15 Mandala Art Books to Inspire a Meditative Drawing Practice

Immerse yourself in the geometric patterns and spirals of mandalas with these books exploring art, natural history, and spirituality

Whether you want to meditate, unlock your subconscious through art therapy, or simply explore the creative possibilities of repeating patterns, the mandala is a foundational tool.

You can find mandalas everywhere nowadays, from their original locations like temples and indeed the natural world, to modern uses like coloring books and tattoo designs.

Lizzie Snow (@fortyonehundred) is a visual artist who combines contemporary elements with the fractals of nature to create original mandala prints, murals, and collectibles, alongside working with brands like Apple and Lululemon. In this list, she recommends fifteen reference books for those seeking deeper inspiration.

But first, let's explore the basics of what a mandala is, how it can be used, and what the benefits are.

What is a mandala?

A mandala is a geometric arrangement of symbols or shapes. They are generally circular and intricate, with scaling patterns that build from the center outwards. The fact that you could keep drawing outwards forever suggests a relationship to infinity, and this might be why they are sacred and beloved around the world.

The word mandala can be translated from Sanskrit to circle, but the word can also be divided into two parts: manda (essence) and la (container). In her course, Lizzie describes it as, “an external representation of the universe, but also an internal representation of the inner self.”

Different cultures and spiritual traditions have used the mandala in different ways, with it being most associated with Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Shintoism. The earliest evidence comes from ancient India thousands of years BCE, although similar concentric patterns occurred in ancient cultures around the world, such as in Mesoamerica.

In spiritual practices, the mandala can symbolize a deity, or be used in meditation and teaching by practitioners.

Drawing mandalas and other repeating patterns has mental health benefits including a calming effect and a sense of grounding, and connection to nature. They’re especially interesting to explore as an artist, because they offer the opportunity to work at scale, experimenting with form but with some guiding principles.

Examples of mandalas

Our world is full of circular, complex forms. Here are just a few that are further explored in the books below.

1. In anthropology and archaeology: you'll find sand mandalas practiced in Tibetan Buddhism, Aztec calendars, Native American dreamcatchers, or stained-glass in European churches.

2. In nature: look at snowflakes, the human iris, flower heads, and cross-sections of fruit.

3. In psychology and art therapy: you'll find Jung’s work, abstract art, and coloring books.

Fifteen books about mandalas

With a basic understanding of what a mandala is, it’s time to look at the fifteen books Lizzie recommends for those seeking further exploration and inspiration.

1. The Mandala Book, by Lori Bailey Cunningham

In this in-depth exploration, Cunningham draws from science, history, religion, art, and psychology. The book explains the concept of a mandala and describes how they are the foundation of life itself.

2. Art Forms in Nature, by Ernst Haeckel

Ernst Heinrich Haeckel (1834–1919) hand-drew these intricate nature-inspired drawings. As well as being well executed, these artworks are celebrated worldwide due to the feeling of surrealism created when exploring and expanding on the shapes of real life forms.

3. Patterns in Nature, by Philip Ball

The natural world isn’t quite as chaotic as it seems, this book claims. By looking for fundamental patterns in the 250 images presented in this book, we can see mathematical and physical principles emerging that govern all shape forms.

4. Fractals: On the Edge of Chaos, by Oliver Linton

This short, illustrated book from the Wooden Books series explored the mathematics of fractals and chaos in a pocket-size format, perfect for quick inspiration.

5. Sacred Geometry and Magical Symbols, by Iva Kenaz

A simple, clear journey from basic shapes like the circle to complex symbols used throughout global religions and spiritualities.

6. Designa, by Adam Tetlow

This collection unites six short volumes from the Wooden Books series on art and design including Islamic Design, Celtic Pattern, Curves, The Golden Section, Symmetry, and Perspective, to show the interconnectedness of these design languages.

7. Sacred Geometry: Language of the Angels, by Richard Heath

Taking a new-age spirituality turn, this book explores the link between “sacred geometry” (assigning symbolic meaning to geometric shapes) with a universal spiritual current that appears in symbols around world history.

8. Mandala: Journey to the Center, by Bailey Cunningham

This book dives into how the mandala has been used historically and how it is used today. It features 400 images of mandalas from art, architecture, and nature.

9. Math for Mystics, by Renna Shesso

This thoughtful and friendly book explores how ancient math unlocked the world around us: from understanding seasons and crops to predicting the future with early astrology and astronomy, Shesso explores how numerical patterns have made us who we are.

10. Mandala: The Architecture of Enlightenment, by Denise Patry Leidy and Robert A. F. Thurman

Thoroughly based in the tradition of ancient Eastern architecture from India all the way to Japan, this art book is packed with 100 designs from history.

11. An Illustrated History of the Mandala, by Kimiaki Tanaka

Dive into the exact terminology and history of the mandala in India. Covering Indian Buddhism and esoteric Buddhism, Tanaka discusses patterns, deities, color, and meaning in great depth.

12. The Golden Ratio, by Gary B. Meisner

The golden ratio can be used to form spirals and other geometric shapes that repeat endlessly. It appears throughout nature, and this book is filled with highly structured and beautiful illustrations demonstrating its presence.

13. The Mandala Bible, by Madonna Gauding

Looking from a global perspective, this book takes a broad definition of the mandala and finds it throughout the ancient art forms of the world, including in Native American sand art and Celtic knots.

14. Ruler and Compass, by Andrew Sutton

Another of the Wooden Books shorts, this book outlines the origins and basic rules of creating geometric constructions. Learn about angles, polygons, and other technical aspects of these complex drawings.

15. Collected Works, by Carl Jung

Finally, for a more abstract take, explore the work of psychologist Carl Jung, who is generally credited with bringing the mandala more consciously into Western thought. Noticing the symbolic significance of circles in understanding the subconscious mind, he encouraged patients to draw mandalas to relax. Here, you can learn about his theories of mind, archetypes, and personality.

Learn more about meditative creative practices

- If you are ready to connect with nature and your deeper self through pattern, check out Lizzie Snow’s full course, The Art of Mandala Drawing, and the many other ways to connect spiritually with art.

- If you’re feeling creatively blocked, try these sketchbooking tools and tips using patterns.

- Zentangle is another technique that involves intricate pattern-making to relax. Learn what zentangle is in this post.

- Discover the free meditative drawing app Color Mandala, where you can design, print, and color in your own mandalas.