Combining a guided meditation with doing something fun and artistic is a great way to unwind and get those creative juices flowing.

You may be asking, 'what is a Mandala?'

The word mandala is a Sanskrit term that means “circle” or “discoid object”. A mandala can be defined in two ways: externally as a schematic visual representation of the universe and internally as a guide for several psychophysical practices that take place in many Asian traditions, including meditation (source: Ancient History Encyclopedia)

Buddhists Monks are the masters at creating incredible intricate mandalas from coloured sand only to destroy it in the end.

As an art form, creating a mandala has really captured artists' imagination and a browse on Instagram will show you some incredible artwork.

In my workshop, I will show you how to set up the grid into which you will draw your Mandala. I will guide you with examples of patterns and styles of petals, circles, dots, teardrops, and many other inspirational ideas.

Meditation and drawing a mandala will help you to focus and shut out the noise of the outside world, giving you some well-deserved ‘you’ time to connect with your inner-self. That’s why I like to call my classes Cathartic Art!

Come and get in the zone and see what your unconscious creativity can conjure up.

My classes are specially designed to be fun, creative, relaxing and the best part is, you don't have to be all spiritual and arty to join in.

In fact, the less 'arty' you are the better. It's about enjoying the process NOT about creating a masterpiece (though you never know what talents lay hidden deep within).

I will supply all the materials and tools you'll need, and help you with the processes and ideas.

For your peace of mind, we will be following a COVID precaution plan to keep us all safe, which includes sanitising all the equipment right down to the smallest paintbrush. If you wish to wear a mask, then you’re welcome to do so.

Never meditated before? I believe most people enjoy it once they try it. You will be guided for a few minutes then you’ll have approximately 8 minutes of just music to chill out to. You can sit on a cushion on the floor or in a chair if it's more comfortable. The meditation lasts for 10 to 12 minutes and the main purpose is to help you relax, release tension and shut down the noise in your head so it's clear and ready to create beautiful art. (NOTE: PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CUSHION OR YOGA MAT).

Over the coming weeks, I'll be hosting other different creative sessions so hop onto my FB page, @the.be.creativespace, click LIKE and keep an eye on the events I’ll put up.

Just so you know, my name is Lisa. I am an art therapy facilitator and a meditation guide. My background is in digital marketing and holistic therapies. I trained as a reflexology therapist, therapeutic massage practitioner and baby massage practitioner way back in the nineties. I did this for many years, alongside working in marketing, in London before moving back to live in Australia. My philosophy is that the body and mind cannot heal if it is in a state of DIS-STRESS…..so, I’m all about de-stressing!!

Also, I'm a self-taught artist and I've tried my hand at many different things from painting, drawing, hand-painted t-shirts, digital art, crafts, well the list goes on......you could say I'm a jack of all trades when it comes to art, lolx