What is Labyrinth Walking?
A labyrinth and a maze are often confused. A maze is meant to be a jumbled series of dead ends with more than one option at some junctures meant to lead you astray. A perfect example would be the maze in The Shinning, where finding a way out was made even harder because of a crazed lunatic with an axe in hot pursuit.
A labyrinth is one circuitous pathway that will lead you to the center every time. It’s meant to be a peaceful, mindful, axe-free walk whereby your 180 degree turns to the left and right also work to exercise the left and right spheres of the brain. Modern scientists are discovering how important that shifting in awareness and use between the logical left which focuses on parts and the creative right that relates to the whole, is to healthy cognitive functions. The ancients apparently knew intuitively what the benefits of fitness walking were, without the science, and that is part of the reason that they built these labyrinths.
They are traditionally circular patterns where you begin at one entrance and weave your way through to the center. The most famous is at the Chartres Cathedral in France. In the Middle Ages, Chartres labyrinth walking meditation was meant to symbolically represent a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. However, these geometrical designs are sacred to many different cultures and faiths such as the Mayans, Celtics, and Hopi Indians. When you reach the physical center then you have also done the work to center yourself. Sometimes the labyrinth center has a bench to sit and meditate further.
The meaning of walking a labyrinth to many equates to meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, and a quest for the equanimity at the core of the inner self. Today you will find them all over the world built of stones, turf, hedges, and mounds of the earth itself. But to find out how to find them, you’ll have to read PART 3 of this series. Many labyrinths have words written on the stones themselves or on placards at different stages of the path for the wayfarer to contemplate and meditate upon when they encounter them. Words like “Acceptance,” “Forgive,” “Compassion,” and “Gratitude” may be found on any given labyrinth. So the walking part which releases endorphins and is healthy for the body is integrated with the contemplative and healthy concepts for the mid to dwell upon.
Sources:
https://www.angelfire.com/tn/SacredLabyrinth/
This post is part of the series: Walking a Labyrinth to Reduce Stress: Discover the Ancient Lure
This five part series will will explain what a labyrinth actually is, how to find your local labyrinth, why and how this specific walking meditation reduces stress, and finally my personal, enlightening experience with walking the one I found near me. It may change your life for good.