Mandala is nestled in the heart of Stykkishólmur, surrounded by the countless islands of Breiðafjörður and the magical forces, which the encircling nature has to offer. The building is beautifully designed in a Moroccan style. The space is suitable for a broad variety of groups, whether it be for corporate gatherings or various self-improvement events and courses.

Initially, Mandala’s premises were to serve as the new headquarters for Erla’s company, but the Fates took the reins and, due to local planning, the idea never materialised. During the pandemic, Erla was given the time and space she needed to reflect on what role the house should play. She immersed herself in learning how to play the singing bowls and diligently practised playing the gong and other instruments. This gave birth to the idea that the house would be called Mandala and the core of its activities would be personal development. “My hope is that Mandala will open the hearts of those who come here and fill them with love. Mandala stands first and foremost for human development,” says Erla.

Erla started leading yoga classes for friends and acquaintances and, little by little, she wove sound healing into the classes. In Midsummer 2020, she conducted sound healing in Mandala for the first time and, since then, she has more or less held sound healing sessions on a weekly basis, and about 200 people from Stykkishólmur have already had sound healing sessions with her. All proceeds from the sound healing go to charity, since it is Erla’s gift to the community and, at the same time, to all of us. “Beauty is about doing good to others,” she says. Erla says her music bowls are volatile and that people influence how they play. The sounds they make will depend on who is there at any given time. “It’s as if they have a life of their own,” she says. The same can be said of the two gongs, Venus and Universe. Erla therefore summons all the gracious powers around us to join in the playing each and every time. At the beginning of each session, she asks Ganesha, Mandala’s daemon, to protect and heal all the people who come to Mandala and help to draw in the light and envelop everyone with love.

About Erla Björg

“The beauty lies in doing good to others.”

Since 2003, Erla has managed an international seafood export company in Stykkishólmur. The running of a company requires a lot of its management and Erla was often a hard master. It became part of her routine to be on duty 24/7 and always be ready to take on the demanding tasks of the job. Erla Björg reached a turning point in 2017 when she realised that work had taken over her existence and her private life was swiftly but surely fading away. She was at a crossroads at which she could either face total burnout or stop and change lifestyle. Erla booked a flight to Thailand and there she met a Chinese guru who gave her the inspiration she needed to change her lifestyle. She experienced a deep transformation in herself — both physically and mentally. A year later, she returned to Thailand to immerse herself in meditation and mindfulness. Her goal was to gain an understanding of what meditation entails and what it can accomplish. During this 30-day meditation trip, Erla experienced the power of meditation. Since 2018, she has started each day by meditating and led a group of people who want to get to know meditation.

“Something happens inside you,” says Erla, who has continued on her quest for knowledge ever since. “The journey ennobles you, it awakens the heart and the love that dwells within us – which helps us to see the good in all people,” says Erla. Shortly after returning from her trip to Thailand, Erla started practising yoga at the Yoga Shala, where she attained her yoga teaching qualifications.

Erla got to know sound healing through Arnbjörg Kristín Konráðsdóttir. “Nothing has ever moved me as much,” says Erla about her first experience of sound healing. During the sound healing, something inside her broke, all her defences vanished, unresolved feelings gushed to the surface and the dam burst. She attended two gong courses with Arnbjörg and subsequently acquired two gongs, Universe and Venice, which form the basis of Erla’s sound healing in Mandala. Erla then got to know the magic of singing bowls when she went to Kamilla Ingibergsdóttir’s sound healing, where she met Sólbjört in Ljósheimar, who became her main source of encouragement on her journey to open Mandala.

“Ganesha removes all obstacles and is the god of new beginnings”

Ganesha is of great symbolic value in Mandala and a big statue of him is located in the centre of the space. It brings great magic to both the heart and eye, it summons the light, heals what is broken, and envelopes everyone in love. The statue is of a Hindu god found in various forms, but usually in the form of a human body with an elephant’s head. Ganesha is the eldest son of the mighty gods Shiva and Parvati.

Birth of Ganesha

Parvati felt she was missing someone in her life to look after her interests, since her husband Shiva had his ally, Nandi, who was more faithful and loyal to him than anyone else. What opened Parvati’s eyes to this was when she went to take a bath and asked Nandi to protect the door of the house and not let anyone through, but when her husband came, Nandi immediately let him pass, as he was more sympathetic to Shiva than Parvati. Parvati breathed life into the turmeric cream she had used to bathe and created Ganesha, her own son, who was always supposed to be by her side. The next time Parvati took a bath, she placed Ganesha at her door to guard it, and he refused to let Shiva enter the house. Her husband was furious at being denied entry to his own home, so he ordered his army to assassinate Ganesha, but all the soldiers failed because of Ganesha’s power. Stupefied by this, Shiva decided to behead Ganesha himself. When Parvati found out, she became so enraged that she decided to destroy all creation in revenge for Ganesha’s murder. When the god Brahma, the creator of all things, found out, he discussed the matter with her, and she agreed to cancel her plans on two conditions: the first was that Ganesha would be resurrected and the second was that he would be worshipped by all gods and men for eternity. Shiva agreed to these terms when he realised the damage he had caused. He dispatched Brahma to find the head of the first animal he encountered, which lay with its head facing north. Brahma returned with the head of a strong and powerful elephant, which Shiva placed on Ganesha’s body and breathed life into him. He declared that Ganesha was also his own son and that he would be the greatest of all gods and their leader for the ages to come.

Each part of the statue represents certain pillars that we should adopt in life.

Ganesha Symbolism

Big head of the elephant indicates that we need to think big.

Small eyes remind us that we need to focus on the little things.

Small mouth reminds us that we should talk less.

Big ears remind us that we should listen more.

Elephant’s trunk stands for our adaptability and all we can achieve.

Big stomach symbolises our need to accept things and digest what life has to offer.

Ivory tusks signify that we should focus on the good and let go of the bad.

The Mantras

When construction began on Mandala’s house, we decided that it would be built with love and good faith in every stroke of the hammer. Before the house was painted, mantras were written on all the walls. These mantras lay the foundation for love in the building. Although the mantras are not visible because they are covered by the paint, the walls that hold up the building possess great magic, elevate the frequency in the space and provide spiritual security.

Below is a list of the mantras that were used:

Aad Gurey Nameh
(To the primal guru (wisdom))

Jugad Gurey Nameh
(To the Guru (wisdom) of the ages)

Sat Gurey Nameh
(To the True Guru (wisdom), I bow to (or call on))

Siri Guru Dev Eyr-nameh
To the Great Divine Guru (wisdom) within, I bow to (or call on)

Sat nam (I am truth)

Wahe Guru
(God)

AUM (primordial sound of creation. It is the original vibration of the universe)

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo (I bow to the divine teacher within)

Guru Guru, Wahe Guru (Projects the mind to the Infinite, the source of knowledge and ecstasy)

Guru Ram das Guru
(The wisdom that comes as a servant of the Infinite)

“Entering Mandala is like stepping into another world, where peace and tranquillity envelop you from the very first moment. Worries and stress stay outside and dissipate while you enjoy relaxation and healing indoors.”

Sigríður Elísabet Elísdóttir

“My experience of sound healing has been amazing and different every time. Lying on the mat, opening the heart chakra and allowing the sounds to flow through each cell. In the end, I come out spiritually refreshed and strengthened.”

Ragnheiður Valdimarsdóttir

“Sound healing. I lie on the mat and, as soon as the sounds start to flow, I disappear. It’s like my arms and legs are no longer attached to me, I leave my body. Sometimes I glide in space, sometimes I float on the waves of the ocean. No sound healing session is the same, it’s a new experience every time. When the time is up, I would just prefer to stay put. There’s nothing like it.”

Hrafnhildur Hallvarðsdóttir

“Mandala is my spiritual journey. The soul travels beyond time and space into a warm and enveloping universal energy. The chakras nourish each other and, when the soul is ready, it travels back and continues into life. Thank you Mandala for those unique moments. Namaste.”

Arna Eir