What is a Mandala?

One would normally associate a Mandala with a beautiful, symmetrical, circular drawing.  It has been used as a meditation tool as part of Spiritual practices, particularly in the Eastern traditions, for centuries. However in the context of GIM, we use the Mandala drawing as understood by the famous psychoanalyst  C.J. Jung. He saw it as a symbolic representation of the Whole. To him the human psyche can be represented by the symbol of a circle.

A variety of Mandala's drawn during a GIM group session

How is Mandala art linked to the GIM process?

Drawing a Mandala picture is an integral part of the GIM process as stage 4, after the client has ‘travelled’ to music.

Herewith a summary of the GIM process followed during an individual session:

1. Introduction, choosing a theme and setting an intention

2. Relaxation

3. Music: Listening to recorded music in a relaxed state, ‘traveling’ to the music

4. Art expression of the journey - Mandala drawing

5. Post-talk – often centered around the Mandala drawing

The Mandala drawing: The client draws a picture of their images or experiences, which they take home with them. It therefore serves as a reminder of their GIM journey.

Most often an A3 sheet of white paper is used, with a big circle drawn with pencil in the centre. The client is encouraged to represent their journey in a visual form with oil pastels or chalk pastels. They may draw inside the circle and/or outside of the circle drawn with pencil. They may draw images or colours which they ‘saw’ during the journey, or they may draw literal pictures or use symbols to represent feelings or experiences

For example: in the Mandala drawing above, the client started by drawing a tree, which was a familiar image, representing, strength, stability and growth to her. During this journey she saw the branches of the tree transforming into the wings of a bird. This symbolized a sense of freedom to her - she could rise up with strength, from her roots, thus liberating herself. From the higher perspective she could appreciate the value of what the tree represented to her, as well as experiencing the true freedom which she had achieved, during her session. The symbol of the tree, had been a recurring image for this client during many GIM journeys. The transformation of the tree into the bird of freedom, is representative of her transformation through the GIM process.  

The expression of the journey through a creative medium such as a Mandala drawing, enables the images to deepen in meaning and for the experience to be integrated.

The role of the mandala drawing in the Post –talk:

The Post-talk, Stage 5 of the individual GIM session is led by the GIM fellow. The post–talk serves to review and integrate the whole GIM session and to affirm the wisdom and healing gained. As the clients journey is now visually represented by their Mandala drawing, the fellow often uses the drawing to initiate the post-talk.

For example: Continuing with the Mandala represented above, the client will be asked questions such as:

“Tell me about your picture! What did you draw?”

“What does the tree represent to you?”

“What does the colour green mean to you?”

“If the tree could talk, what would it say?”

“What attracts you most, about your drawing?”

The Mandala drawing is pivotal to the deepening of the analysis of the ‘travel’ which the client experienced. It can also be used in a systemic way i.e. allowing the changes which need to happen in the moment, to occur on the drawing. If the client has an insight about the images ‘seen’ during the ‘travel’, while working with the Mandala drawing during the post talk, he/she can then change the drawing to represent the insight gained.

For example:Using the Mandala drawing above: the client may want to highlight the image of the bird even more, because she has realized that she has gained liberation. This act can be a celebration and affirmation of her freedom gained.  

Clients who experience GIM have profound changes and, as a result of one or more sessions, make choices that lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.