World Labyrinth Day was on May 1st this year, which is an annual global event to walk a labyrinth while holding the intention of peace for ourselves and our planet. It was also May Day, an apt opening of spring, renewal, and promise. I decided it was high time to gather some friends to celebrate in-person, after a very long time being separated in this year of the pandemic. It was also a good time to recall why I am drawn to labyrinths, and how this contemplative walking path has impacted my life in unexpected ways.
My first experience of walking a labyrinth was profound, and I recall this memory with much gratitude. I had been struggling to find some peace in my life, and although I kept trying meditation, I couldn’t quiet my mind enough to “get it”. I had read that a labyrinth is a form of walking meditation, with one way in and out, not a maze in which you need to puzzle your way out. I was intrigued.
I took the opportunity to experience a labyrinth on a fine day while on a trip to Maine. I was visiting a scenic spot, and one of their offerings was a lovely labyrinth near the seashore. I was alone there, with the ocean and the seabirds providing a backdrop of beauty, sound, and scents. I read the ways in which one could walk their labyrinth, there is no wrong way BTW, but I decided on setting an intention of gaining some clarity in my life. Specifically, “Who am I”? So, holding that intention, I began. As I walked along, turning at the curves, moving closer to center and then further out again, my mind quieted. I reached the center and paused. I felt different. And, I had never felt this way before. As I spent time with a stilled breath, I experienced myself expanding into the surroundings, touching the space around me, connecting to the living natural world. For the very first time, I knew that I was not just a thinking brain carried around by my body, but a spiritual being, connected to life, and the mystery, of the universe.
On May Day this year, I gathered cherished friends to join me on this journey of quiet reflection, allowing grace to infuse us as we traversed the curves of the labyrinth, paused at the center, before following the winding path out. Each of us walking separately, but definitely not alone. And, the collective energy was deeply meaningful for all of us.
For further information on labyrinths, visit the Labyrinth Society’s website. Here is a snippet of what they say:
“What is a Labyrinth?
A labyrinth is a meandering path, often unicursal, with a singular path leading to a center. Labyrinths are an ancient archetype dating back 4,000 years or more, used symbolically, as a walking meditation, choreographed dance, or site of rituals and ceremony, among other things. Labyrinths are tools for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation, also thought to enhance right-brain activity. Labyrinths evoke metaphor, sacred geometry, spiritual pilgrimage, religious practice, mindfulness, environmental art, and community building.”