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The Labyrinth Lives!
AIHT Staff

Labyrinths are found in many cultural and spiritual traditions and are being rediscovered worldwide. A pattern with a purpose, the labyrinth is an ancient tool that speaks to a long forgotten part of us.

Lying dormant for centuries, labyrinths are undergoing a revival of use and interest. Permanent labyrinths are being set in stone and cultivated as shrubs in churches, retreat centers and public places such as the Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois, at the Center of Spiritual Enlightment in San Jose, California, and at the Science of Mind Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Some homeowners are mowing them into their yards.

Elsewhere, portable canvases and even bed sheets are being draped wherever people want to walk the labyrinth.

Labyrinths, believed to have been around since 4000 BC, are enjoying a revival near the end of the 20th century as modern-day spiritual pilgrims rediscover the benefits of walking them.

Labyrinths became popular in the Christian tradition in the Middle Ages, when pilgrimages could no longer be made to Jerusalem because of wars in the Holy Land. So walking paths were built in some cathedrals, primarily in France, as a way to continue the practice of movement to a sacred place.

With an emphasis on rationalism in the 16th and 17th centuries, labyrinths fell out of favor and were looked upon as child’s play or distractions. As a result, many were torn out of the cathedrals.

Chartres’ survived, one of the most famous labyrinths in the world, but for a time was covered with chairs so that it, the labyrinth, could not be walked. Indeed, until recently, the cathedral was better known for its stained glass windows than for the labyrinth on its floor.

Labyrinths offer a chance to take “time out” from our busy lives, to consciously depart from schedules and stress. Walking a labyrinth is a gift we give to ourselves, leading to discovery, insight, peacefulness, happiness, connectedness, and well-being. The labyrinth represents our passage through time and experience. Its many turns reflect the journey of life, which involves change and transition, rites of passage, and cycles of nature.

Different from a maze—which has dead ends and false passages—the labyrinth has a single path that leads unerringly to the center. It shows us that no time or effort is ever wasted; if we stay the course, every step, however circuitous, takes us closer to our goal.

Thinking is not required to walk a labyrinth. Yet, one must remain alert to stay on the path. This combination of reduced mental activity and heightened awareness makes the labyrinth ideal for walking, meditating, or prayer. Some walk or dance the labyrinth just for the fun of it, or to express a certain intent or wish.

There is a strong connection between the labyrinth and earth energies, reestablishing a long-lost rapport with nature and with the feminine. Its turns are thought to balance the two hemispheres of the brain, resulting in physical and emotional healing.

Labyrinths have been used for weddings and other ceremonial purposes. As reaching the center is assured, walking the labyrinth is more about the journey than the destination, about being rather than doing, integrating body and mind, psyche and spirit into one harmonious whole.

To walk a labyrinth, begin at the opening at the outer edge, and continue along the path toward the center. The process has three phases. The first is the decision to enter and follow the path, known as purgation. The second is the center, where the walker pauses for a time of illumination. Finally, there is union or integration as the walker moves out and returns to the world.

At the center, some people may feel exhilaration. Others may cry or experience a sense of letting go. Ideally, the center is a place of rest, renewal and calm. The revival of the labyrinth as a spiritual tool goes hand in hand with a renewed interest in spirituality at the close of the 20th century.

You can learn more about the healing benefits and history of the labyrinth by taking EC 405, Exploring the Labyrinths…contact Beverly Love at 1-800-650-4325 or admissions@aiht.edu for more information.