Session 7: Nourishment

Shadow work: Rejection

This group art therapy session explores nourishment as the ability to receive, sustain, and restore—emotionally, mentally, and physically. Through the creation of mandalas using varied artistic techniques, nourishment is approached as a layered and evolving experience, much like the ways nature feeds life through soil, water, light, and time.

The mandala becomes a symbolic container where participants can explore what supports them, what feels depleted, and what invites renewal. The session unfolds gently, adapting to the needs of the group and honoring natural rhythms of giving, receiving, rest, and regeneration.

Session Structure

• Opening & Grounding (30 minutes)
  The session begins with a welcoming circle and a guided meditation focused on care and presence. Attention is brought to breath, bodily sensations, and inner signals related to comfort, hunger, rest, or fullness. Participants are invited to notice what nourishment feels like in the body and where it may be needed.

• Mandala Creation – Multi-Technique Symbolic Process (1 hour)
  Participants are guided in the creation of a mandala using different techniques, such as layering, collage, texture, repetition, and intuitive use of color. Rather than aiming for a final image, the focus is on building the mandala gradually—adding, removing, softening, or strengthening elements as a reflection of inner needs.
  This process mirrors natural cycles of growth and care, allowing the artwork to become a visual expression of support, replenishment, and balance. Gentle music, along with tea and biscuits, supports grounding and comfort throughout. No artistic experience is required.

• Reflection & Integration (30 minutes)
  In the final phase, participants are invited to observe their mandala as an inner map of nourishment—what feels sustaining, what feels fragile, and what invites attention. Sharing may take place within the group or privately with the facilitator, according to individual comfort. The emphasis remains on personal insight, embodied awareness, and self-care rather than interpretation.

This session offers a nurturing space to reconnect with the sources of personal nourishment, inviting care and self-compassion through creative expression.