LABYRINTH
Our Labyrinth is open to
the community,
Walking a Path to God
The labyrinth is a mysterious, ancient symbol that has been used for more than
4000 years in cultures that long predate Christianity. The labyrinth
at Spirit of Peace UCC is a reproduction of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth
near Paris, France, which was constructed in 1200 C.E. when Christians walked
labyrinths as a spiritual practice.
Walking the labyrinth is a form of body prayer, a walking
meditation. The path of the labyrinth symbolizes each person’s life and
spiritual path. There are twists and turns, just as life brings changes
and transitions. Sometimes when you think you’re closest to the center,
you’re the farthest away, and when it seems like you’re farthest away, you’re
almost there. Unlike a maze, which has dead ends and wrong turns, the
labyrinth is one continuous path that leads unerringly to the center. You
don’t have to think about where you’re going, so the left brain – that part of
your mind that likes to worry about the future and decide where you’re going
next – is free to relax.
Walking the labyrinth is more about the journey than a destination, as one’s
mind is quieted and becomes receptive. Rev. Lauren Artress, who has
led the resurgence of labyrinths in the U.S. writes, “To walk a sacred path is
to discover our inner sacred space…walking the labyrinth clears the mind and
gives insight into the spiritual journey. The labyrinth provides the
sacred space where the inner and outer worlds can commune, where the thinking
mind and imaginative heart can flow together.” Saint Augustine knew
something of this when he said, “It is solved by walking.”
Walking the labyrinth.
It is helpful to prepare to walk the labyrinth by thinking of your walk in
three parts:
Journeying In…at the entrance of the
labyrinth, details of everyday life are shed…as you walk, let go of
expectations…there is no right or wrong way to walk so go at your own pace…let
your mind be receptive
Resting in the Center…pause
to rest here…there may be a moment of inspiration…this is your center, and it
is really The Center, in which all meet as One in Spirit
Journeying Out…the outward path
symbolizes your reentering the world, with new awareness..often the journey out
will be a time of integration and understanding.
Keep in mind that the journey out from the center is the same distance as the
journey in, and you have to come out. The labyrinth
journey is not about escaping into the center and leaving the world, it is
about experiencing Spirit in the center so that you can go out into the world
with a blessing.
The intuitive mind.
One way that God’s guidance comes, perhaps, is through patterns and symbols
that communicate sacred meaning. Labyrinths are one of these universal
patterns that arise from what psychologist Carl Jung called the collective
unconscious. Such patterns have appeared throughout history, not only in
religious symbolism but also in dreams, art, and traditional stories.
Like other symbols and religious rituals, the labyrinth doesn’t engage our
thinking minds, explains Artress. Instead, “it invites our intuitive,
pattern-seeking, symbolic mind to come forth.” The labyrinth’s benefits
thus do not require great concentration. Think of it as simply being open
to listening for whatever comes. If it is helpful, you may want to repeat
a mantra, such as “Lead me,” or “Be still and know that I am God.”
Walking alone or with
other people.
You can walk the labyrinth alone, with another person, or with a group.
Lee Stokes Hilton writes, “Each kind of walk carries its own blessings—walking
at dawn, walking at night, walking alone or with others. You get a sense of
connection and yet not connection – like the proverbial ships passing in the
night. You are close to the other person, then you are far apart. You are on
your own path; you are on the same path. Maybe you’ll walk faster than the
people in front of you; feel free to pass around them. Or maybe you’ll take
their presence as a reminder to slow down in life, to pace yourself.”
Growing use of
labyrinths.
Labyrinths are being built all over the world today, in churches, retreat
centers, health centers, retirement communities, hospitals and schools.
Medical professionals know that positive patient feelings and attitudes
contribute to better health and faster recovery rates. Because labyrinth
walking promotes relaxation, deeper breathing, and a release of stress, the
Medical Center of Central Georgia uses theirs in cardiac rehab. At California
Pacific Medical Center, surgeons sometimes walk the labyrinth to calm
themselves before an operation. Mid-Columbia Medical Center in Oregon uses its
labyrinth to complement the use of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer
treatment. Patients are encouraged to center themselves before treatment, and
to relax after receiving treatment. Research conducted at Harvard Medical
School's Mind/Body Medical Institute found that focused walking meditations are
helpful in reducing anxiety, lowering breathing and heart rates, moderating
incidents of chronic pain and insomnia, and lowering elevated blood
pressure. Hospices are beginning to use labyrinths for stress
reduction, relaxation and stillness, in programs dealing with AIDS and cancer,
and in relieving grief or loss. In cases where outer
healing fails, inner healing can still take place.
Resources.
www.labyrinthproject.com
www.gracecathedral.org
www.labyrinthsociety.org
Spirit of Peace UCC
73rd & S. Cliff Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
www.spiritofpeacesf.org