Our morning meditation moved us to the exploration of mandalas. Pragya’s confident hands were gliding over the surface. Her perfect circles and patterns appeared in rhythm with undisturbed thinking. Breathing in and out, in and out... The next intricate ornament turned into a guide to the inner universe. Online zoom calls rarely deliver smooth music over thousands of miles but this time voices of chanting monks were coming from the depth of ages. Our experience was coded in mandalas which we designed together using pigment and coloured powders, sand, pencils.
It was a surprising breakthrough when we found that creating circles and patterns without any drawing tools is as easy as drinking water. It was an Art Process where hands, minds, memories, codes were tuned into the perfect visual melody. One of the main elements is temporality. Mandalas produced in sand, coloured powders on tables, streets and other public spaces are kept for a few minutes, hours, days. Pragya destroyed hers in seconds without a slightest concern. Mine survived until dark.
The temporality of mandalas is comparable to the changing seasons. Coloured autumn leaves turning into soil, leaving us memories of red, orange and yellows. Snowflakes exist in our hands second, snowmen can survive a few weeks. The feel of loss creates the sense of value. I remember the famous trivial words: 'Nothing is eternal'. Lines, arches, circles and negative spaces during mandala design are transformed all the time. The entire ornament is connected to constant changes and movements.
The yoga session with Ean was another discovery. Our bodies connected to our minds. We were feeling safe, secure and engaged with the tender voice. Clear instructions, music from behind the ocean and togetherness. Sally was staying in the dark, Ean was in the room lit with sun. It was a day full of active mindfulness. Thank you!
Svetlana Atlavina
Sally Stenton
Svetlana Atlavina
Pragya Bhargava
Sylwia Dylewska
Sarah Praill
Letterbox, Sarah Praill
