| There are all sorts of spiritual, mystical things that we | | | | everyday things, re-focus back on the mandala and |
| do not really understand. For instance, there are some | | | | allow yourself to sink into it. The better you get at |
| people who are diagnosed with cancer who get | | | | meditating with the mandala, the more pure your |
| treated in the far East and come back cancer-free. | | | | thoughts will be. You may even find that you start |
| There are others who have rare diseases that the | | | | seeing things in the future or understanding yourself in |
| doctors diagnose will kill them in six months and who | | | | a way that you never have before. |
| manage to live for ten years or more. It is painfully | | | | 2) Yantra |
| obvious that we have not even come close to | | | | In some ways, a yantra is very similar to a mandala. |
| understanding all of the things we are able to | | | | Yantra translates to support and is, again, about helping |
| accomplish. | | | | you to achieve the highest level of meditation that you |
| If you are looking to increase your spiritual abilities and | | | | can. |
| master your inner self, you may want to learn a bit | | | | Many believe that a yantra is the tool that allows you |
| about mandalas and yantras and how to use them to | | | | to find the window into the absolute. And again, like a |
| tune your body and spirit. | | | | mandala, you use focusing on the yantra to stop your |
| 1) Mandalas | | | | mind from wandering to the mundane and everyday |
| Mandala is from the Sanskrit language and means | | | | during your meditation cycle. |
| circle. There may be squares and triangles in a | | | | Some believe, however, that when you meditate with |
| mandala, but the entire mandala should have a | | | | a yantra, it is possible to connect directly with God. |
| concentric structure. | | | | Most yantras are focused on a specific deity, which |
| Everything in the mandala should be balanced, and | | | | means that if you are looking to connect so a specific |
| should give an air of harmony. The point of a mandala | | | | deity, you should seek out the yantra that will help you |
| is to help one travel on their spiritual journey easily. | | | | to do that. Some yantras are drawn on cloth or paper, |
| There are a number of ways to use a mandala, and | | | | while others are made with wood and can even be |
| each way is just a bit different than the one before. | | | | three dimensional. |
| There are, however, some basics about a mandala | | | | When you meditate, focus on the yantra and the form |
| that can help you when you are just starting to use a | | | | energy that swirls around the yantra. Each yantra |
| mandala. | | | | begins in the center of the design and does not end |
| The first thing you need to do before you meditate is | | | | until the outer most square. You can turn a yantra |
| to decide what your intention of meditation is. If you | | | | upside down if you like, but you need to understand |
| are intending to calm your mind, you will want a | | | | that a yantra changes depending on which way you |
| mandala that is for calming. | | | | turn it. |
| If you are looking to find your beginning, you may want | | | | When you start to focus on a yantra, make sure that |
| a Native American labyrinth mandala. Set the mandala | | | | you are relaxed. Focus your mind and your energy into |
| in front of you and begin your meditation. Look at the | | | | the yantra. A yantra alone is worth nothing, but a |
| mandala and allow your mind to swirl around the | | | | yantra partnered with your psychic energy can create |
| beauty of the designs in the mandala. | | | | some amazing things. Instead of being focused on the |
| During your meditation, if you mind begins to wander | | | | microcosm, you will be able to access the macrocosm, |
| and you start thinking about the everyday, mundane | | | | and, quite possibly, the deity that you have been trying |
| things, focus your attention back on the mandala. | | | | to connect to. |
| Pretend that your mind is swimming in the mandala, | | | | Meditating can be difficult, especially with all of the |
| and let the colors and designs swirl around you. | | | | things we have to worry about in the normal world. |
| As you slowly sink into the designs, your body and | | | | There are tons of things that can enter into your mind, |
| mind will begin to feel lighter. You can start to float and | | | | so a helping hand is sometimes necessary. |
| your thoughts will come to, more pure and more | | | | A mandala or a yantra can help you to focus your |
| enlightened. | | | | thoughts and can help you to connect to things that |
| Remember, every time you start to think about the | | | | are outside of your everyday understanding. |