What's Running You? The Story of the Mindful Mandala Cards

A black snake keeps showing up at my window, and instead of turning away, I start paying attention. That single choice becomes the start of a creative trail I never planned, one that runs through a hip injury, a hidden stone house, and four years of living close to nature's raw sounds and seasons. What begins as fear slowly turns into curiosity, and curiosity turns into layered photographs that reveal mandalas, circles that mirror the cycles we live through in our bodies, relationships, and inner lives.As the mandalas take shape, I realize they aren’t just art. They become a mindfulness practice and a self-inquiry tool that helps make the invisible visible, especially the emotions that quietly “run” us. I share the framework that emerged from the work: challenges that hold our darker emotions, tools that represent our higher capacities like compassion and kindness, and actions that bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be. We talk about the mind as a system, the familiar loop of thought to emotion to reaction, and the moment where we can choose something different.You’ll also hear what happened when I brought the mandalas into a gallery and invited people to ask one honest question. The stories that followed, daily returns, tears in front of forgiveness, and real shifts in long-held pain, made the next step obvious: create something people could hold and return to. That became the Mindful Mandala Cards, a practical guided reflection deck designed for emotional healing, mental clarity, and everyday mindfulness, even through the delays and uncertainty of COVID-era production.If this story sparks something in you, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one, share it with a friend who needs a gentler way through hard emotions, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. What feeling are you ready to understand instead of outrun?Support the show