Prayer for New Year

O Thou who abidest in our hearts,

most Merciful and Compassionate God, Lord of Heaven and Earth,

we forgive others their trespasses and ask Thy forgiveness of our shortcomings.

We begin the New Year with pure heart and clear conscience, with courage and hope.

Help us to fulfill the purpose of our lives under Thy divine guidance.

Amen.

~Hazrat Inayat Khan

A Cool Dragon Mandala

Here's a cool spiral dragon mandala to color.

Click to enlarge, then download, print, and color.

The artist is unknown to me.

If you created this mandala, or know who did, please let me know so I can provide credit and a link.

Have fun!

Earth Cannot Escape Heaven

Earth cannot escape heaven,

Flee it by going up,

Or flee it by going down,

Heaven still invades the earth,

Energizes it,

Makes it sacred.

~Meister Eckhart

Spiral Staircases

Spiral staircases - a sort of architectural mandala - remind us that we are all spiraling down into our center while at the same time spiraling up into our greater selves. Here's a cool selection of photos.

Photo credits are unavailable - if one of these amazing photos is yours we'd love to know so we can give you credit and a link.

Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath. Feel it hitting in the middle if the chest. Feel as if the whole existence is pouring vitality and life into you, into your heart. Do it at least five times.

Now exhale deeply, again from the heart, and feel you are pouring all that has been given to you back into existence.

Do this as many times in the day as you remember, but whenever you do it, do five breaths at once.

Benefits:
This technique will help you feel more vibrant and alive, enjoying whatever life brings. It will help you shift from the head to the heart. You will become more sensitive and aware of many things that you have not previously been aware of. You will start  feeling life really throbbing in you.

From Pragito Dove
Discover Meditation Training Inc.
Mandala by Trevor Nichols

Pulling Together

Community
Mandala Art by Shirley Gibson

Changes

"Persons and societies do not submit passively to surroundings and events. They make choices as to the places where they live and the activities in which they engage -- choices based on what they want to be, to do and to become. Furthermore, persons and societies often change their goals and ways; they can even retrace their steps and start in a new direction if they believe they are on a wrong course."

~Rene Dubos

Some Unusual Floral Mandalas

Yellow Daisy,
Found at Flickr.

Orange Gerbera Daisy

Found at: Flickr.

IMG 1856b

Found at: Flickr.

Cone Flower

Found at Flickr.

Harmony

Harmonious living tells of harmonious thinking. A turbulent life reveals some kind of inner turmoil or lack of resolution. We may believe that we are positive, settled people, but if we notice troubles or conflicts in our outer conditons, we must look within to see what negativity is bubbling, or bubbled at some earlier time.

If you want to know what's in your subconscious, you don't have to go to a psychiatrist or a psychic. Just look at the condition of your bedroom, your car, your house, your health, and your relationships. They are photographs of your subconscious. Outer events are simply the skin and bones of inner thoughts, and to really take control of our lives, we must treat them as one.

~Alan Cohen