Spiritual Practices for Grief - The Mandala & Breath Prayer

We believe in the power of presence, to be in community with others, and the need for ritual as we grieve. During the pandemic, we have in many ways been stripped of these as we grieve. In this workshop, we will invite you to share your grief journey, be in a community with others who are grieving, and explore a spiritual practice that can offer a ritual for designed comfort.

In this space, we will explore the healing prayer of the mandala and the grounding of the breath prayer. The mandala (Sanskrit for “circle” or “completion”) has a long history and is recognized for its deep spiritual meaning and representation of wholeness. The “circle with a center” pattern is the basic structure of creation reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy.

Many people and cultures have vouched for the mandala’s intrinsic meaning. Buddhists, Tibetans, and Hindus have all derived meaning from the mandala and its captivating beauty. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung has called it “a representation of the unconscious self.” The mandala is widely recognized as a meaningful reflection of its creator. Praying with a mandala can be healing and a source of reflection of one’s soul.