Textile Art - Handmade crochet using cotton yarn made by artist Ann Walker with pattern created by Helen Shrimpton

Size: 80cm diameter

One of a pair of Mandalas ‘Breathe In’ and ‘Breathe Out’

Mandalas are beautiful and complex works of art that have a rich history. Their intricate patterns and colours can be soothing and calming bringing a sense of peace and clarity into our l9ives. They have been used for centuries as a tool for meditation and spiritual growth. The Mandala is a symbol of the unity of the world its ‘Wholeness’ and its image helps us develop a deeper connection with the self and the universe at large.

In these Mandala art works ‘Breathe In’ depicts the edge of the inhalation as it flows to its centre, to the colour yellow, a colour which expands outwards in the same manner as our chest/abdomen does as we breathe in. ‘Breathe Out’ depicts the edge of the exhalation as it flows to its centre, to the colour blue, a colour which recedes in the same manner as our chest/abdomen does as we breathe out.

The spaces in-between these edges in yoga are known as a’a pause’ where you can rest and let go completely. It’s a creative space where newness can enter. If our minds are full of thoughts with no empty space, there is no room for anything new to enter.

The Japanese concept of Ma has also been described a a ‘pause in time’ an interval or emptiness in space.

‘Ma is filled with nothing but possibility. it speaks of silence as opposed to sound, of stillness as opposed to motion. It is the momentary pause in speech needed to convey meaningful words, the silence between the notes that make the m music. In that stillness, free of noise, we connect on a should level. There is a need for Ma in every aspect and every day of our lives’ Donna Canning

In meditation as our breath settles, all the noise goes into the background and the empty space comes into the foreground. In this way our breath becomes settled and easeful, and in this usefulness the breath can become quieter and quieter until it almost stops and then you fall into he gap in-between the breaths.

This empty space is a creative space, that holds the possibility for wonder, creativity and for living a full life.