App of the week: World Mandalas

Welcome back to our weekly spotlight on helpful apps. We focus on a variety of products that are useful for work, personal use, or both, providing our own thoughts on the apps and what you can do with them. This week we colour for mindfulness and stress relief with World Mandalas.

An intro to World Mandalas
As part of the Colouring for Mindfulness series of apps, World Mandalas is built on the idea of using creativity to de-stress and unwind. A mandala is a meditation concept based on the idea of the ‘sacred circle’, a diagram that represents wholeness. They’re normally circular in shape and feature symmetrical lines and designs that draw the eye to the centre. It has long been accepted that focusing on a mandala can induce a state of calm, so it makes sense that taking the time to carefully colour in is a great mindfulness practice.

The free version of World Mandalas features five simple designs to get you started. There’s a helpful tutorial that tells you exactly how to use the app, and you can also view a gallery of other users’ creations from around the world for some inspiration. If you’re looking for more complicated drawings, you can purchase and download various packs, such as Celtic, Hindu and Native American designs, or you can download the full library of 100 mandalas.

Our review
I only tried the free version as an alternative to bringing my paper adult colouring book and pencils on a recent press trip. Colouring is a great way to relax and clear the mind, especially if it’s a repeating pattern such as a mandala.

The app takes a bit of getting used to, and I made quite a few mistakes that had to be undone early on, but once you get the hang of it it’s a very cool app. Sadly, I didn’t think far enough ahead to save my finished work, so if you’re one to look back on what you’ve done I definitely recommend saving everything. And if you’re especially proud, share your drawings on Instagram using #worldmandalas.

The verdict
The learning curve when I first starting using the app was a bit frustrating, I must admit. But once I got past that hurdle it opened up a world of de-stressing for me. Now if I find myself getting tense I can take a few minutes out, put on some relaxing music and colour in a few blocks on World Mandalas. I liked it so much I’ve just downloaded publisher Trellisys.net’s other colouring app Calmeleon.

Download World Mandalas HERE