What do you do in a labyrinth?

Photography by Dianne McIllwain June 2010

There is no right way or wrong way to walk a labyrinth.  The labyrinth can be used in any way that meets what you need.  You may go directly to the centre and sit quietly or you may walk attentive to the earth beneath your feet and to each turn on the path.  Adults are often serious in the labyrinth although not always:  the labyrinth can be used for   celebration with dance movement and voice.  Children most often run in and out as fast as they can in a playful manner.

[1]Walking the Labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the spiritual journey.  It calms us in the throes of life transitions.  It helps us to see our lives in the context of a path, a pilgrimage.  We realize that we are not human beings on a spiritual path, but spiritual beings on a human path.

Two ways to use a labyrinth are:  As a meditation or as part of a ceremony or ritual. Here are some guidelines for using the labyrinth as a meditative practice. Lauren Artress suggests that the meditative path consists of 4 R’s.

Remembering: This is the stage of preparation to begin the walk.  Remembering that we are blessed by the Divine and that we are held in love.  If you like, a time when we ‘count our blessings.’

Releasing:  This stage begins at the entrance and ends at the centre.  As we walk the circuitous paths, as we journey towards the centre, we let go those thoughts, any heaviness, any concerns or the activities of our life and quiet our minds and hearts.  This is also the time when we may bring a question or our concerns in a manner that we [2]“hold lightly not tightly”.

Receiving:  In the centre is receiving.  Having let go, emptied we are now prepared to receive the gifts held within the centre space.  This too is a sacred space.  Some of the experiences include a sense of peace, receiving guidance, a creative idea or interior silence.

Resolve:  This begins on the journey out from the centre returning to the entrance.  It may be a time when with renewed spirit we reclaim those things laid down on the walk into the centre, or a resolve to take the next step in life, or a sense of rejuvenation.

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[1] The Sacred Path Companion: Guide to walking the labyrinth to heal and transform. Artress. L.,2006.

[2] Patrick Oliver frequently uses this phrase.