Mandalas

Can coloring mandalas reduce anxiety?

Many types of creative pursuits reduce anxiety as they focus the mind away from the anxiety[-inducing entity. However, compared with other creative pursuits, coloring-in mandalas are even more anxiety reducing than for example drawing or painting. It appears to be the case as there does not need to be much effort in completing it in the sense of having to use a thinking part of the brain. Experiments have proven that completing geometric patterns lowers stress and anxiety levels. It appears that the predictability of the mandala’s structure, draws participants into a surrendered state of mind which measurably reduces the anxiety that was present prior to the mandala coloring-in session. The repetition of patterns is a proven strategy to reduce anxiety.

It is hypothesised that coloring in mandalas produces a state of relaxation in the mind, similar to the effect achieved through meditation. For people who find that their mind continues to ‘wander’ when attempting to meditate, may find coloring mandalas to be more therapeutic.