Walking a labyrinth

The Sacred Path sometimes goes in circles, and that's a good thing according the thousands of spiritual seekers who walk a labyrinth as a part of their journey. It looks like a maze, and is in fact a distant cousin, but the purpose and construction are very different. A maze is a puzzle, with confusing choices to make and the possibility of getting lost.

In a labyrinth, there are no dead ends, no decisions to make, no wrong turns; there is one way to the center, and one way out -- retracing the steps of the entry walk. Although it appears to wander circuitously, the single path allows a walker's mind to slow down to a meditative state and simply put one foot in front of another.

Labyrinth walks are becoming popular on the agendas of spiritual retreats, in gardens and parks, private yards, even outside psychologists offices. Devotees view the labyrinth as a metaphor for life's journey: an entry point, a meandering trail through turns and changes in direction which sometimes feel like reversals, spiraling ever inward on a single path to the center, then returning over the same route to the beginning point.

Some who walk view it as journeying from the outer world to an inner one, returning with more insight, strength, or healing. For them, it is a prayer in motion. It requires a proper approach and intent. They suggest beginning with a pause at the entry to focus on the purpose of beginning the short journey. The path to the center is one releasing, letting go of the burdens of living in the "outer" world, unburdening oneself of worldly concerns.

The center, which is sometimes in the shape of a 6-petal flower, is a place of stillness, at least for a moment, and receptivity to gifts from God, Higher Power, Spirit, or whatever deity powers the individuals personal spirituality.

On the return walk, which retraces the entry path, the focus is on reclaiming good, accepting blessings and joy, and re-entering the outer world with a renewed sense of Self and inner strength.

Hand position is important to some who walk as a brief spiritual journey. They begin the journey with palms held together in the traditional prayer position, walk in with palms facing downward and out with them up, as a symbol of acceptance.

Many walkers have claimed a deep healing of old injuries, the release of grief and pain, insight into mystifying problems, or a preparation for a situation or decision that soon came up for them. Unrecognized emotions sometimes bubble up; hidden memories return in the quiet atmosphere. Although many people may be walking simultaneously, a labyrinth usually induces an attitude of solitude and awe for each individual.

To generate a prayerful attitude for a group experience, playing soft music, using lighting indoors or at night, adding fragrance with essential oils, incense or candles can be helpful. Walking can be done alone, or as a part of a group. The pace is generally slow and meditative, but that's not a requirement; some people have reported feeling a desire to skip, dance, run, or stomp their way through.

For a retreat experience, some discussion before and after the walk is helpful, and some time allowed for private meditation or journaling. It might also be beneficial to incorporate a time for walking more than once during the day, as each journey differs according to the particular needs and moods of the journeyer and that can change dramatically during an intense workshop.

A labyrinth walk can be taken as a simple meditative experience, but it can also be approached as a commemoration of personal events, spiritual growth, or religious history.

Practiced as a ritual to honor birth, death, or the ending of one life phase and the beginning of another, a labyrinth walk can symbolize the changes on life's journey. A ceremonial fire either at the center of the spiral or at the exit can be used to burn slips of paper containing words relating to feelings, habits, or people with a negative impact on personal growth.

A walk on the anniversary of a particularly joyous or painful occasion can be a reminder of where we are emotionally in relationship to that event -- how much we have grown, or how much pain still needs to be accepted and addressed.

A labyrinth walk can honor historical walks important to a particular belief, for instance, the Trail of Tears in Native American history, the Wandering in the Wilderness from Christian and Jewish Scriptures, or the Flight from Egypt for Christians.

The physical structure of labyrinths depends upon the amount of space available and their purpose--whether this is intended as a permanent installation or a temporary one. The paths need to by wide enough for two people to pass by one another; three or three and half feet is generally considered adequate, since making space for another sojourner can be a part of the experience.

Labyrinths can be permanent installations with the path defined by rock, concrete and wood structures and plantings, or they can be made temporarily with masking tape on a gymnasium floor, powdered chalk or contractor's paint on grass, or drawn with a stick in the sand on the beach. Portable labyrinths are frequently painted on large canvas sheets.

Constructing a labyrinth can be an experience in community building for groups of people who work together, pray or play together. There needs to be, of course, a leader who is familiar with the layout of the circles and the placement for turns and can guide the process.

The patterns for a labyrinth are basically one of two kinds. A classic design is composed of concentric circles (usually 7) beginning with a seed pattern at the entry; the path spirals quickly to encompass the entire circle, then meanders in to the center.

The more complicated Chartres pattern is a large circle divided into quadrants with a center space that takes up one quarter of the total area. It also is of concentric circles, but the turns are mostly completed within one quadrant before moving on to the next. It is generally made of 5, 7, 11, or 15 circles, depending on the space and time available for the walk.