The Labyrinth
A Labyrinth is a mindful creative tool, a meandering but purposeful path leading to a center-and out again. It is a walking meditation based on the circle, the universal symbol for unity and wholeness.
How Should I Walk the Labyrinth?
Walking the Labyrinth is an individual act- there is no right or wrong way. The path to discovery is as varied and unique as each individual walker. Trust that your experience will be just what you need.
Making the Journey
Moving into the Labyrinth is a purposeful time of focus and letting go. Take a moment as you prepare to enter. Take a breath. Center yourself, take one step backwards (to get out of your own way) and then begin- “cross” into the lab. Stay on the path. Choose your own pace.
This is a single-path labyrinth so you may meet others coming the other way. Allow each other to pass. Let all your thoughts go, concentrate on your breathing, or think of nothing but the path you are on. Concentrate just on the present moment. Some like to recite a word or mantra, a poem, prayer or passage. Others like to concentrate on a particular question – an intention.
That Central Place
At the center is the symbol of unity; a place of meditation and reflection. Enter with an open heart and mind; receive what is there for you. Listen to your intuition, your inner voice. You may want to stay for a while and consider the meaning of your journey.
The earliest walkers were said to find illumination, clarity, and insight at the center. Notice any sensations or changes in your awareness of self, time, feelings, and surroundings.
The Journey Back
Then follow the same path back to the entrance. On the way out, walkers were said to feel a sense of communion with the cosmos; a way to integrate the insights they have gained. Today, some mention a sense of liberation or joy, a feeling of creativity and being energized, retuning in a strengthened condition.
Enjoy yourself. Suspend judgment. Reflect. Be receptive. Experiment. Each walk of the Labyrinth is unique. Like life itself, there is only one way to experience the Labyrinth, to choose to walk it. In doing so, the wonderful winding path becomes a way to self-knowledge, providing solace, serenity and insight into the next steps on your life journey.