The Labyrinth

“A highway will be there, called the holy way … it is for those with a journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk.”   Isaiah 35:8,9

Much of this information is from the book Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice by Dr. Lauren Artress.

What is a Labyrinth?

A labyrinth is an ancient, sacred pattern, considered by many to be a symbol for one’s life journey.  Labyrinths have been used for thousands of years by people around the world as aids in meditation and prayer.  Variations of labyrinth designs have been found on all continents of the world.

Labyrinth or Maze?

With a labyrinth …

• There are no riddles to be solved.
• There are no dead-ends or tricks.
• Walking a labyrinth is not a test.
• There is no physical way to get lost or trapped.
• While a maze is considered to be a game, a labyrinth is considered a sacred path.

A maze is a left–brain task, as there are many choices to be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center.  Walking a labyrinth is a right-brain task involving intuition, creativity, and imagery. When walking a labyrinth, there is only one choice to be made – whether or not to enter.

If you find it difficult to sit still and meditate or pray, the labyrinth may be the perfect spiritual practice for you.  It’s a walking meditation.

The labyrinth is truly a tool for our times.  It can help us find our way through the bewildering multiplicity, to the unity of source.  The labyrinth is an evocative experience.  The labyrinth provides the sacred space where the inner and outer worlds can commune, where the thinking mind and imaginative heart can flow together. It can provide a space to listen to our inner voice of wisdom and come to grips with our role in humankind’s next evolutionary step.  Troubled communities can come to the labyrinth to discover and synchronize their vision.  It gives us a glimpse of other realms and other ways of knowing.

Lauren Artress in Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool

Wondering how to walk a labyrinth?  Read here to find out.