Mandalas, mindfulness and implementation

One of my happier finds of late has been mandala coloring books--the process is peaceful and there are countless UU lessons to be learned from learning about another culture to impermanence to acknowledging individual differences and similarities.

There are a bunch of free sites online, from general coloring sites
http://www.coloringcastle.com/mandala_coloring_pages.html
to those just for mandala art
http://www.papermandalas.com/

And of course, there are any number of books out there.
http://www.mandali.com/ shows a number of basic books, including the peace book I love.
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486441350.html uses a vellum-like paper, so the final product can be displayed like stained glass.

Anyway, I'm gushing. If you need a way to keep yourself calm when the flight is delayed, a way to center yourself when you're feeling overwhelmed, or a way to keep a bunch of tactile-kinesthetic children occupied on a rainy day, consider finding some mandala patterns and a handful of colored pencils.

Speaking of children and centering, the nytimes has an article on mindfulness in the classroom--
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/us/16mindful.html?em&ex=1182225600&en=e2ac74333942e9c4&ei=5087%0A

I was glad to see that efforts are underway, but perplexed at the way some of these programs have been implemented. It appears that some of the classroom teachers were unclear on the concept--and unconvinced that it would work. Eek! You need the teachers to buy in before you start the program in their classes. If they don't agree, hey, take it to someone else's class and let THAT teacher convert the other!