Mandalas ("circles" in Sanskrit) are sacred symbols used for meditation, prayer, healing, and art therapy. Clinical studies have shown Mandalas can have several healthy effect: boosting the immune system, reducing stress and pain, lowering blood pressure, promoting sleep, and easing depression.
"[Mandalas] are archetypal manifestations of higher consciousness" (Dr. Deepak Chopra, quote from: Divine Forces by Paul Heussenstamm).
Imagery is a form of meditation that helps exercise the brains right side, which processes imagining and feelings; while the brains left side is specialized in logical thinking and analysis. Mandala meditation will bring your brains two sides in harmony and will create a different state of mind where Alpha waves are predominant.
More iMandala feature that will enhance your meditation experience:
- Seed Syllable;
- Meditation Timer;
- Mindfulness Bell;
- Soothing Background Music;
- Dynamic Visuals.
Seed Syllable
iMandala allows you to choose a Mandala and a Seed Syllable as imagery to engage your brains right side. A seed syllable is usually associated with a mantra and has a deep meaning which you can use as a guid for your meditation.
Meditation Timer
iMandala lets you decide how long you would like to meditate and il will gently "awake" you from your meditation state when that time has passed.
Mindfulness Bell
At regular intervals iMandala will play a bell so that you remember where you are and your mind is taken back to there in case it had been wandering. Several different Tibetan Bowls or Gongs high quality recording are available as mindfulness bells.
Soothing Background Music
iMandala allows you to choose a background music that will help relax you and bring deep into meditation. Available nature sounds: Ocean, Rain, Mountain Stream, Summer Night, Waterfall. All the sounds have been recorded live with high quality.
Dynamic Visuals
If your mind needs some more help to get to a steady and empty state, try with a dynamic visual effect that will make your Mandala subtly and steadily change during your meditation. This will further engage your brains right side.
iMandala is an universal app, running both on iPhone and iPad; but it is on the iPad that its gorgeous graphics really shine.
For best results, it is suggested to connect your iPhone or iPad to external speakers or headphone. This will allow you to appreciate more thoroughly the beauty of nature sounds bundled with the app.
- Further Information about Mandalas and Bīja.
Mandalas and seed syllables (Bīja) are employed in several spiritual traditions as a support to meditation and to convey a deeper meaning that is not attainable through the rational mind.
Mandalas have spiritual and ritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism. Aside from aiding in meditation, they are used to establish a sacred space and as a spiritual teaching tool.
Bīja is a term used for mystical seed syllables contained within mantras. These seeds do not have precise meanings, but are thought to carry connections to spiritual principles. The best-known bīja syllable is Om.
- General Suggestions
If you are not an experienced practitioner of meditation, you can get more benefit from iMandala sounds if you choose a shorter repetition timeframe.
As usual, follow a set of basic guidelines when you are about to meditate: find a peaceful and quiet place; get comfortable; assume a correct position and relax your body; breathe.
iMandala aims to be a project open to the feedback from its users. If you would like to have any of iMandala features further developed, please send an email to us.
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