Using mandalas to reduce anxiety.

Hello fellow bloggers, today I will be looking into the use of mandalas to reduce the feeling of anxiety. I am interested in this topic as I have seen it in practice and have been surprised by the impressive results. The Oxford dictionary defines a 'Mandala' as a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, explored the psychological effects of mandalas. He discovered the mandala ‘in his efforts to relieve suffering – both his own and that of patients in psychotherapy’ (Cornell, 2006, p 140).

'In such cases, it is easy to see how the severe pattern imposed by a circular image of this kind compensates the disorder of the psychic state- namely through the construction of a central point to which everything is related. This is evidently an attempt at self-healing on the part of Nature, which does not spring from conscious reflection but from an instinctive impulse.' (Jung, 1991)

The mandala's construction adheres to three principles: those of centre, symmetry and cardinal points. The first principle is constant; the latter two vary according to the nature of the Mandala. Symmetry can be bilateral or dynamic - rigid and well defined, or absolutely fluid. The cardinal points may be precise in number, the amount depending upon the mandala situation, or the points may be infinite, and nonexistent as in a circle. (Arguelles, 1995) This quotation suggests that the design of a mandala can be up for interpretation when an individual is creating a mandala. They are able to have the freedom to be creative and not feel like their interpretation is wrong which can eliminate the likelihood of frustration or stress when taking part.

 Dankly and Stanton(2014) describe mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way”. This type of attention requires that individuals pay attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally (Dankly & Stanton, 2014). It could be considered that Mindfulness is closely related to the drawing and colouring of mandalas. Mandalas, like mindfulness meditation, provide an additional tool in which to focus one’s thoughts. Also, the sacred form of the mandala has been used by Hindus and Buddhists as aids in meditation (Buchalter, 2013). According to Buchalter, “Clients are better able to express feelings, thoughts, hopes, fear, and dreams when they create mandalas; their stress levels and anxiety decreases” and "Mandalas also facilitate the improvement of an individual’s creativity and concentration." Here it has been stated that mandalas are able to have a positive impact on health and well-being and the expressive arts. Therefore, mandalas should be used in schools as a way of preventing or overcoming anxiety. 

I have personally experienced the use of mandalas in a school setting. The mandalas were not given as a compulsory activity but were set out in a breakfast club where the children were able to choose what they would like to do. When the mandalas were first introduced over half of the 30 children that attended the breakfast club decided that was what they would like to spend their morning doing. A group of approximately 10 children would come in every morning to continue their mandalas and were eager to show me the finished product. Once completed the same group decided to start new mandalas and so the cycle continued. The children would continue to participate in different activities in the breakfast club but would often come back to the mandalas when they wanted to sit and talk with their group of friends. Although a lot of the time colouring was also spent in silence as the group was concentrating on how they wanted the finished product to be perfected. Some of the more energetic children did not seek out the activity all of the time, but when a child would come into the breakfast club feeling a bit down or tired, I would bring them over to the mandalas and have a discussion with them while they were colouring to make sure they were okay. At the end of the session the child more often than not appeared more uplifted and generally happier.

Is all colouring effective at decreasing anxiety?

Colouring structured mandalas and plaid forms can be more effective than free-form drawing in reducing anxiety symptoms. (Curry & Kasser, 2005).

This study used 84 undergraduate students (18-22 years old) to test whether colouring, in particular, colouring in mandalas could reduce anxiety. To start the research participants completed the 14 items of the State Anxiety Inventory, which was adapted from Spielberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene’s (1970) measure. Respondents rated their current level of anxiety on a 9-point scale. High scores indicated greater baseline anxiety levels.

Participants then went through an anxiety induction. They were asked to write about the time that they felt most fearful for 4 minutes. Immediately after the 4 minutes, the State Anxiety Inventory was completed again before the colouring activity began.

The participants were then randomly assigned to one of three conditions. All the participants in the room at one time contained the same condition so that they were unaware of the other conditions. The mandala group was given an outline of a mandala to colour in. The plaid group was given an irregular plaid design to colour in. The free-form group was given a blank piece of paper to colour in. All condition groups were instructed to colour in for 20 minutes before completing the State Anxiety Inventory again to assess whether their anxiety levels had decreased and which condition was the most successful.

The results show that the Mandala condition had the most significant effect on anxiety with a mean decrease of 17.1% after 20 minutes of colouring in a mandala. Even though the mandala and plaid design were composed of 324 areas of various shapes and sizes to colour in, the way the mandala is structured had an impact on the outcome. This research method however tested induced anxiety, the anxiety that the participants experienced wasn't from the current circumstance, it was from a memory that they had experienced. This could mean that the anxiety the participants could have decreased after 20 minutes without the colouring in condition. However, there was not a significant decrease in the mean anxiety score in the blank group after the colouring in condition. This tells us that the results found in the mandala and plaid groups are due to the condition and not the factor of the anxiety being induced. The sample, however, consists of just university students who may be more open-minded and willing to participate in the colouring activity, especially as they received extra credit for doing so. It may be harder to engage older adults into a colouring activity as it is seen as childish and a waste of time.

Significant reduction in blood pressure when mandala-making was used to process interpersonal conflict in adults with intellectual disability (Schrade, Tronsky & Kaiser, 2011). This research investigated adults between the ages of fifty-five and seventy-four who suffered from an intellectual disability. The method involved physiological monitoring equipment, they used a range of blood pressure equipment to ensure the reliability of the results. They found that the blood pressure of participants in a group that took part in making mandalas was significantly lower than those in a control group. This suggests that there is a physiological response that can happen when making mandalas which reduces our stress levels. This measure cannot be affected by demand characteristics like a questionnaire can, these figures show an actual physical response than creating mandalas can have. The sample consisted of older adults than the sample used in Curry and Kasser's research, and the same conclusion can be drawn for both, that using mandalas is a successful way of decreasing stress levels.

Not only can mandalas be used as a tool to reduce anxiety in schools but in all aspects of life. People may find that it is not an effective technique for themselves, but it is an inexpensive and simple method to try. Schools can easily integrate mandalas into a part of their day or week and even discuss with the children how they can use mindfulness to benefit from the experience further. 'Mandala-drawing had a stronger impact than writing on symptoms of trauma' (Henderson et al., 2007). I have seen first hand that they can be used as a way for a child to openly talk about the way they are feeling while also being immersed in something they enjoy.  

I have taken part in colouring in mandalas with the children that I work within a breakfast club, but I have never attempted to draw one. Join me in exploring mandalas as a way to connect with your sense of self and your wellbeing. 

 References:

Arguelles, J., & Arguelles, M. (1995). Mandala. Shambhala publications inc.

Buchalter, S. (2013). Mandala symbolism and techniques: Innovative approaches for professionals. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 

 Cornell, J. (2006) Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing. Illinois, US: Quest Books.

Curry, N. A., & Kasser, T. (2005). 'Can colouring mandalas reduce anxiety?' Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 22, 81-85.

Dankly, C., & Stanton, M. (2014). Teaching clients to use mindfulness: A practical guide. New York, NY: Routledge. 

Henderson, P., Mascro, N., Rosen, D., & Skillern, T. (2007). 'The healing nature of mandalas: Empirical study of active imagination.' Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 1, 148-154.

Jung, C.G.(1991) The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious p. 388

Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. (1970). Test manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. 

Schrade, M.A., Tronsky, L. & Kaiser, D. (2011). 'Physiological effects of mandala making in adults with intellectual disability.' The Arts inPsychotherapy, 38, 109-113.