What is a limiting belief (LB)?
“A limiting belief is like a mental barrier that holds you back from achieving your full potential. It’s a thought or conviction that you accept as true, but it restricts you from exploring new opportunities or reaching your goals.”
In doing some research I found these to be the three most common LBs:
- I’m not good enough/I’m not enough
- I’m not worthy of success
- I’ll never be able to change
For me, personally, I relate to the 1. and 2. The third LB is a new one to me…and yet one that could explain a lot of my negative habits and behaviors.
Many ways exist to release them, overcome them, re-write them, etc. (google it) I’ve explored some of them to little avail. I have yet to use the coloring of mandalas to process them…until now. I’m tired of my LBs keeping me from succeeding in whatever it is I’m trying to create for myself.
So I offer this process both for myself and for you.
How to Color Mandalas to Release LBs
Read through the instructions completely before starting, so as to become familiar with the process.
Please let go of the idea that this has to look good or pretty when it’s done…we’re using coloring as a way to make the unconscious conscious. How it looks in the end is arbitrary.
- Pick one LB you want to release (either from the list above or some other one that resonates with you).
- Set up your space for coloring and where you’re least likely to be disturbed.
- Pick a mandala you want to color (I have several years worth of free mandalas to download on mandalaofthemonth.com). Or you could choose to do a Doodle Mandala, which is a free-form version.
- Take a few deep, conscious breaths to ground yourself in the present moment.
- Set an intention that you want to release this particular LB. You could use a statement like: “I’m setting my intention to receive insights about this LB (name it) and to release by coloring this mandala”
- Take a moment to connect with this LB. Where do you feel it in your body? Does it have a shape, color, size, smell, etc? If it had a name, what would it be?
- As you ask questions and start to receive answers begin drawing/coloring your mandala. Continue to explore this LB. Does it have a message for you? Where did it initiate?
- At some point, before you finish coloring, ask the following question of yourself: “What evidence do I have that contradicts this belief?” Now focus your coloring from this new perspective and answer this question. Keep asking until you’ve exhausted the answers.
- Make note of any insights that come through during this process…either on the mandala itself, to the side of it, or someplace else.
- As you’re coming towards the end of coloring your mandala, allow a new, revised belief to come to the surface…an affirmation or statement that you can repeat daily, that feels empowering to you. Write it down. Put it someplace where you’ll see it on a regular basis.
- When you finish coloring and have received your new-found insights, thank the LB…there was a time when it served you. Thank the mandala for being a helpful tool in this process. Thank yourself for taking the time to play through this process.
- At this point, you’re free to do whatever feels right to you about the mandala. You can burn it, tear it up, bury it, hang up someplace as a reminder of this process…it’s your choice.
I wish you (and me) many blessings as we go through this process.
joyfully, Maureen
The Mandala Lady
