The Mandala has been present both cross culturally and throughout history. It is widely regarded as a symbol of healing and total well-being. In Coloring Therapy, the Mandala represents the process or journey on the one hand, and the result or destination on the other. Like ourselves, no two are colored the same.
The Mandala is a symbol of the spiritual source or center inherent in everything. Mandala coloring is gentle fun while at the same time accessing a meditative state that leads to self discovery.
Mandala designs that are intricate enough to require a time commitment but are enjoyable and challenging enough to color are most appropriate for the purpose of Coloring Therapy.
Our Mandala's were commissioned expressly for the colorist and remain the world's foremost colorables for adults and youth alike.
2. Discern the Inner Dialogue
Inner dialogue is how we talk to ourselves on the inside, the conversations we have in our minds. This dialogue happens consciously and unconsciously all day long. Inner dialogue keeps our minds very busy and it can affect the body in the form of stress or upliftment. Coloring Therapy uses coloring as a medium to discern and suspend inner dialogue so we can rejuvenate and enhance. Coloring pulls us into a state of mind where we can listen. In so doing, we can realize how inner dialogue contributes to our overall well being.
It has been established by psychologists and neuroscientists that every person in the world carries an ongoing dialogue with themselves, of between 150 and 300 words a minute. This works out to between 45,000 and 51,000 thoughts a day.
"When inner dialogue takes on a negative connotation such as, "I'll never be as good an athlete as he is," "I don't have the mental toughness to compete at this level," or "I'll never be that fast." The ongoing negative reinforcement created by habitual negative self-talk results in the creation of limiting beliefs that go on to become self-fulfilling prophecy."
Joe Kolezynski. M.B.A., M.A.
When we recognize our inner dialogue, we can change it. This is an opportunity to manage our thinking and this can transform our lives. Studies have shown that thought directly affects our physical and emotional well being. Coloring is an environment where we can improve our ability to listen and reprogram our inner dialogue.
The quality of our thought can be seen as an asset or liability to the well being of the whole (spirit, mind, emotions and body). Thoughts of tiredness, hate, or illness are liabilities; while thoughts of adventure, love, and vitality are assets.
Many people find meditation difficult to attain even though the benefits are well documented. In Coloring Therapy, a state of meditative awareness is easily attained because the focus needed to suspend our inner dialogue occurs in the coloring.
This state of awareness (suspended inner dialogue) is the main purpose of meditation as well as Coloring Therapy. Once you recognize your inner dialogue, you can begin to manage it and influence life in a direction that is decidedly beneficial.
3. Suspend the Inner Dialogue
Picture inner dialogue as wild horses. They run rampant across our craniums without regard for the delicacies of the grey matter being trampled under hoof. In order to reign and tame our inner dialogue, it must first be recognized. This can happen in coloring.
In Coloring Therapy, the attention we put into coloring creates suspended inner dialogue. This is an objective state of awareness where we are able to view and review our thoughts as we have them. In suspended inner dialogue we are open and receptive to higher knowledge, healing, creativity and consciousness.
Suspension of the inner dialogue can occur within moments of coloring. This is a first step toward self discovery. In this place, we are reminded that we are not who we sometimes think ourselves to be. Over the years we have picked up many different types of inner dialogue. As we begin to peel away the layers of our "identity" we can become increasingly liberated. We will notice that much of our inner dialogue isn't ours at all.
Many people have created their inner dialogue to cope with situations from the past. There may be a problem when we continue using the 'old program' in a 'new situation'. In paying close attention to our inner dialogue we begin to realize how much of our "identity" comes from external sources such as religion, culture, the media, etc. Suspending inner dialogue provides access to opportune perspectives from which to heal and self-enhance.
