Dee's Dirt: To enter a labyrinth

Thursday, May 19, 2011

To enter a labyrinth

"Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path... exactly where you are meant to be right now... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love." -Caroline Adams

We are all on the path... exactly where we need to be. The labyrinth is a model of that path. A short while ago we put in a labyrinth in the upper portion of our back yard. It was a 'dream' of mine for the last couple of years, now fulfilled. I'll enjoy it over the next many moments. Here's a little bit about labyrinths:

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness representing the path of a symbolic journey in the form of a walking meditation. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. It is a symbol that creates a sacred space and place and takes us out of our ego to "That Which Is Within."

A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns, and blind alleys. It is a left brain task that requires logical, sequential, analytical activity to find the correct path into the maze and out. A labyrinth has only one path. It is unicursal. The way in is the way out: a circuitous path to the center and out again. A labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves intuition, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path.

At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.

"To enter a labyrinth is to choose to walk a scared path." - Dr. Lauren Artress

“Walking the labyrinth path is a healing experience that is intended to provide insight, courage and understanding in facing life's challenges. There are three stages to the labyrinth walk.

Releasing - Quieting the mind and letting go of the details of daily life as you walk.
Illumination - Opening to insight and new awareness as you reach the center.
Integration - Moving outward from the center, taking silence, peace and insight out with you into your day.

Some links to follow for more info: