How to use a Labyrinth for Healing

     "Whoever you are, walking the labyrinth has something to offer." ~ Melissa Gayle West, Exploring the Labyrinth

    Whenever I go to the beach, I like to draw a 7-circuit labyrinth in the sand with a stick. Its the quickest and easiest way to construct a labyrinth and walk it's path.  Click HERE for directions on how to make your own labyrinth.

What is a Labyrinth?

      The first labyrinths appeared over three thousand years ago on coins and pottery. They were also carved into rock faces, and built into the ground and in churches and cathedrals.  

    There are many different types of labyrinths. The seven-circuit labyrinth is the most common type and has been found in all cultures and time periods. 

    Unlike a maze, there is only one entrance to a labyrinth and only one way to the center with no dead ends. A labyrinth is perfectly balanced with an equal number of right and left turns. In a seven-circuit labyrinth there are seven right and left turns.

Amazing Patterns

     Within the labyrinth is sacred geometry and many different patterns, relationships, and proportions found in nature and life. One of the many patterns in labyrinths is the meandering pattern, found in the flow of water and throughout nature in such varied forms as the pattern of lightening and the pattern sutures form between the cranial bones. In the flow of water, this pattern slows down the flow for the support of life and is associated with the filtering and oxygenation of water. Water that flows too quickly creates erosion; too slowly creates stagnation. Walking the labyrinth slows down our rhythms and aligns us with this meandering pattern.

     The labyrinth also contains the Golden Mean - a rule of proportions found in nature that guides the growth of any organism. The Golden Mean can be found in shells, plants and flowers, animals and humans down to the cellular level. These patterns represent nature's design for efficiency and simplicity. The labyrinth invites us to move and align ourselves with these basic patterns that create and sustain life and vitalize us. This simplicity is experienced on a kinesthetic level.

   

The Experience

     The labyrinth is a tool for expanding the spirit, focusing the mind, and transforming and improving our health and sense of well-being. A person's energy field can expand two to three times its usual size after a walk through the labyrinth, and with it comes a feeling of being centered, balanced and one with the universe. The labyrinth helps us to be in the moment and remember who we are and why we are here.

     The walk to the center of a labyrinth is a metaphor for going to our own center. Following the path occupies your logical left brain, freeing up your intuitive and creative right brain. It relaxes the mind and is a tool for connecting with the divine within ourselves. In our fast-paced and stressful society, entering the labyrinth is a simple way to allow ourselves to disconnect from the outside world and go within. Out of chaos order is restored. In this balanced state, the body can heal itself. The seven-circuit labyrinth is an especially powerful tool for balancing the seven major chakras, or energy centers. Seven is also found in the patterns of nature.

Earth Effects

     The ancients discovered that building labyrinths affected drainage and weather patterns, and drew underground water to the area beneath the labyrinth. As people walk the labyrinth, the energy at the site is increased and a sacred site is formed. The focused attention people have while walking a labyrinth feeds the earth.

How to Walk A Labyrinth

     There is no wrong or right way to walk a labyrinth, and every experience of walking the labyrinth can be a different one. Before entering, take a moment and focus on what you would like to gain from walking the labyrinth. This can take the form of a question or a problem you would like to solve. Silence should be observed and cell phones turned off. Be open to any release or enlightenment that may occur.

     Start at the entrance and follow the path at your own pace, without rushing. At the center, you may want to take a moment to meditate. When you feel ready, follow the path back to the entrance. 

     After walking the labyrinth, reflect on your experience and journal any insights you gained. Pay attention to your dreams after walking the labyrinth, and take note of any synchronistic or coincidental experiences. I have received helpful insights regarding the issue I focused on during my labyrinth walks for up to several days afterwards.

     For more information about labyrinths, see the book link in the quote at the top.
  

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