A Jungian Mandala Exercise for Painting your Fullest Potential

In this post we will be exploring the theme of potential through the concept of entelechy and I'll also guide you through a Jungian mandala exercise which will help you to embody your fullest potential in a specific area of your life.

The word entelechy refers to an innate vital force in nature that helps things move or grow from their potential to their full realization. It’s a word that comes from philosophy, from the Greek word entelecheia, which can be broken up into en, meaning inner; telos, meaning goal, completion, or perfection; and echein, meaning to be in a certain state.

This time of spring is a beautiful time to connect with this energy of entelechy, because we are seeing seeds sprout and plants grow (well, at least here in Finland, we are just starting that process). Spring is where this entelechy really comes alive and visible to us.

Psychologically speaking, we also have that kind of innate force within us that helps us grow spiritually and mentally. Carl Jung actually based his whole psychology on this idea—that we are attuned with nature, that we are nature, essentially. And that we also have this entelechy within us. Jung believed that the telos, or completion or goal of this process, is individuation, which means becoming whole, or becoming who we truly are.

Jung said that: "... in so far as the individuation process occurs, empirically speaking, as a synthesis, it looks paradoxically as if something that already existent were being put together." So he really believed that within us there is a kind of blueprint that simply unfolds. Life is an unfolding of something that already exists within us.

For example, an acorn has the potential to become a tree, and it already holds within it the blueprint for that tree. As the tree grows, it continues despite outer challenges. Whether there is hot weather, cold weather, or even a storm, it keeps growing. Of course, sometimes a branch may fall off, and the tree will grow bark over that wound, but it still continues in its inherent direction of growth.

So this concept of entelechy doesn’t mean there is no challenge or persistence involved—often, quite the opposite. What it does mean is that growth follows its own nature. It has its own timing, which we often cannot control.

Another symbol of entelechy is the child. A child already holds within it the potential for what it is to become. We are not all born the same; each of us carries a very specific blueprint that we are meant to follow and unfold as we grow older.

Now, let’s do a mandala exercise together that will help you tap into, embody, and experience this feeling of entelechy within you.

EXERCISE:

For this exercise, you can use any supplies of your choice. You can draw with pencils or crayons, or paint with watercolor, acrylics, or gouache—whatever you have at home. You’ll also need either a compass to draw a circle, or you can trace around an object like a plate.

1) Start by drawing a circle on your paper. If you like, you can also draw a series of smaller, gradually expanding circles within it. This can help you build your mandala—the mandala of potential.

2) Once you’ve done that, bring your attention to something in your life that you would like to see become actualized—something you want to be fully realized in its full potential. This could be something abstract, like your creativity—wanting to express yourself more confidently—or learning to trust yourself more. It could also be a skill or knowledge that you feel you’re not using fully but would like to develop. Or it could be something concrete, like a new house, new studies, or a new relationship. Choose your intention snd write it on your paper so it’s very clear to you. The most important thing here is that you hold this intention, begin the exercise in tune with it, and then truly surrender to the process.

3) Next, start by drawing or painting a seed that represents the seed of this potential in the center of your circle. This is a symbolic seed—it doesn’t have to look like a real seed. It’s simply a symbol of your intention.

4) Once you’ve done that, imagine that this seed begins to grow toward the outer edges of the circle. Surrender and trust that your inner wisdom—and your hands—know how this seed of potential grows.

When you’re finished with your mandala, take a moment to sit with it. Notice how you feel in your body after doing this exercise. I also recommend placing your mandala somewhere visible, like on a wall, for a few days. Let it remind you of this inner blueprint and the direction of growth you are moving toward in your life.

I hope you enjoyed this exercise and have a good spring. 🌱