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Using a Mandala for Meditation

A mandala is the perfect symbol to depict our constant ebb and flow of energy that is multidirectional; a circle with no beginning and no end.  It is a Sanskrit word meaning circle.  Often used in ancient religions like Hindu and Buddhism, mandalas are depicted by a square with 4 gates, each with a circular center point.  They are thought of as a spiritual method to assist in meditation and concentration.

One of the origins of mandalas is in the philosophy of alchemy.  Carl Jung, who used mandalas extensively, believed that alchemy was a spiritual path toward individuation.  This process of self-discovery is how a person becomes their true self.   In alchemy it represents the synthesis of the four elements (mind/body/spirit/emotion) which are always tending toward disintegration.  Carl Jung thought of alchemy as a spiritual path of individuation.  

Purpose of Mandala Use

A circular image compensates for the disorder and confusion of the mind through the construction of a central point to which everything is related.  This is an attempt at self-healing on the part of nature, an instinctive impulse.  Transformations are a part of every life journey.  By creating a mandala for our own self-care, we are able to support ourselves through the lifespan in a sacred and holistic way.  It is a unique and easy tool to improve/enhance our ability for stress management.  Using a mandala can support the importance of setting intention by having a tangible symbol for centering your thoughts.   When we think in terms of stress management, utilizing the mind/body/spirit/emotion components of holism, examples include:

1. Mind-examples:  journaling, meditation, lifelong learning, reading
2. Body-examples:  yoga, tai chi, massage, mindful eating
3. Spirit-examples:  meditation, practice gratitude, prayer, music, fulfilling life purpose
4. Emotion-examples:  time with loved ones, laughter, positive attitude

A mandala could be made using any type of media like paint, paper, or textiles.  For ideas to put in each of the 4 spheres, you could draw from the above examples that resonate with you or come up with ideas of your own.  Making it personal is the key to its usefulness.

The Pursuit of Happiness

I don’t much believe in the pursuit of happiness.  The reason is you never seem to get there, hence pursuit.  I think happiness is what you make it.  If you spend all your time waiting for people or things to make you happy, you’ll spend your life in pursuit.  However, if you take pleasure in the little things everyday like grinding your own wheat into flour to make homemade bread, that’s good for your soul.

I was once told that I sucked all the happiness out of the world leaving none for anyone else.  I wondered how this could be since my happiness was in my soul not somewhere outside of me in the world.  Your life is what you make of it and you can chose to be miserable and see misery in everything or you can choose to enjoy the little things each day that make your spirit soar.  I think in the end, it’s a life made up of the little things and your pure enjoyment of them that true happiness is found.

I didn’t come at this naturally.  I mean, like all Americans we memorized the basic tenants of our constitution of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and we’ve spent over 200 years engaged in that pursuit only to find out it’s a figment of our imagination.  You cannot pursue your own self.   If you chose happiness then you’re happy that’s that.  There’s no pursuit.  No searching. No pot at the end of the rainbow where riches and thus happiness lies.  

Once you come to realize you - like Dorothy in the wizard of oz who had the power within her to get home all along - control all the happiness any human being could ever want, you can stop searching.  It’s a choice, as simple as that.  I’m not being pollyanish, I’m being a realist albeit an optimist.  Choose right now that from here on out you will be happy and you will be amazed how happiness will come to you like a magnet.  Just like those who choose to be miserable, attract misery.  It’s some strange universal law, the law of attraction.

I’m happy and will continue to enjoy grinding my own wheat, kneading my own bread, a bubble bath with candles, a homemade dinner on a weeknight.  The world be damned if I’m hated for it.  I say go find your own happiness, stop trying to take mine.

Eating real food in a processed food world

I’m amazed on a daily basis when I ask patients how much processed food is in their diet and they ask me "what's that?"  People truly don’t know what constitutes processed foods.  We’re inundated with artificial foods in every ad, on every grocery shelf, in most restaurants.  Preparing a home cooked meal has become something of an anomaly.  I say if you can’t identify the “food” as it’s source in nature, you can be sure it’s processed.  If it’s been made in a factory, it’s processed.  As a general rule, if it comes from a box, bag, can, freezer, or drive-thru, it’s processed.  

So what do I mean by “real” food?  Fresh fruit and veggies, whole grain breads/pastas, brown rice, meats, fish, dairy.  In the diet industry, we hear about reading labels.  But I say, eat foods that don’t even have labels.  Now THAT’S real food.  They don’t need a label because we already know what it is.  For those things like breads and dairy or pasta that has labels, the first item on grains should be the word “whole.”  Food manufacturers are allowed to say it’s “wheat” bread or is made from “whole grains” but unless the first word on the ingredient list is the word “whole” it often is while flour with brown food coloring.  Like “wheat” bread for instance, most all bread is made from wheat but once the outer part of the grain has been stripped away, it is no longer “whole” and is processed in your body very quickly, giving it a high glycemic index, which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, contributing to diabetes development.

Another thought about labels, if there are words on there you cannot pronounce, you can be assured it is a processed food.  Below is a guide that can help you navigate your way through the grocery aisle.  Another thing to think about is how the store is laid out.  All the healthier, unprocessed foods are on the outer aisle and all the processed foods are on the interior aisles.  

1. Fresh fruit and veggies 
2. Portion control – nothing bigger than the palm of your hand (except salad)
3. No processed foods including:  anything from a box, bag, can, freezer, or a drive thru window
4. Eat only whole grains – read labels the first ingredient must say the word “whole”
5. Avoid saturated fats – red meat, butter, high fat dairy, sauces and dressings
6. Eat unsaturated fats – salmon, plant fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados)
7. Limit alcohol intake to one or less drinks/day