The Mandala Lab: Pattern – Shape – Color at Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center – Woodstock, IL

How does a handful of simple shapes become an intricate mandala?

Explore repetition, pattern and color, then use what you discover to create a mandala of your own. Templates will be available if you'd rather begin with an existing design.

No drawing experience necessary.

All art supplies are included.

A mandala is a geometric design that comes from the Sanskrit word for "circle" and represents the universe, wholeness, and unity. Monks and spiritual practitioners use the balanced layers to focus attention, quiet the mind, and sometimes to guide meditation. These patterns can help you process hidden thoughts, calm anxiety, and relieve stress.

Janet Balboa is an artist, educator, and death doula whose work explores attention, perception, and the ways creative practice helps us move through change. Through drawing, conversation, and reflective exercises, she helps people recognize what they couldn't see before, creating new possibilities for relationship - with themselves, others, and the world around them.