I created this mandala when reading The Heart of Wellness by K. Chinnaiyan. The book resonated with me from the moment I read her comment that we are already whole. Even when we see inside and out a list of things that need work it is because we have taken on habits that have obscured the wholeness that we are and the bliss that we can feel. I used acrylic on canvas for this and wasn’t sure at first exactly what my idea of the heart would be. It became the universe, which I am really happy with!

The main purpose that the Stomach and the Spleen serve together is to purify the food that we eat and then transport it to the Lungs to then be spread to the rest of the body. The stomach is the receptor of the food, then the spleen is responsible for separating the usable parts of food from the unusable. The stomach and spleen are yin and yang to each other, and one way in which they balance each other out is by sending Qi in opposite directions. The spleen sends it upwards and the stomach pulls it downward.

A depiction of the sense of wonder that arises from the study of placebo effect. 

This mandala is my representation of the metal element. In TCM, the metal element corresponds to with the Autumn season. It is linked to taking in and letting go. In Autumn, nature shows us such beauty in the foliage, and then it’s gone. All the pretty colors that we have enjoyed for weeks have turned brown, fallen, and returned to Earth. My leaves in this mandala represent the beauty in the changing colors, and the death of the leaf. The metal element also connects to the lungs and large intestine. The lungs include the tip of the nose, sinuses, throat, and skin. This mandala has the colors and textures of brown and tan skin, representing the different skin tones we have as humans.  The Large intestine is represented as the center black hole. The teardrops are placed surrounding the mandala as a symbol of grief. The metal element incorporates the emotion grief as a part of letting go, and it is known that crying when you are sad, or grieving is a very healing process.

This mandala, using colored pencil, represents the heart encased and protected by the pericardium. It is beaming and healthy. The triple burner body system, being upper, middle and lower body, is shown as the three layers of blue, black and yellow. The heart is in the upper triple burner/warmer system.

This mandala was inspired by my initial understanding of the human body. In the center is a brain surrounded by electrical signals, which represents the brains role at the center of the nervous system. Encasing the brain are concentric circles that say, in descending order, chaos, flow, and collapse. (Dana, 2021, pg. 24) These represents the sympathetic nervous system and the trauma responses associated with it. The heart is connected to chaos because it is symbolic of the feelings that arise during panic. (Dana, 2021, pg. 24) Also sometimes when in danger, you heart rate increases. The next circle (flow) is connected to the lungs because, to get yourself it is calm state and let your energy flow, it is important to breathe. (Jahnke, 1998, pg. 85-86) The large intestines are connected to collapse because of their Yin Yang relationship with the lungs, which is also represented in the duality of flow and collapse. (Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation, 2020) Surrounding the large intestine are bacteria to show their symbiotic relationship.  (Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao, 2011) I also included integral pieces of the body such as the bones, the veins/ arteries, eyes, and cells.

References

Dana, D. (2021). Anchored: How to befriend your nervous system using polyvagal theory. Sounds True. 

Jahnke, R. (1999). The healer within: Using traditional chinese techniques to release your body’s medicine. HarperOne.

My mandala shows a rocky, concrete center, breaking up into earth, pieces of soil that slowly bring the emergence of growth. in the center of the mandala, the lines were straight and structured, becoming more wiggly and free as they come outward, (hopefully) appearing as if they are going to “break through”. just like when there is a stomach or spleen imbalance, you may feel stuck, ridden with anxiety or depression that makes you feel rigid and immobile. it is a process, but nurturing yourself and taking care of your mind and body can help you break out of it. on the edge of the mandala, the lines become smooth and begin to flow. overall, hard and rigid earth breaks up into pieces that can receive nourishment in any form it needs to foster future growth. the stomach and spleen are the earth pair of organs after all, which leads back into the idea of nourishment for me; the earth nourishes us and provides for us so we can nourish ourselves, and we can nourish the earth in return.