Not sure about you, but the team here at TattooIcon are big mandala fans and all things/tats mandala. We'd love to tell you more about mandalas and mandala tattoos, including their incredible symbolism and unique history. Let's get started by discussing what a mandala is and its significance. Let’s begin…

What is a Mandala and what does it mean?

The word "mandala" means "circle" or "center" in Sanskrit. One of the great religions of the world, Buddhism, inspired the creation of Mandalas.They were produced in Tibet, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, and Indonesia from the fourth century to the present.

Mandalas are well-known as spiritual and ritual symbols in many Asian cultures. It was first practiced by Hinduism, and then Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and Paganism followed suit. If you pay close attention to the artistic details, you'll notice that religious artwork from East Asia also contains a lot of mandala symbols.

The mandala has been adopted by almost all cultures, but Buddhism has made it more popular. The mandala holds the utmost significance in the culture of the Tibetan monks, who frequently make use of sacred images to advance their spirituality.

Origin of Mandala Symbolism - history and culture

A mandala is a representation of the universe used in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. The circle is a representation of all that is whole: infinity, timelessness, and unity - everything in life that is never-ending and interconnected. A circle is the best way to convey the idea that everything is just a part of nature, the world, and the universe, showing the cycles of birth, life and death.

Mandalas are used as a way to meditate in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions to help people grow spiritually. The pictures show the spiritual journey, which begins on the outside and progresses through layers until it reaches the inner core.

Image Credit: @kashgar

Structure of the Mandala Art Work

Beautiful shapes, symbols, and patterns make up a mandala design. They radiate outward from the center in a circular pattern and are connected and interconnected. Mandalas can be found practically anywhere if you look hard enough. They can be found in architecture as well as in tattoos, carvings, drawings, and sculptures! Snowflakes, flowers, and shells are just a few examples of the shapes and sizes of nature's mandalas.

In a mandala, each circle represents a different concept and the Buddhist Color Theory is used to interpret the meanings of the colors in a mandala. According to this theory, each color signifies a concept of enlightenment. The six primary colors utilized in the mandala design are white, green, yellow, red, blue, and black. These colors, along with black, signify the Five Buddha Families.

Image Credit: @mtabu34

The process of Making a Mandala

A mandala takes a long time to create. A Tibetan monk must first complete three years of creative and psychological training before attempting to design. When the monks are finally allowed to begin, they work together to create a single mandala. The majority of the time, a single mandala will have four monks working on it, each assigned to their own section and helping to fill in the colors.

After completing a mandala, Tibetan monks believed that one could enter it spiritually. Unlike traditional mandalas, which are drawn from the center outward, this journey begins from the outside, with the core of the pattern as the goal; despite the fact that the majority of mandalas are drawn from the center outward.

Image Credit: @umass.edu

Mandalas in Meditation and Psychology

Carl J. Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, popularized the West's practice of making mandalas for self-expression, discovery, and healing, meditation and mental health.

 When he created mandalas on a daily basis, he realized that the shapes, colors, and symbols reflected his mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being at the time. Jung came to the conclusion that our conscious and subconscious selves are constantly seeking balance. As part of his work with his clients, Jung would ask them to draw mandalas. He discovered that making mandalas helped patients to relax, who were going through confusing mental states.

“In the products of the unconscious we discover mandala symbols, that is, circular and quaternity figures which express wholeness, and whenever we wish to express wholeness, we employ just such figures. ” - C.G. Jung

Anyone who has tried meditation knows how difficult it is. However, making a mandala, according to many, helps people relax. It's easy to get lost in the shapes and colors, which may temporarily help people to forget about the outer world and all their troubles.

Since mandalas have proven to be so useful, their patterns are being used by licensed psychologists. In practice, therapists have observed a number of mental health benefits, such as decreased heart rate, enhanced concentration and creativity, and stress relief.

Creating Mandalas helps to calm the mind and body at the same time, also helping sleep. It boosts well-being in general: minimizing worry, fear and overwhelm. It also increases self-esteem and acceptance; while promoting a sense of belonging to oneself and others.

…Now comes the part we all look forward to the most: getting one of these stunning designs permanently imprinted on our skin. YAY!

Mandala Tattoos

As we previously mentioned, mandala designs are fundamental to Hindu culture, however have become popular to a diverse group of people. Mandala tattoos are a popular form of body art amongst Hindus and Buddhists, so some view these tattoos as icons, while others simply like getting these patterns inked as a trend.

Blackwork is without a doubt the most well-liked mandala design among tattoo artists who create their own designs. It's easy to understand why as lines and dots make up the majority of mandalas and sacred geometry tattoos.

Image Credit: @pamelajackson

When it comes to choosing which elements to include in their mandala, each person has their own unique ideas; and because of this, each mandala has a unique meaning. Tattoo artists usually speak to their clients to hear their ideas and present them with templates on which they can work together in order to create an even more individual design, especially as mandalas are pretty abstract.

Even though the majority of mandalas are made with a single design, you can make your own geometric pattern that can represent anything you want. We think this is an excellent way to personalize your Mandala Tattoo and connect with it on a deeper level.

Trends and Inspirations for Mandala Tattoos

Mandalas can be found in a variety of cultures, so there is no shortage of ideas for mandala tattoo designs. They can be square, round, or triangular in shape; single or divided into two halves, and their patterns can be floral or tribal. Many mandalas are brightly colored or can simply be tattooed in black and white ink. Flowers are another common source of design inspiration for mandalas due to their inherent symmetry. Getting a mandala tattoo breathes fresh life into the mandala by tailoring its design to the wearer's body

We think tattoos that incorporate mandalas are truly stunning, as their substance and spiritual origins enhance their depth. As a result, getting a mandala tattoo is such a great choice. Your tattoo will always be unique and special because it can mean so many different things to different people - there are no rules when designing your own mandala tattoo, which is part of the appeal of getting one inked. There is so much creative freedom involved in the process, and it is entirely up to the individual creating the design.

Why are mandala tattoos so popular? 

Mandala tattoos are so popular because of the endless combinations and meanings that can be created, as well as the beautiful, simple, symmetrical patterns that are soothing to the eye. Each design's meanings and symbols might be absolutely unique to the individual - making it the ideal permanent mark. Mandala designs also have the advantage of being able to be combined with nearly any other tattoo design.

Image Credit: @tattooicon

Get your hands on our mandala temporary tattoos here.

You may believe that creating a flawless mandala is the most challenging task you can attempt. However, it's not as difficult as you think. This is because there is no such thing as a terrible mandala design. To give your mandala special meaning, you simply need to choose your favorite symbol (a flower or gemstone for example), color, and shape, and then build from there. As there are a large number of popular mandala designs, you can choose one that best reflects your personality and vibe, then combine it with all of your favorite elements.

What Is The Best Place To Have A Mandala Tattoo?

Deciding where to place your Mandala tattoo might be a bit of a challenge. In fact, deciding where to get any tattoo can be hard, as there are so many options. We think that mandala tattoos look best on the chest (mainly for men) or back because of the large surface, which means the shape or details of the piece wouldn’t be distorted. A mandala tattoo on the back is drawn and seen from a straight angle, which allows for more intricacy. 

Image Credit: @monumentalink

Because a mandala tattoo is circular, sections that are curved may disrupt the design's contour and alignment. However, underboob mandala tattoos are incredibly popular amongst the ladies as it follows the curve underneath the chest to give a feminine and appealing effect. It is a great choice for a woman who wants to remind herself of her inner power or balance.

The wrist, ankle, thighs, legs, back of the ear, nape of the neck and even feet, are popular places for small mandala tattoos. We would suggest you make sure to speak with a professional about its suitability.

Mandala tattoo designs

There is a wide variety of mandala tattoos to choose from for people who want something different from the standard designs that are available.  Now this is where WE come in, you have a large range of our amazing popular mandala temporary tattoo designs to choose from, to enable you to make an informed choice about where you might want to get the real deal tatted. It makes no difference whether you want a mandala tattoo for spiritual or aesthetic reasons; the designs are varied enough to allow you to choose the one that best suits you.

What would you get if you got a mandala tattoo?