Paint-It-Pink Mandala Project

October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, but your help and support is needed every day of the year. Perhaps you know someone who's had breast cancer, or it's affected you personally. Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the United States, the second most common cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer), and the primary cause of death in women ages 45 to 55.

My mom died in December of '92 at age 61. She had ,acute inflammatory breast cancer (AIBC) which meant by the time she found a bruise-like discoloration on her breast, it had already metastasized.

I remember vividly when she told me the news: she called and asked me, "Do you still do your monthly breast self-exams?" I said I did. She was relieved, and told me to keep it up. Then she told me during a self-exam she'd noticed a reddish bruise on the side of her breast, that she'd gone to the doctor the next day, and explained what the diagnosis of acute inflammatory breast cancer meant. She was gone six months later.

AIBC is quite rare; it occurs in approximately 2% of all cases of breast cancer. The two-year survival rates for acute inflammatory breast cancer have greatly improved over the years since my mom died. I wish she could be here now, with me, drawing and coloring as she always did with me, even as an adult. My mom was a tremendous inspiration to me and always will be, and now for my daughter as I tell her the stories of her grandma.

The Paint-It-Pink Mandala Project (example at left is by Brenda Crocker of New Zealand) is "a continually expanding collection of pink mandalas made by people world-wide in support of breast cancer awareness" and a percentage of its proceeds from workshops, art kits, special exhibitions and other retail products goes to the Barabara T. Sabo Scholarship Foundation.

Find any blank mandala you can, or buy a kit from the Paint-It-Pink store, color it pink and pass it on! Unfortunately, the site no longer seems to be taking new images for exhibition, however, check out flickr nd other photo-sharing services, search "breast cancer mandalas" or "pink mandalas" and be sure to upload and share your pink visions with the world!

Mandalas Heal

The healing powers of creating and coloring mandalas have been well documented. Creating or coloring a mandala can have a calming and relaxing effect, releasing beneficial hormones such as endorphins into the blood stream while at the same time  essening the release of adrenaline or cortisol (the "stress hormones"). The mindful meditation that naturally occurs from concentration on mandala creation and/or coloring helps focus the mind and can alleviate many symptoms of mental illness. Medical and psychological research has consistenly shown that the attitudes of one's mind can effect how successful treatment is for individuals. Carl Jung stated that creating mandalas provides a sense of unity between the self and others.

For all of these reasons, mandala creation and coloring is an ideal therapeutic tool for people who have experienced trauma, illness or are simply stressed. The circular, repetitive design helps to integrate all of the emotions associated with stress and provide much-needed order. Art therapists often utilize mandalas as a therapeutic tool for healing, conflict resolution, self-awareness and self-expression. It's also been said that it's easier to express the pain and emotions through art therapy compared to traditional talk therapy.Try a mandala today!