close · Team Building, Reflection, Visioning · 30–45 min · 4-20 people · low energy

Group Nature Mandala

Each person walks on their own to collect leaves, stones, flowers and other natural materials that speak to them. The group then arranges everything together, in silence, into one circular mandala on the ground. They look at it quietly, and the facilitator asks a few questions about what each person brought and what the shared image says.

When to use Group Nature Mandala

Use to close a retreat or programme, when the group needs a calm, shared way to see its individual contributions come together.

What it solves

Endings are rushed with a last feedback form, and people leave without a moment that shows what they made together.

How to run Group Nature Mandala, step by step

  1. Send people out alone to collect natural materials that catch their attention (10 min).
  2. Mark a circle on the ground or lay a large sheet of paper as the base (2 min).
  3. In silence, the group builds one mandala from the centre outwards (10-15 min).
  4. Stand around it in silence for a minute and take a photo (2 min).
  5. Reflection round: did your idea come through, what did others add, what does the mandala say about us? (10-15 min)

Materials needed

  • Natural materials found on site
  • Optional: a large sheet of paper or a cloth as base
  • A camera

Facilitator tips

  • Ask people to take only fallen or abundant material, and nothing from protected plants.
  • Offer to bring materials to people who cannot easily bend or walk far.
  • Silence during the build is what makes it collaborative; say so before starting.

Common pitfalls

  • Turning it into a craft competition between subgroups.
  • Explaining the mandala too much, so people do not get to say what it means to them.

Variations

  • Leave the mandala in place and return to it on the last morning of a multi-day retreat.

What it produces

A shared mandala on the ground, usually photographed, and a short round of what it means to the group.

Origin

Published in the Ode to Joy toolbox, an Erasmus+ adult education partnership led by Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci (Italy) with partners in Hungary, Austria and Germany. — source

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