Walk Into the Labyrinth

For those who are willing to align more with Earth's energies or be more receptive to universal life force energy, walking a labyrinth is an awakening experience. In the same way that having our radio dial set just right to receive a specific radio signal, the process of consciously walking a labyrinthine path, with all of its turns and curves, seems to sharpen our ability to be receptive. It aligns our energy field to receive more readily the gifts of energy, healing, love, knowing, and the unexpected.

A labyrinth is an intricate pattern, design, symbol or archetype found in many spiritual and community traditions in various cultures around the world. It has a single or unicursal path leading to a center or goal, with the same path in reverse leading you back out. An ambulatory labyrinth is one large enough to accommodate people walking upon it. A maze, on the other hand, has many possible paths to choose from and can lead to disorientation and confusion. Although you literally cannot get lost in a labyrinth, you may "lose yourself" in the process of walking. As a mystic might say, it is often in the process of losing ourselves that we may find ourselves. As the folks at Unity Church of Denver say, "By walking this labyrinth, you are participating in a long-forgotten mystical tradition arising again in modern consciousness."

The first labyrinth I ever walked was made completely with the water element in crystalline form. A group of us, including family and old and new friends, built a Chartres-style labyrinth of snow on frozen Evergreen Lake, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, on February 8, 1997. It was seventy feet in diameter and was a replica of the eleven-circuit, white stone labyrinth constructed in 1220 AD on the floor of the Gothic Chartres Cathedral in France, just west of Paris. During its twenty-eight day (one lunar cycle) existence on the lake, it was skated by children and adults alike and used as a walking meditation tool by many. The majority of people who discovered that the labyrinth on the lake was open and available to anyone were Reiki practitioners who have continued to use the labyrinth.

My inspiration for the lake labyrinth came from Dr. Lauren Artress's book Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, which was given to me by my dear friend, Moira, within a week of completing our training as Reiki Masters in November of 1996. When I looked at the image of the labyrinth on the page of Lauren's book, it transformed, in my mind's eye, into an image of snow and ice on the only flat surface in our mountain community, the frozen lake. It was evident at that point that the labyrinth would become a guiding force in my life but I had no idea of the extent to which it would enrich my life with new friends, blessings and lessons.

Since having contracted this serious case of labyrinthitis, I have learned that the best treatment is to walk and build labyrinths as frequently as possible without worrying your family and friends too seriously. Alison, my seventeen-year-old daughter, and I drove across Europe in July of 1997, visiting Gothic cathedrals housing labyrinths in northern France on our way to study at the International Adlerian Conference in Schladming, Austria.

I was so inspired by the labyrinths of medieval France that I volunteered to conduct a special interest workshop on labyrinths during the Adlerian conference. Not having a nearby medieval labyrinth, a few new friends from the Netherlands, Italy, Israel and the USA gathered to construct a Chartres-style labyrinth made of masking tape on the dance floor of the Dachstein Tauern Halle. Six of us worked for three hours to complete the labyrinth, without losing a single drop of blood, sweat or tears, except for the ones of laughter as my body was used as a human compass in snow-angel fashion to construct the six petals of the rosette center. It was an exhilarating experience to construct this forty-foot wide design only to be outdone by the impact of having maybe two hundred people walk it during the remaining days of the conference. The stories people shared of their enrichment due to consciously walking the labyrinth were deeply gratifying and inspirational.

Here is one memorable conversation I must share. The day after the labyrinth workshop a German woman told me of her experience of walking the labyrinth taped to the dance floor. Although neither of us spoke the others' native tongue, we managed to communicate very powerfully. With tears brimming her eyes, she said, "Thank you, thank you for labyrinth. You know Reiki?". I said "Yes, yes, I do", as if Reiki was an old friend we had gone to school with. She continued, "I study Reiki, I try Reiki, but Reiki did not come to me. My friends know Reiki, and feel Reiki and Reiki did not come to me. I did not feel Reiki in me. Today, I walked the labyrinth you built and when I came to the center, Reiki came to me and now I have Reiki inside of me and I feel it! Thank you for the labyrinth!" I muttered "Danke, danke!" as I stood there, dumbstuck and in awe, wondering about the connection between the labyrinth and the healing symbols of Reiki.

To walk wide awake into a labyrinth is to move deeper into the core of life, deeper into the essence of humanness.

Walking the Labyrinth:

"the profound experience it gives to the ones who walk in search of healing and nourishment . . . it may be called the power of grace, or simply the psychological human experience which relieves anxiety and stress, but something happens when the heart of the one walking opens to the Invisible One who walks next to him/her... I am convinced that unity will only be built in the mutual respect of our differences and experiences. This use of the labyrinth as a spiritual tool puts value and action into the desire and realization for spiritual growth and internal peace."

How to Walk a Labyrinth There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. It is a unique opportunity to which people can bring their individuality. Allow yourself to be guided. Open your heart and mind to the experience with a willingness to accept what is given.

Here are some suggestions to consider:

Pause for a moment before entering a labyrinth to be fully aware of your present state of being. Notice your breathing, body sensations, thoughts, attitudes and feelings. When you are ready, become fully aware that you are about to enter a labyrinth. Allow anyone else on the labyrinth to be a turn or so ahead of you. Feel free to use any symbols, signs or ritual acts that you are accustomed to or moved to perform while using a labyrinth.

Please do not wear shoes that may harm a canvas or fragile labyrinth. If you are outdoors on a soft surface, walking barefoot may enhance the Earth connection. If you are on an ice or snow labyrinth, of course, non-slip shoes are encouraged!

While walking, allow your body to find its own pace and rhythm. Do not concern yourself with any ideas of correct or incorrectness about the labyrinth process.

Stay on the path, one foot in front of the other, on the way in and on the way out. Do not cross over the walls. Pass others if necessary and allow others to do the same by stepping to the side.

Honor specific requests, such as silence, in any given labyrinth, and sing out if chanting or song is requested!

Stay in the center rosette of a labyrinth for as long as you like and be mindful of the need for others to be there as well. After completing your walk, you may want to reflect on how it may be a metaphor for your own life journey.

Meander upon the path and enjoy!