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A labyrinth is a design on a floor that is used for walking meditations. There are quite a few different labyrinth patterns, but perhaps the most popular is the one that is found in Chartres Cathedral in France. The design above is the Chartres pattern. A labyrinth with this pattern is about forty feet in diameter. The path is wide enough for two narrow feet, or one wide one.
How to Walk: There are probably as many ways to walk a labyrinth as there are people walking them. But the general idea in this walking prayer is to go about it with three distinct attitudes, depending upon where you are on the path. While walking the path inward, from the entrance to the center, the inner attitude is one of letting go or surrender. While resting in the center, the inner attitude is receiving enlightenment. While walking the path outward, from the center back to the entrance, the inner attitude is integrating the gift received in the center -- preparing to live with it, or let it live through you, in the world. This flyer explains in more detail "How to Walk a Labyrinth".
My labyrinth experience: I find walking a labyrinth to be deeply satisfying and often illuminating. I enjoy praying and moving at the same time. It engages my body in prayer, and watching the path keeps me from thinking too much as I walk. For me it is an experience of a holy presence. Both the path and the act of walking it seem to connect me with something ancient and wonderfully alive.
Labyrinth and Dementia: I also think the labyrinth pathway looks like the folds of the cerebral cortex, and so it is well-suited to dementia prayer. On several occasions I have prayed for my mother using a labyrinth, specifically because of its symbolic shape. Some have experimented with the use of a labyrinth at an Alzheimer's residential facility -- "Walking the Labyrinth to Peace"
Walk for a Friend ... Walk for a Cause
I am encouraging people to walk a labyrinth on behalf of someone else, especially someone in need of healing.
You probably know someone who is in distress, and although you would like to do something, you are powerless to help them. In this type of situation, walking a labyrinth may be of special benefit, both to you and to your friend. And it may be a tool for healing.
If you would like to walk a labyrinth for a friend or for a cause (Alzheimer's, breast cancer, AIDS), consider these suggestions:
- As you walk, carry with you a small token -- a photo, a glass bead -- that reminds you of your friend, or of your cause.
- After the walk, send a note card to your friend to let them know what you have done.
Resources for labyrinth walks: Click here for labyrinth resources and information that may be of help to you.
Share Your Experience: I am experimenting with this "walk for a friend" use of the labyrinth. I would appreciate hearing about your labyrinth experience. Please contact me. With your permission, I may share your feedback on this "labyrinth comments" page.
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Houston Area Labyrinths
There are many labyrinths in the Houston area. Some are outside; others are inside. Click here for more information on Houston labyrinths.
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