JURY DUTY - A TIME OF MEDITATION

Have you ever been called to jury duty?  I have been called a few times.  I have never been chosen but I have shown up and sat from 8am to lunchtime before being released.  I took this session as an opportunity to meditate and draw.  My MP3 player helped me focus past the conversations that were in earshot.  I brought my sketchpad, ruler, protractor, pencil and pens.  Instead of "waiting"  I let a mandala create itself through me.  I call it JURY DUTY.  I finished it up in the quiet moments before bedtime that night.  Ahhhhh - PEACE.  I slept wonderfully.

These are some other mandala meditations I have created indoors.  Some are with sharpie pens and some with watercolor pencils.  All are about 8" in diameter.

Add a little color to your dreams.

Patt

SUMMER IS HERE!

We have been blessed with beautiful weather here in New England.  In the last week I have visited six state parks and two wildlife management areas.  Often I bring my trusty four legged friend along for company.  Meet Benjie.  I call him various names but that is the "official" one.  He is very good at patiently waiting while Mother Nature guides me in the creation of yet another mandala.

LOCATION:  QUIET WOODS TRAIL - BORDERLAND STATE PARK - EASTON, MA

This mandala was created on Quiet Woods trail in Borderland State Park in Easton, MA.  The lichen was especially vibrant in color.

LOCATION:  BY THE DAM - AMES NORWELL STATE PARK - ABINGTON, MA

This mandala was created on top of a beautiful soft nature carpet of moss.  The breeze made designing a bit tricky so I needed to weight the holly leaves down with stones.  It is located near the dam in Ames Norwell State Park in Abington, MA

Here is an easy way to create a circle if you forget your string.

Happy Solstice. Get outside and play and watch out for the poison ivy.

SCOUTING SPACES

This last week we had two glorious days of sunshine and spirit.  I have been out scouting local nature spaces for future *MANDALA*EARTH*ART* workshops.  Top wooded choices for this season are in Norton and in Easton, MA.  Each week the terrain changes as new foliage emerges.  I have passed this area several times in the last three weeks not really noticing with my mandada eye but this week it POPPED right out at me.  I decided to move the leaves around and envision a 10 foot group mandala.  Will you be joining us to fill it in?  (See the space's photo at the end of this post.)

My mind has been very busy this week with several professional and personal projects in the mix.  What a relief it was to go scouting and take time to create.  Making mandalas is a wonderful form of meditation.  I recognized very clearly while creating this 3.5 foot spontaneous creation that all my personal concerns and busi-ness faded.  Nature focused me in the moment.

      LOCATION:  POND WALK TRAIL - BORDERLAND STATE PARK - EASTON, MA

It was a blessing find some white birch nearby.  This particular state park has very few white birch trees.  This beautiful mandala just grew and grew including the finishing touches of the lichen laden branches.

Earlier in the week at another location I found old corn stalks.  They are now gone as the fields have been freshly ploughed for this year's planting.  Each week brings new foraging materials to the surface.

LOCATION: EDWIN S. WILDER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA - NORTON, MA

One thing that makes these nature mandalas so creative is the pallette.  Nature gives you her paints.  You can plan and scheme in your mind what you want to form but that rarely works.  You simply don't know what you will find on the spot.  Sometimes you are so surprised it delights you.  Mother Nature guides you with the spirit of fun and play.

This is the site in Norton.  Beautiful.

This is the site in Easton.  Help fill in it in.

Details of the next Nature Mandala workshop are coming soon. In the meantime, get out of the house, away from your electronics and feel the energy that comes from this beautiful natural world.  Until next time - PEACE.

Patt

CONNECTING TO THE SEA

What a simply beautiful day on the beach in Westport.  Linda Hogan, author, teacher and energy healer and I created a huge mandala and soaked in the energy of the earth, sea and sun.  We have partnered up to bring you workshops to intensify your connection to Mother Earth.  Join us in June and tap into the power of the planet.  I will be updating this post shortly with the story of the day and the people that crossed our path and bathed in the energy of the mandala.  In the meantime, here is an excerpt from Wikipedia ... 

Mandala 

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.

Stay tuned for workshop registration details.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

What wonderful weather we are finally having in New England.   I have returned from Argentina and have been out romping in the woods whenever possible.  The Mother Earth connection is very strong right now.  She is asking for our help.  In reverence I have been creating springtime mandalas to honor her.  The energy within the mandala is absolutely amazing.  People stop and comment on their beauty and experience real physical sensations connecting to the energy of Mother Earth.  It is intensely powerful.  You too can experience the connection and energy.  You too can create a magical piece of Sacred Geometry.  Look for full and half day *Mandala*Earth*Art*  Workshops beginning next month.

Let Nature and Art Recreate You.

LOCATION:  MASSASOIT TRAIL - FREETOWN STATE PARK - FALL RIVER, MA

LOCATION:  POND WALK TRAIL - BORDERLAND STATE PARK - EASTON, MA

LOCATION:  LEACH POND - BORDERLAND STATE PARK - EASTON, MA