The labyrinth is viewed as a metaphor for life’s journey, offering lessons as we walk the path. Walking the labyrinth can assist us in addressing challenges, meditating, praying, and finding peace and serenity. Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, and transformation. A simple ten or fifteen minute meditation/walk will help you create a heightened awareness of the human condition and aid in psychological and spiritual growth. We are all on the path exactly where we need to be. There are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives; it touches our sorrows and releases our joys.
The history of the labyrinth can be traced back to over 4000 years ago. The earliest examples were found carved on rocks. The labyrinths have most likely always been used in a spiritual manner as a path for prayer and meditation.
There are as many different ways to walk the labyrinth as there are individuals. When we walk we discover our sacred inner space. It calms those in the throes of transition, and helps us to see life in the context of a path. We realize we are not humans on a spiritual path, but rather spiritual beings on a human path.
Labyrinths are often confused with mazes. When most people hear of a labyrinth they think of a maze, but a labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has turns, twists, and blind alleys. A maze is a left-brain task that requires logical, analytical activity to find the correct path into and back out of the maze. A labyrinth has only one path. It is unicursal — the way in is the way out. The labyrinth is a right brain task that involves intuition, creativity, and imagery. A more open, receptive mindset is needed. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made — the choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path.
Before you start your walk, center yourself (get into the “zone”) with the use of aromatherapy, breathing techniques, or just sitting quietly. Determine whether you have an intention for the walk or whether you are just being in the presence of your higher power. One way to feel more connected to the experience is to walk barefoot and slowly. There is no need to rush. People have different experiences walking the labyrinth. There is no right or wrong experience. Some people feel a sense of peace, others find answers to questions, and some are letting go of worries and concerns. As with all practices of prayer or meditation, your experience will grow deeper the more you do it. Whatever your intention for walking, the labyrinth is different for each person, each time.
One approach to the labyrinth, as described by Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress in her book Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, is based on the Threefold Path of Purgation, Illumination, and Union. The Threefold Path represents the three stages in a labyrinth walk:
- Releasing (Purgation) – From the entrance to the center is the path of shedding or “letting go.” There is a release and emptying of worries and concerns.
- Receiving (Illumination) – At the center there is illumination, insight, clarity, and focus. It is here that you receive.
- Integrating (Union) – The path back out represents empowerment and taking ownership, making what was received manifest in the world.
As you leave, some feel a sense of inner peace and harmony, others feel as if a weight has been lifted off, and some experience a profound insight. Some have very small experiences or none at all. Whatever you experience, it is your experience.
Research conducted at the Harvard Medical School’s Mind/Body Institute found that focused walking meditations are highly efficient at reducing anxiety and stress. The effect has significant long-term health benefits, including lower blood pressure and breathing rates, reduced incidents of chronic pain, and reduction of insomnia. Regular meditative practice leads to greater powers of concentration and a sense of control and efficiency in one’s life. Labyrinth walking is among the simplest forms of focused walking meditation. The demonstrated health benefits have led hundreds of hospitals, health care facilities, and spas to install labyrinths in recent years. If you are looking into installing a labyrinth in your spa or healing facility but have limited space, you might want to consider a portable labyrinth. At TheLabyrinthShop.com you can find a small personal labyrinth for your desk or coffee table, with a stick or wand for “walking” the grooved path — a perfect size for contemplation and study.
The labyrinth is based on the circle, the universal symbol of unity and wholeness. The labyrinth is a path and spiritual tool for growth, discernment, prayer, meditation, and healing. Enter in peace and walk the labyrinth with an open heart and an open mind. Relax and see what happens.
Walk in Peace and Love.
