Indians Reveal Their Anger Management Secrets - Mandala Therapy

The Times of India ran an article this week about using mandala therapy to help manage anger. People seeking to manage their anger are asked to draw a picture within the mandala, which is a circle shape on paper.

According to the newspaper, this form of art therapy:

"...originates from the Sanskrit, meaning circle. The circle is your magic space in which there are no rules, in which you alone exist, in which your feelings swirl out in lines and colours. "

Participants are asked to draw an angry picture within the mandala (circle) then draw a happy one. Participants find they become more relaxed after venting their frustrations drawing the angry mandala.

Manju Mohinani says:

“You get lost with the colours and the movement of your hands and thus you express yourself clearly without even realising it. The best part is that when you do mandalas you are not thinking, you get so lost in the drawing. You don’t feel that you are working on yourself, its so easy and so much fun."

What you need to draw mandalas

The process is straightforward. All you need is sheet of plain paper and a box of crayons or coloured pencils, the kind kids use in school is fine.

It's important to remember mandalas are not an art, so you do not need to worry about how they look or whether you are doing them right or wrong. You don’t have to do anything really artistic, but you need to "feel" what you have drawn, so that you get the sense of relief when you have finished.

For more information, visit the Time of India article, Mandala Therapy: Anger management method.