Balance Mandala
For the purposes of this exercise, a mandala can be thought of as 'an image in a circle' - it doesn't have to be symmetrical (although it can be, if you like). The idea is to explore, visually, the way that life balance is not a state in which you arrive, but more of a dance through an ever shifting field of relationships. For a little more context, you might like to check out this blog: ellenmay.com.au/blog/balance
For this process, you'll need:
Something to draw on - a loose page, or a page in your art journal
Something to draw with - whatever you have is fine
Something to create a circle with - a compass, a dinner plate, or just wing it and draw a freehand circle; we're not about perfection here
And then…
Gather your supplies, draw your circle.
Take a few moments to settle. Stretch, take a few breaths, whatever helps you land and feel a little more present.
Take a moment to think about the different areas of your life that make up your relational field. Make a list if you like. These might include particular people, pets, work, hobbies, chores, self care activities, dreams you wish you had more time for, dreams you are making time for, things that feel like obligations, things that feel like delights. Anything you like - there's no way to get this wrong.
Then, choose where you sit in your mandala circle. Are you in the centre? Off to one side? At the edge? Draw something to represent yourself - could be a dot or a shape or a symbol or a colour.
Next, choose an item from your list and add that to your mandala in whatever way feels right. Perhaps you choose a colour for each item, and draw them in rings around the point that represents you. Perhaps each item gets a quadrant in your circle - maybe the size varies, or maybe they're all the same. Perhaps it's chaos - everything everywhere overlapping. No rules! This is yours, do what feels good.
When you've added everything you want to from your list, step back and look at the whole of what you've created. Is there anything you'd like to add or adjust?
Take some time reflecting on how each item from your life interacts (or doesn't). Are there any insights about the way you navigate the relational dance of balance? Any surprises? Anything you'd like to do differently?
If you're a journaller, take a few minutes to write a stream of consciousness on anything that shows up.
And if you'd like, revisit your mandala tomorrow, next week, next month… does it feel the same, or different? If it feels different, what's changed?