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| Walking the seaweed labyrinth on the Iona |
About 15 years ago, just when I was beginning this new growth in my spirituality, walking a labyrinth appealed to me. A good friend drove me to a grassy one built on the back acreage of a retreat center, explained it to me, and invited me to enter in. That first step into its winding circle was also my initial step into my next phase of spiritual growth.
Based on the form of a circle and the spiral, this practice is an ancient and powerful symbol of wholeness and transformation. It is found in cultures throughout the world and has been added to many retreat centers as a form of walking prayer. Some of the earliest ones were found in Greece dating back to 2500-2000 BC.
The path becomes a metaphor for the spiritual journey.
The labyrinth is not a maze. Mazes have many paths and dead ends and they evoke a very different feeling than when we walk a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a unicursal with only one path in and the same path out.
Its path meanders its way to the center. Walking this path enables you to experience peace, listen deeply, and reflect on where are you in your life. Some find healing or new ways to celebrate. Occasionally nothing is experienced.
I wrote about my experience walking the seaweed labyrinth in Scotland on the Island of Iona last fall. You can read about it here on the post titled Iona: A Thin Place.
I find entering the circle like stepping into the sacred. My mind is slowly quieted, I let go of concerns, fears and attachments, and deeper insights emerge. Once in the center I pause as long as needed to hear God in new ways. The return trip out refocuses me outward to my next step and how to serve others.
I have learned there is not a right or wrong way to experience a labyrinth. I let the Spirit be my guide. I seek out this form of spiritual practice when on retreat or going through a time of disquiet or confusion.
You will find different types, often at retreat centers or at churches. One web site will help you locate one, Worldwide Labyrinth locator.
If you have walked a labyrinth, what was it like for you?
I forgot to mention that I hadn’t gone for months, but when one is desperate as I was…
I do hope you find the opportunity to walk one someday. As I mentioned in the post, occasionally I didn’t experience anything but most of the time it was a wonderful experience with God. I would love to attend the High Calling Retreat some year too. Maybe we can meet there someday.
I have never walked through a labyrinth, but one of my friends on the High Calling team has, and he highly recommends it.
What a great story and amazing how a labyrinth connected you to writing. In my writers group we talked about our writing journeys and so many of us had one teacher who believed in us and this dream. They really do make a strong difference in students. I hope you do get to walk a labyrinth someday.
Twice in one week, Dolly. I am impressed. I would love to have one closer by so i could go more often. I usually have to wait till on retreat. Yes it does help us connect!
I forgot many hospitals are putting in labyrinths now. I will have to look around my area at those locations. Thanks for coming by and hope we can connect again soon
What a neat way to celebrate your anniversary. My hubby is a believer but wouldn’t try that. He did wait patiently for me as I walked the seaweed one in Scotland. amazing you connected with that young girl. What a gift!
I have never walked a labyrinth, nor a maze. However, oddly enough, when I was in high school, the labyrinth was the first step to a dream of becoming a writer. I had a particularly inspirational English teacher that was generous enough to share one of my essays with the class, and shower me with praise. He made a copy of my essay for himself, saying he would hold onto it for later proof that I was his student. What can you say about a teacher that awesome as to plant that kind of confidence in a troubled kid. I never saw him after I graduated but am grateful to have had him as my teacher, and think of him often. His creative writing assignment that day… What is the shape of life. God Bless Mr. Naquin
Dear Jean,
I walked a labyrinth twice last week…yep, my week and my emotional state required it…God is gracious 🙂
Walked a labyrinth for the first time last week. Turns out the hospital near me has a beautiful, classical, stone labyrinth. Thanks for sharing, putting you on my favorites list.
Dear Jean
When Andre and I were celebrating our 26th wedding aniversary, we went to Hogsback, a beautiful little artist village nestled in the Maluti Mountains. There we walked a labarynth on the edge of the plateau! I met a sweet little girl there who was also walking the labarynth with her mom. She and I immediately clicked and we made a game out of the whole experience. But to me, this little one of whom I had the honor of sharing her life for a little while, was spiritual to me too. A gift from Pappa’s hand.
Blessings
Mia