MANDALA’S &

MENTAL HEALTH
5 th Grade Art Class
What are mandala’s?
A mandala is something often created from Asian
cultures, in Hinduism and Buddhism is believed by
advancing towards the center of the circle, there is a
transformation from any pain or sadness into extreme
happiness.
As Buddhist monks traveled on the Silk Road, they
connected through East and West routes and brough
Buddhism to other lands, with them they carried these
Mandala’s, soon enough as Buddhist traveled they
began to become more prominent among the land.
People who believed in the happiness these mandala’s
could bring were commissioned and would work on
the floor with paints and a huge canvas rolled up on
the floor.
Mandala’s Benefits on Mental Health
There are three different types of Mandala’s each one helping one find their truest self in a different way, the two that
we will talk about today are…
Teaching Mandala:
These types of Mandalas are symbolic, each shape, line, and color represent a difference aspect of a
philosophical system, this is where a student creates his or her own mandala based on principles of design and
construction, usually representing a kind of story pertaining to their life.
 Healing Mandala
 This is where sitting down to do the mandala is made more for the purpose of meditation,, these types of
mandalas can invite different emotions and help calm and channel focus/attention back to the real world.
 These different types of Mandala’s provide numerous ways for a person to sit back and think about all the stresses in
the world and put themselves back on solid ground and being able to find an outlet in a sometimes difficult world.
Class Activity Directions

Today you will create your own mandala telling

your own story!
Materials you will need:
7.5x7.5 inch circle, just like the one on this
slide.
Black and blue ink pens
Crayons
Colored Pencils
You will use these supplies to design your
own mandala. After 35 minutes we will come back
together for a group discussion! Remember this is
supposed to be blissful and creative! Enjoy!
Examples- the beauty is each one tells a
different story.
QUESTIONS??
References
◦ Slide 2:
◦ https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-a-mandala/

◦ Slide 3:
◦ https://www.alustforlife.com/tools/mental-health/the-healing-benefits-of-mandalas-and-zendalas

◦ Slide 5:
◦ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7RpH0w8CAek/T_CTtl5QqxI/AAAAAAAAAoY/FWL_T0dLCvM/s1600/mandala-tree-of-life.jpg

◦ http://www.mandalamagic.com.au/blog/2015/11/16/the-art-of-story-telling

◦ https://truenortharts.com/category/mandala-stories/