Nature mandalas can be made anywhere, with anything! I was lucky enough to spend some time on the beautiful Kangaroo Island in the holidays and collected shells and plants with my boys to create mandalas on the beach.
You need to start at the centre and place your collections in a pattern, from the middle and working out to the sides. As my canvas was huge (the whole beach) I just needed to decide when it looked balanced and in harmony.
During this quiet time, we were also able to observe (due to the silent time) a pair of nesting oyster catchers quietly going about their business of sitting on their nest…it was just beautiful!
We then took images of our mandalas and left them there to slowly dissipate with time back to the elements.
Just a beautiful and fun experience with my boys!
Please post images of your Nature Mandalas and share them with our Kids in Adelaide community!
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Resilient Kicks specialise in innovative disability and mental health services for children and young adults in Adelaide. Their services follow an Emotional Resilience Program centered on promoting psychological and emotional health. They run group programs in Inclusive Dance, Inclusive Art Therapy & their Inclusive Football Academy. Their services are facilitated by various qualified professionals using the demonstration and teachings of evidence-based psychological strategies through a variety of disability support services and programs. They offer a non-clinical and compassionate approach that is inviting and nurturing which has shown to achieve real impact with young clients. Resilient Kicks Sign up at www.resilientkicks.com.au or call 0870801374
