Building together with the group a labyrinth for individual walks. While walking to the centre of the labyrinth we are also approaching our own inner centre. Works well for introspection, inspiration, meditation or specific ritual.
Benefits
Moving our body through the labyrinth pathway creates a mirrored movement also for our inner journey. It brings authentic and fresh insights, thinking out of the box and our usual patterns. The labyrinth is an archetypal symbol, so can easily speak to people across different cultures.
Example
During a week-long course of deep education, we created a labyrinth out of branches and decorated it with autumn flowers. As it was 2nd November, All Souls day, we dedicated it in support of all those who are lost and in need of navigation. We walked in one by one, symbolically unwinding Ariadne’s golden thread to show them direction, with a prayer for specific people or aspects. On finishing, we dissolved the labyrinth and returned the materials back to the forest.
Variations
Reduced
Meditation walk. You enter in just following the rhythm of your own breath without a common or specific theme, open to what appears – insight, stress release,…
Extended
Preparing personal intention for the walk – question to explore, celebration, rite of passage marking a life change.
Online
Letting people prepare their own labyrinth in advance, which can be a simple pattern such as a spiral. The instructions can be given online, people walk individually at the same time and then share the experience in plenary. We did this on the occasion of the Solstice celebration during quarantine, when people were not allowed to meet in person.
Possible traps
Without preparation/evocation/getting into meditative state and recalling the intention at the beginning, one can walk the path without being really present and miss the potential, take a walk as if going to the shop and back.
You can’t get lost in the labyrinth, it is not a maze. You just need to keep on going!
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