“The Labyrinth”

A labyrinth is a path. Although it may look like a maze from the outside, the labyrinth is an intentional path with one way to the center and the same way returning you to the beginning place. Through this guided pathway, the labyrinth becomes a rich “spiritual tool” which offers us a disciplined time for prayer, meditation, reflection, or remembrance. It takes no special training…just begin and let the path guide you both in and out. People use this tool for many purposes including:

1. Prayer, meditation, or reflective thinking of any content.

2. Confession (confess sins on pathway in, stand in center and receive absolution, and experience being forgiven on the path out or plan for reconciliation).

3. Prayers of thanksgiving and remembrance on the day of an important anniversary or other occasion.

4. Celebrate a friendship by walking the labyrinth in prayerful silence with a friend, meet in the middle to have a time of silent or spoken prayer or conversation, and then prayerfully walk out.

5. Walk the labyrinth while trying to sort out a difficult situation or problem.

6. Walk to remember a loved one.

7. ...limited only by our spiritual journey and imagination!

Walking a labyrinth is a natural discipline which sets aside time (can vary in length) for reflection and prayer. Labyrinths of note include ones from the 13th century laid into the floor of the cathedral in Chartres, France, and at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco. Some are very complex and elaborate, incorporated into a tile floor, while others are rustic like ours cut into grass or drawn in the sand on the beach. They are now appearing in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other places where people desire to center and find “time away”

Because ours is located outside on our front lot, you are invited to walk it any time… literally, 24/7.

Walking the labyrinth

One way to see your walk in and out is through three stages. The first stage of your walk on the path going into the center of the labyrinth is shedding, a releasing and a letting go of your worries and concerns. This tends to quiet the mind.

The second stage is called illumination, the period when you reach and linger in the center. The center is a place of meditation and prayer; stay there as long as you like.

The third stage begins as you leave the center and retrace your steps back to the outside. It is builds on our union with God and the healing forces at work in the world.

It is good to remember that there is no right or wrong way to walk the path of the labyrinth. As you enter the space of the labyrinth, just be yourself and let the need of the day direct you.

Enter the path with an open mind. Letting your body lead you, open your mind and heart to receive the gift and richness that may come from your walk.

Expectations often get in the way of one’s experience. The experience we’ve had another time or heard from someone else may not be what we will experience on this walk. We each bring our own self and history to the labyrinth. Those who walk many times over a short period find that no two walks are the same.

Honor your own pace. It is important to honor your own pace. Do not allow the pace of others on the labyrinth to influence your pace. Be in touch with your inner self. Your pace will not be the same every time you walk it…you might change your pace on different parts of a single walk. Remember it is important to honor your own needs. Failure to honor your own pace may cause feelings of frustration.

It is ok to pass others or allow them to pass you. Some walk slowly in deep contemplation or thought. Others may dance run, skip or even glide through the path. Being sensitive to the others on the path will guide your choices.

Welcome

to the

Labyrinth!

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