Eliza Lynn Tobin

Mandala Challenge Round-up

ElizaTobin — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:47:00 +0000

These beautiful mandalas were sent over by the lovely Kristen Fagan.

She shared them with me as part of this month’s May Mandala Challenge and so I’m sharing them here with you!

They are just gorgeous, thanks so much for sharing them Kristen!

You can check out more of Kristen’s work here:

{Facebook} http://www.facebook.com/CreativeStash

Want to join in on the challenge too? Send me pictures of your Mandala creations at eliza.lynn.tobin@gmail.com and I will feature them here on the blog!

xo,

Colors of the Tibetan Mandala {Oh Color, My Color}

ElizaTobin — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:23:31 +0000

{photo credit from left to right: Tibetan Monks | Sand Bowls by Dale Reagan | Sand Mandala Detail}

I have loved the bright, primary colors of the Tibetan Sand Mandalas since the first time that I saw them being created. Maybe it’s the fact that colors are made up of colored sand. Maybe it’s the fact that several monks come together for hours and days on end to gently sift these sands into elaborate patterns. Maybe it’s the heartbreakingly beautiful gesture of sweeping all the sands together after the Mandala is complete, so that they can be taken to a nearby water source and tossed in, completing the cycle of impermanence.

Whatever the reason, these intricate and colorful Tibetan Sand Mandalas always take my breath away.

Have you ever seen one of these being created? If you ever get a chance to, I highly recommend it!

Happy Monday!

Book Love: Mandala by Judith Cornell

ElizaTobin — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:07:59 +0000

In keeping with this month’s Mandala theme, I thought I’d share with you one of my all time favorite books on Mandalas.

Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell is a wonderful resource for learning more about Mandalas and their healing powers.

Combining the philosophy and psychology of Mandalas with Mandala-making exercises, this book offers a full scope of what it is to experience the Mandala.

In several of the hands-on exercises, the author invites the reader to use black paper and colored pencils to bring light and the color spectrum to life within the Mandala. I’ve done several of these exercises myself and shared them with others in my art and yoga workshops. I found the Mandala-making exercises to be powerful forms of expression, that allow you to dive into deeper levels of consciousness in a pretty cool and profound way.

At the beginning of the book, Cornell lays out some reasons for creating a Mandala:

Why create a Mandala? Because it has the regenerative and curative power to activate the latent powers of the mind… Because it has a calming and relaxing effect on the mind and body, thus focusing and strengthening the will to heal…Because it can make the invisible visible–expressing paradoxical situations or patterns of ultimate reality that can be expressed in no other way…Because it can give form and expression to an intuitive insight into spiritual truth by releasing the inner light of the soul.

Those are reasons enough for me to keep creating Mandalas! What about you?

Happy Mandala Making,

How to Draw a Simple Mandala

ElizaTobin — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:51:15 +0000

You will need some pens (my favorite pens lately are uni-ball signos), a compass and some white paper (I use plain computer paper, but if you are planning to paint your mandala afterwards, I’d suggest using a watercolor paper).

You can begin anywhere in the circle that you’d like. I often start from the center or from an outside edge. Start by making a mark. Experiment with circles, lines, or any other shape.

At this point, you can decide whether you want your Mandala to be symmetrical or not. If you want it to be exactly symmetrical, I suggest using a ruler. I tend to just eye-ball it because I kinda like the symmetrical-but-not-exactly look.

If you get stuck, look around you for inspiration! Do you see patterns in a wood grain or plant leaf? Use what you see in your design!
You can also add concentric circles within your circle to help contain aspects of your design.
If you make a “mistake,” see if you can turn it into a new aspect of your design. Sometimes my mistakes take my designs into whole new unexpected directions that end up being really neat!
Create shading elements using dots or cross-hatching. This will add lots of texture and interest!

So, that’s about it! Now it’s your turn to give it a try!

I’d love to see what you create! Send me a picture of your Mandala experiments at artasana@gmail.com and I’ll post them here on the blog on Friday.

Happy Mandala Making,

Mandala Challenge Round-Up

ElizaTobin — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:27:55 +0000

Last week, I announced the start of The May Mandala Challenge. The challenge is to create a Mandala a day for the month of May. Here’s a round up of some of the Mandalas I’ve created in the past week!

I’ve been doodling these Mandalas while waiting for an appointment, while watching TV, while sitting in an airport terminal and in all those in between times when not much else is going on.

Want to join in on the challenge? It’s not too late. Create your mandala, send me a picture of it (eliza.lynn.tobin@gmail.com) and I will feature it here on the blog!

Happy Mandala Making!

Mandala Namaskar {a yoga sequence + playlist}

ElizaTobin — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:00:36 +0000

One of the things I love about exploring the power of Mandalas, is their ability to help us acknowledge the cycles within and without each of us. We each move through our own personal cycles of energy and life experiences as the cycles of the natural world, like the moon, the tides, the seasons, move around us.

When we deepen our recognition of our own cycles and the cycles of the world outside of us, we are able to better attune to them and fully enter the mandala of life!

This practice invites you to move your body through a mandala sequence designed to help you step into the flow of the cycles within and outside of you. Start with the centering and flow with a mandala sequence playlist

Centering

Start by noticing the most simple, yet profound cycle going on within you in this moment: the breath. Each inhalation is the beginning of a new breath. Notice the place where it begins. Feel this new breath fill you up. At the top of the inhalation, pause. Notice this quiet, soft place in the middle that exists before the exhalation. Follow the exhalation out. At the end of the exhalation, pause. Acknowledge the end of this cycle of breath and how the end of this breath gives rise to the next. Continue these observations for a few cycles of breath.

Warm Up

Cat/Cow
Tadasana (Mountain Pose) at the front of your mat
Uttanasana (Forward fold pose)
Downward dog (hold for 5 breaths)

Mandala Namaskar

Anjaneyasana (right foot forward)
hands come to the floor and both hands to the inside of the right foot. Spin feet and body to the left side of your mat for
Prasarita Padottasana (Wide-Legged Forward Bend)
spin feet and body to back of your mat to a lunge (left foot will be forward) with hands on the floor
Anjaneyasana
Plank
Chaturunga Dadasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
Downward Dog
Anjaneyasana (right foot forward)
hands come to the floor and both hands to the inside of the right foot. Spin feet and body to the right side of your mat for
Prasarita Padottasana (Wide-Legged Forward Bend)
Spin feet and body to front of your mat to a lunge (left foot will be forward) with hands on the floor
Anjaneyasana
Plank
Chaturunga Dadasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
Downward Dog
Repeat, starting with the left foot forward

Standing Poses

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
Warrior III
Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon Pose)
Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
Vinyasa (and repeat on the other side)

Arm Balance and Back

Vasisthasana (Side plank pose)
Wild Thing
Down Dog or Vinyasa (and repeat on the other side)

Hips

Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-knee Pose)
Virasana (Hero Pose)

Savasana

Take a short savasana or sit in meditation for a few minutes, bringing your awareness back to the cyclical movement of your breath.

The May Mandala Challenge

ElizaTobin — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:00:18 +0000

Happy May!

Last year at this time, I decided to to challenge myself to create a mandala every day for a month. It was a deep and wonderful practice to create a mandala every day, so I’m going to do it again this May. This time, I’m upping the ante and inviting you to join me in this challenge!

The challenge is very simple. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Each day during the month of May, set aside a short amount of time to work on your daily mandala

2. Draw a circle (or save time and pre-draw a bunch of circles so they are ready to go!)

3. Before you begin, close your eyes and take a few moments to tune into your breath

4. Once you open your eyes, stay with your breath and let it guide your hand as you begin to work in the circle

5. Fill in the Mandala shape however you are called to fill it. Do your best to let go of any judgements you might have about what comes out and just let whatever needs to arise, arise!

Each week, email me pictures of your mandala creations (artasana@gmail.com) and I will post them here on the blog! If you have a blog/website/facebook page send that along too so I can link to you!

What do you think, are you up for this Mandala challenge?

xo,

April Showers Bring May Flowers {a treasury}

ElizaTobin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:24 +0000

{Etsy Treasury: April Showers Bring May Flowers}

I pulled together this treasury collection over on Etsy. These beautiful pieces and colors remind me of spring!

xo,

Back in the Studio

ElizaTobin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:46:13 +0000

After moving, I’m finally back in the studio and painting! We’ve put my new studio space in our garage, which I think is going to work out nicely. I’ll have to have yet another studio tour sometime soon.

Today, I’m working on painting some of the yoga art pieces that I started a few weeks ago. Here’s a peek at today’s progress:

Happy Weekend!

You are as beautiful as star shine

ElizaTobin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:00:39 +0000

{Star Shine 6×8 Affirmation Print, available here}

xo,