App News: Updates and New Animations Coming Soon

Updates to my relaxation / meditation app are on the way. More animations as well as other updates are planned. Stay tuned for more information — coming soon!

20% Off Art Prints and Framed Prints Through Midnight Tonight

Today, December 5, 2016, 20% off art prints and framed art prints at Society 6. Offer lasts until midnight tonight (Pacific Time). All orders receive Free Shipping!

Tuesday's Deal = 20% Off Tapestries, Canvas Prints, Metal Prints + Free Shipping

Coloring Mandalas New Coloring Book

My new mandala coloring book is now available — yippee! Visit Amazon to find out more or to purchase: Coloring Mandalas Adult Coloring Book (Tranquility Through Creativity) (Volume 1)

Mandala Monday: New Abiding Mandala

While creating the new animation (found here), I also created this new mandala. It's a nice accompanying mandala to go with the original, found in Gallery Two of my mandala pages.

Fruition Mandala

For Throwback Thursday, here's an oldie but a goodie: Fruition Mandala.

New Mandala Animation

Hi everyone! Just wanted to pop in to announce that I've released a new mandala animation. This one loops seamlessly and is not accompanied by music, so you are free to relax and meditate in silence or use your own music as accompaniment. The new animation is entitled Abiding and can be found here.

Mandala Meditations Apple TV App Available Now

I am so excited to announce that Tim and I have created an app made especially for Apple TV entitled, Mandala Meditations. The app consists of over 30 minutes of visually stunning animations set to music. (Please note: These are not guided meditations, and this app does not function as a screensaver.)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my previous mandala meditations, the six unique visual meditations included in the app are similar to one I released recently: Acceptance.

My app is currently available in the Apple TV app store. You may find it by searching for "meditation" or "mandala".

A special word of thanks goes out to Chris Zabriskie, for without his music I would have been unable to see my dream become reality. Please visit his web site to find out more about him: http://www.chriszabriskie.com/.

For more information and screenshots of the application, visit my web page.

Acceptance: A Mandala Meditation

Acceptance: A Mandala Meditation. from Kelly Dietrich on Vimeo.

Years ago I used to make mandala meditations for the original iPod and upload them to my podcast on iTunes. This is the first mandala animation I've made since creating those podcasts so many years ago.

Music: "Witnessing Infinity" from the Infinite Octaves album by Andrew Forrest. Used with his kind permission. His music and artwork may be viewed at his web site.

Mandala Monday: Fearless Mandala

"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones."

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Quiescence

Tibetan Monks in Hampton, Virginia

Nine monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery were in residence at the American Theatre in Hampton, Virginia last week. They were there to create a sand mandala and perform a concert of traditional sacred music and dance. We visited them Saturday to see them finish the wonderful mandala. The design of the mandala was thousands of years old and symbolized the need to remain centered and peaceful in the midst of chaos.

Scientists Find Viewing Fractals Has Soothing Effect

Earlier today I was surfing around the internet and stumbled upon an interesting article from 2006 about scientists studying fractal recognition and the physiological effects of viewing fractal images. This backs up my claim that fractals, like mandalas, are wonderful to use in meditation (see my earlier post, How to Use Mandalas and Fractals to Meditate).

Here's an excerpt from the aforementioned article:

"Imagine working in a windowless building, cut off from the soothing sight of clouds blowing across the sky or leaves rustling in the wind, as another deadline looms. Feeling stressed, you look up at the wall and see a strange but somehow pleasing pattern etched into its surface. You feel better.

That's the kind of future that University of Oregon physicist Richard Taylor imagines, and now he's working with other scientists at the UO and other universities around the world in hopes of realizing it. They're studying patterns known as fractals in an effort to understand why and how certain ones seem to give people a mental boost."

Read the entire article here. (The article was originally published in the Register Guard, but appears to no longer be online at that location.)

How to Use Mandalas & Fractals to Meditate

My mandalas, fractals, and moving art create intricate, geometric shapes which give the mind something to concentrate on while allowing our body to relax, tension to dissipate, and peace and an expanded awareness to flow through.

To begin meditating with a mandala, fractal, or moving art piece, first select an image to which you feel attracted. Once you have selected an image, sit in a comfortable position, either on the floor with your legs crossed, or in a comfortable, supportive chair with your feet resting flat on the floor and your hands resting comfortably at your sides or in your lap without touching. Make sure the image you wish to meditate with is within reach or is hanging directly in front of you at or slightly below eye level.

Take a moment to connect with your body and feel the areas where you are holding tension. For many, the shoulders, jaw, and lower back are key points where stress is held and tension builds throughout the day.

Once you have noted these areas, take a deep breath in through your nose, gently filling your lungs with air by first concentrating on the lower abdomen or belly region, then the mid-abdomen, and finally the chest. Do not force these areas to fill, but rather, become aware of the depth of your breath and intend to deepen it with each gentle inhale.

Then, exhale out your mouth, expelling as much air as you can without forcing it in any way. As you exhale, feel the tension melting or draining out of your body and into the earth beneath you. Continue this breathing exercise until you feel relaxed and ready to begin the meditation.

Move your attention to the mandala or fractal. Allow your eyes to travel over the artwork in an easy manner. Take in the details - color, texture, depth - but do not feel the need to analyze the detail intellectually as you view it. Simply allow it wash over you as if you were seeing the image for the first time.

As you view it, you may begin to feel as though you are being drawn into the center of the image or into the spiral, feeling as if you were entering into the image itself. Some areas of the image may appear to recede while others may appear to pop out. Or, the image may appear to move or undulate. Allow all of these experiences without feeling the need to question or analyze them. Continue to view the image with a relaxed focus, blinking when necessary.

In time, thoughts may begin to pop into your awareness. These thoughts may simply be resistance to meditation. Resistance usually appears in the form of lists of things you “should” be doing rather than meditating -- making phone calls, grocery shopping, doing the laundry, getting to work, wondering about the time, etc. Gently assure yourself that all will be handled in due time and then allow these thoughts to fall away without pressure or urgency. (If you feel this will happen during each meditation in the future, make a list before you meditate. Make a note of all the things you need to do. Then while meditating, if this thought arises, you know you have already addressed this issue and can gently allow it to drop away.)

Sometimes, however, thoughts may pop up that provide sudden insight or revelation. This may indicate an opening to greater awareness. Allow this information to come through without judgement. If you feel the need to write it down, be sure to have a pen and paper handy each time you meditate. Once you have received the information, allow it to also drop away.

Continue on with the meditation for the time you had planned or for whatever length is comfortable. At the end of the meditation, close your eyes and make a mental note of the state of your body and emotions: How does your body feel? Do you feel relaxed? Energized? Emotionally how do you feel? Consider writing down any thoughts, feelings or issues that come to mind after the meditation or throughout the day as they may provide valuable insight into your life, work, relationships, health and more.