For craft class this week, I was determined to find something, well, sane. The last few classes have been a little chaotic, so I thought I would bring it in a little :)

At our last Cap Corps retreat in January, we had mandalas to color while reflecting and meditating. It was a fun way to be together and to be creative, while in silence. Here is a little information about Mandalas from: http://illuminatedrose.com/mandala_history.htm :

What is a Mandala?

A mandala (Sanskrit for “circle”) is a sacred, symbolic diagram, used as a meditational aid in Buddhism and Hinduism.

Why Create a Mandala?
Mandalas are most often used as meditational tools. In psychotherapy, mandalas can be used to help resolve problematic emotional states and gain insight into hidden problems. In Tibetan Buddhism, mandalas are often constructed with an intention of planetary healing and are used in peace ceremonies.

This ritual can be used:

as an aid to prayer
for spiritual and emotional healing
for relaxation
for awakening
for self-realization and personal growth

Cantera is big on retreats and reflections, so I knew it would be something the kids would go for. While still in Managua, I printed some Mandala templates that I found online (email me and I can send you the document I compiled) - some were more intricate than others, but they were all about the same size. I also made a sign that said "Silence, Please: Meditation in process" (although this turned out to be royally ineffective for people not in the class, the participants were relatively quiet!). We listened to a CD of music for meditative dancing which I think made the biggest difference in keeping everyone settled - when they're

blasting the radio it's hard to keep anyone focused! Since the water and electricity has been cut at the center due to lack of funds, we went to Yanina (one of my Nica moms)'s house with our little CD player. As you can see below, the younger kids filled up her front patio, so some of the older girls used the tables outside of Cantera (across the street). They all loved it and were already talking about where they were going to hang them at home to bring 'good vibes'!

Anyways, here's a little documentation of our afternoon :)