Mandalas

Anyone who has ever known or taught a middle schooler knows that the words "calm" and "peaceful" are not adjectives that one would typically use to describe them! I plan to use mandalas daily at the beginning of each class period as a tool to bring calm into the classroom by settling and focusing the students. Students will select a few mandala designs from a variety of choices which they will keep in their binders. At the beginning of each class period, students will be expected to open their binders, take out the mandala that is currently being worked on, and color for approximately five minutes. During this time, students will be expected to focus on their mandalas silently without interaction with other students or me. This five minute period will give me the opportunity to take care of attendance, deal with any of the multitude of issues that arise throughout the day, organize materials, etc. The mandala coloring session will end with a bell signal, at which point, the students will read and follow daily directions that are written on a message board in my room.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "healing circle". Mandalas are an ancient form of spiritual art which started more than 2500 years ago and are used for meditative practice. The use of mandalas for meditative practice has its origins with Hinduism, but are widely used in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhist monks are trained to make sand mandalas in monasteries for religious rituals. These mandalas are intriquite, and often take many days to complete. After the ritual is completed, the mandalas are then destroyed, the sand collected and poured into a river to distribute the mandala's healing properties into the world.

Images of Buddhist Mandalas

Mandalas made in the form of a circle meant to express the emotions of the person creating the design. The design around the circle reflects the emotions in one's life.

If you would like to use the idea of integrating mandalas into your classroom, the links below are incredible resources for information about mandalas and lots of FREE mandala coloring pages to use in your classroom. The first site gives an overview of what mandalas are and their uses, explains the symbols, etc. I plan to use the explanations as printouts to read with my kids when introducing them to mandalas. The sites also contain links to many other mandala sites with photos of Buddhist monks making mandalas, and lots more. Enjoy!

True Tibetian Mandalas - Buddhist Tantric Diagrams
Mandala Coloring Pages

The following links direct you to places to purchase Tibetan bells if you wish to use them in your classroom.

Dharma Shop
Brass Bells