Creating Your Personal Mandala Meditation/Workshop - September, 1997
  by Wind Dancer
   for Full Moon WomenCircle - UUFR


  This workshop was originally presented to the Full Moon WomenCircle at 
the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh (UUFR) in September  
of 1997 (See associated Quarter Calls under 'Full Moon' page and select 
'Septemer 26, 1996 - Wind Dancer - Full Moon WomenCircle').  This
meditation has since been used in various workshops all over the country.
Most recently, we used it at the UU Southeastern Winter Institute in Miami
(S.W.I.M.) in Homestead, FL., and with it we used meditation music titled;
'Gifts of the Archangels by Michael Hammer/Yahoel'.  As with the Quarter
Calls, this meditation was created/channeled by Wind Dancer (Thanks, Love!) 

   The focus of the 'Creating Your Personal Mandala' workshop is for each
participant to get in touch with what is currently going on in their life
and to bring that concious/subconcious information into view by creating
a mandala.  The participants use various types of drawing tools (crayons, 
colored chalk, colored pencils, magic markers) and round drawing surfaces 
(cardboard cake platters) as the medium to bring forth to consciousness 
colors, patterns, and/or symbols to later be used in a meditation to reveal 
a deeper meaning to the participant drawing the mandala.  

  While doing the meditation, give yourself enough space to stretch out 
your arms without bumping into anything or anyone else around you.  This 
meditation will have you "look to one side that is your past/future" - you 
choose which side each of those will be.  When the meditation tells you to 
"reach out and slowly draw your fingers through the future/past", you will 
then extend your arm and slowly bring it back to the side of your face or 
where ever on your body you feel your 'conciousness' is collecting during
this meditation.  Try to stay quiet and focused and "tranced" as you 
begin to draw the colors and images that appear in your conciousness
during the meditation.  During the drawing process, you may need to
close your eyes repeatedly to tap in to the 'higher self' state to once
again receive additional images, colors, forms.  Continue this process
until you feel the mandala is complete.  This mandala should now be set
in a place where you can meditate on it to realize the meaning of the 
final product you created.  Some people have created 'mandala journals'
to help provide them with clarity on an ongoing basis.  Enjoy!
************************************************************************

  Take a deep breath through your nose,
   hold it a few seconds,
     and let it out slowly through your mouth.

  Relax and let your muscles ease.

  Take another deep breath through your nose,
    hold it a few seconds,
      and let it out slowly through your mouth.

  You begin to feel like you are floating.
    Imagine yourself being lifted into the clouds and drifting.

  Inhale slowly,.......exhale,..... and relax.

  (You are) Drifting on the clouds, 
     being lifted higher,....
       getting lighter and lighter,....... more relaxed.

  Prepare to take a journey of discovery.
    Begin to recall your past from your first memory.

  Honor your past and all that has made you what you are.

  Turn your head to one side - it is your past.
    Reach out and slowly draw your hand back to you, raking your
     fingers through your past.  
       Bring all that is to you. 
    Now gently, slowly, drop a curtain to past.

  Turn your head to the opposite side.
    Reach out to an infinity of futures.
      Draw your fingers through the infinity of futures bringing them 
       to you.
    Now gently, slowly, drop a curtain to future.

  You are a product of the past and the promise of the future.
    All there is,... is "now".

  Get in touch with your "now".
  What's going on in your life?
  What are you working on?
  What visions and dreams do you hold for yourself?
  What's going on in your head?
  Can you see those images as colors?  as shapes?  as shadows?  as light?

  Ground and center yourself into your "now".

  Let the vision of "now" come to you.

  See it in your eyes,
    and when you are ready,
      slowly open your eyes and let your hands fulfill your eyes vision.