In July of 2006, I met Mineo Akiyama, a "spiritual artist," in Ashland, Oregon, who was visiting from Japan.  He "activated" an aspect of myself that was dormant, but wanting to fully awaken.

As he sat in front of me drawing my "soul's energy," I experienced a sudden urge to grab a pen and paper and frantically started drawing dots.  Astounded by this behavior, he said, "that's exactly how I draw mandalas."  At that moment, my mom jumped up excitedly and announced that on her recent trip to Japan, she had purchased the same special gel ink pens that he uses and went to get them from her car.

The spiritual artist then gave me a small black piece of paper and encouraged me to draw a mandala.   At the time, he told me that I had only been using 20% of my creative energy and the mandalas would allow for more creative expression to come through.

That evening I went home and drew a mandala.  He had drawn my soul's energy, but I thought about how I would draw it and that was my first mandala.

About a month went by and I didn't give much thought to drawing mandalas and hadn't stayed with it.  Then, life started to get really intense and everything started to change drastically.

The very first personal/soul mandala started to appear out of a prayer at the end of a beautiful relationship.  On several occasions, my partner had expressed how she hadn't been met, seen, nor fully received by me as one of the reasons for ending the relationship.  Since this was not my experience, I wanted to give her one last “thing” that was an expression of how truly and deeply I did see and receive her and how much I loved her.

Whether she would be able to receive it or not, all I could do was to give her this last gift from the depth of my heart that expressed the totality of love that I experienced for her.  The love that encompassed the depth of her being as absolute consciousness that is devoid of all form, yet includes all form, to every cell, every molecule, every thought, every emotion.  I was in love with every minute and cosmic aspect of her being.  This mandala was/is truly beautiful, powerful and radiant, just like her.

It took about a week of constant absorption from early in the morning until 2 or 3 am and much tears.  I recall being concerned whether my tears would stain the paper or smear the ink.

The greatest miracle I've experienced in drawing mandalas is the love that prevails and shines through, even in the midst of the deepest heartbreak.  I am so eternally grateful.

After drawing the above mandala, another few weeks went by without drawing anymore and my housemate suggested that I create mandalas of our teachers.  So I did.

Then, magically, people started to take notice and feel something from the mandalas.  This was truly a surprise.  My experiences drawing the mandalas were quite profound, but to have both friends and strangers be moved by them was something I hadn’t expected.

I had found my calling.  As more and more people began to commission a soul mandala and were drawn to the mandalas coming through the heart, it became clear that they were being birthed not just for myself, but for the world.

Thus, began a life on the road and offering events along the west coast and Japan.  The first event was on February 9th, 2007 in Ashland, Oregon with my dear friend, singer/songwriter, Sam Vittoria.  Little did we know that we would do 12 events together between February and August, including 3 event in Japan.  The events with Sam were truly a blessing and something I will remember for a very very long time.

The transmissions of the mandalas have gotten more and more powerful with time and experience, and have been pretty much non stop since the beginning of October, 2006.  What started as a desperate plea for personal healing is now an offer of love and gratitude to all.

Since the very first personal mandala, each dot has been a thrill, joy, and miraculous blessing.  Each dot has revealed the source of creation and the cosmic universe of the infinite as well as an experience of Oneness and the sacredness of all of life in all of its forms.  It has given me a depth of gratitude for every aspect of the living presence that is inherently here, always.

In full comment to the support of each and every being’s discovery of peace, love and true happiness within his/her own heart, I humbly give my life in service of Love.

In deepest gratitude, I bow to the mandalas for being and expression of this love and commitment, and I bow to the love that is in each and every heart.

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