Step by Step
THE BENEFITS OF LABYRINTH WALKING.
Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice that combines gentle movement with mindfulness and contemplation. It is a form of active meditation that can support physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
In this article, we’ll provide some background information and tips about labyrinth walking and review highlights from the research into its benefits for health and well-being.
WHAT IS A LABYRINTH?
A labyrinth is a geometric pattern on the ground with a single path that is followed from a single entrance into the centre and then back out again. This design is “unicursal” and is different than how mazes are designed.
Mazes are “multicursal,” meaning they have multiple potential paths including some dead ends and perhaps more than one entrance too. Whereas mazes are intentionally challenging to get through, labyrinths are intentionally simple.
Leslie Wright, an advanced labyrinth facilitator trained by Veriditas, a global not-for-profit organization focused on promoting personal and global transformation through the labyrinth experience shares:
“A common phrase used when teaching about the difference between a labyrinth and a maze is that ‘a maze is designed to make you lose your way, while a labyrinth is designed to help you find your way.’”
Ms. Wright and her husband, John, who is also an advanced labyrinth facilitator, have a beautiful labyrinth in their backyard in Stratford, Ontario, where they host labyrinth walks for individuals and groups.
TYPES OF LABYRINTH
WALKING LABYRINTHS
Around the world, you’ll find all kinds of different labyrinths – almost 6,500 of them in more than 90 countries, according to the latest information on the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator (labyrinthlocator.org).
Some are outdoors, and some are indoors. Some are permanent, while others are temporary. They are made from a wide range of materials, including paving stones, mosaic flooring, canvas and paint, stones, bricks, sand or dirt, plants, masking tape, and even light projected onto the floor.
They are most often circular in shape, but may also be a square, rectangle, or any other shape. “There’s even a labyrinth shaped like Snoopy’s head at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California,” said Mr. Wright.
Labyrinths can be different sizes and have different numbers of “circuits” in their design, i.e., the number of paths around the centre.
A labyrinth with seven circuits, for example, would require you to walk around the centre seven times before reaching it, and then seven times again on the way out.
“One of the most famous labyrinths in the world is a 42-foot, 11-circuit design in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France.. We’re fortunate to have had the chance to travel to France and walk that labyrinth, and the experience was unforgettable,” said Mr. Wright. “The one in our backyard is based on the same design, however, ours is a bit smaller –30 feet across, with seven circuits.”
The pattern of the Chartres path is referred to as the “medieval” or four-axis style. It has you move through four quadrants in a non-linear, unpredictable pattern with more turns and variability in path length compared to labyrinths with a “classical” or “Cretan” style, which have a predictable back-and-forth pattern. Unusual-shaped labyrinths, like the Snoopy one mentioned above, are considered “contemporary” in style.
Labyrinths can be found in public and private spaces, including at places of worship, healthcare facilities (e.g., hospitals, hospices), universities and colleges, retreat centres, farms, and museums, as well as in parks, gardens, backyards, and even correctional facilities.
FINGER LABYRINTHS
Another type of labyrinth, a finger labyrinth, is believed to offer some of the same mindfulness-related benefits as full-size walking labyrinths.
Finger labyrinths are great for people with limited mobility, for times when you’re not feeling well, or for situations when you simply don’t have access to a full-size walking labyrinth.
They are also useful for students who struggle to focus, as an alternative to fidget devices.
What is a finger labyrinth? A finger labyrinth is a small labyrinth that fits on a desk or tabletop. It can be made of wood, paper, plastic, or anything that allows a visual representation of a labyrinth or an actual tactile experience, e.g., with grooves carved for the path in the wood or plastic.
“There are beautiful ready-made finger labyrinths that you can buy,” said Ms. Wright. “However, you don’t need an expensive one to experience the benefits. I’ve made simple finger labyrinths that worked really well using chunky yarn glued to a file folder or glitter glue on a regular piece of paper.”
How do you use one? Using a finger labyrinth is very similar in many ways to walking a labyrinth except the movement happens through your fingers. You simply trace the path of the labyrinth mindfully, in and back out, lightly with your finger, usually multiple times.
Unique types of finger labyrinth. Many finger labyrinths have a single labyrinth path that you use with one finger on one hand. However, there are also finger labyrinth designs that include two mirror-image labyrinths side-by-side that can either be:
(1) used by one person using both hands simultaneously – which can help synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain; or
(2) used by two different people at the same time, sometimes in a therapy session or just in regular conversation to feel more connected to each other.
THE BENEFITS OF LABYRINTH WALKING
A review – published in 2021 in International Journal of Yogic, Human Movement and Sports Sciences – examined the findings from 18 academic articles on the physiological and psychological effects of labyrinth walking.
In that review,, the author, Dr. Dustin Davis, notes that labyrinth walking is a meditative and spiritual experience that is found by some of the articles’ authors to activate the right brain, facilitate contemplation and reflection, and foster creativity and intuition while eliciting a relaxation response that slows breathing, lowers blood pressure, and eases chronic pain and insomnia.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that people experience many positive effects from labyrinth walking, including emotional and spiritual calm, better decision-making, help coping with grief or hardships, and joy.
However, Dr. Davis points out that the research to date lacks methodological rigour and focuses mainly on the psychological effects of labyrinth walking. In the end, he concludes that, based on the available evidence, labyrinth walking has mostly positive psychological effects but unclear physiological effects, and emphasizes the need for more research.
An interesting 2023 study by Dr. Jocelyn Shealy McGee and colleagues, explored the effects of collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention, i.e., a group walk where individuals walk at the same time but in multiple locations while engaging in the same contemplative practice.
This study took place on World Labyrinth Day 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and included 461 participants from 19 countries (although the majority were from the United States). Participants were asked to reflect on this shared intention during their walk, which could be on any kind on labyrinth, including a finger labyrinth: “In this year of suffering and uncertainty around the world, my intention is to walk a labyrinth with others on World Labyrinth Day to receive insights that can influence change.”
After participating in the collective labyrinth walk, the participants completed an anonymous online survey about their experience. Three main themes emerged from that survey – the collective walk provided (1) a sense of connectedness, (2) transcendent experiences (e.g., feelings of boundlessness and positive emotions), and (3) insights into how to cultivate compassionate action for their community. (This research was published in Frontiers in Psychology.)
WANT TO WALK A LABYRINTH?
First, find a labyrinth near you using the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator (labyrinthlocator.org).
Next, decide when you’ll go. You don’t need a special occasion; go anytime. (However, many people do choose to walk on special occasions like solstices and equinoxes, birthdays, and anniversaries, or to celebrate personal milestone like graduation or getting married.)
“For your first walk, it is ideal if you have a facilitator to guide your experience,” said Mr. Wright. “However, if you’re unable to find a walk being offered by a facilitator, you can prepare in advance yourself by reviewing information online about labyrinth walking or reading any posted information on signs at the labyrinth site to help you guide yourself.”
“There are four stages you may go through in a labyrinth walk, although each of them is optional.”
Right before you begin walking, there is the Remember stage, where you pause to feel gratitude, send blessings to others, or ask a healing question. Ms. Wright continues “As you are walking into the centre of the labyrinth, it’s the Release stage, a time to quiet the mind, let go of your troubles, open your heart, and be aware of your breathing.”
“Once you reach the centre of the labyrinth, that’s the Receive phase. Pause in the centre to reflect for as long as you like, as long as others aren’t waiting, and open yourself up to insights from your small inner voice,” Ms. Wright continued.
“Finally, as you are following the path back out of the labyrinth, you are in the Return phase. This is when integration of your experience happens. Notice how you feel –perhaps a sense of well-being, excitement, calm, or peace. Reflect on any insights you received.”
Immediately after a labyrinth walk, you may want to journal for a bit.
Other guidelines and etiquette to keep in mind:
· turn off your phone or other electronic devices so that you will not be disturbed (or disturb others) while you’re walking;
· move at your own pace, and if you are not alone in the labyrinth, know that it’s fine to pass people or allow others to pass you on the path;
· let your gaze be soft while walking;
· release any expectations, and embrace whatever happens – it will be different every time; and
· don’t take any photographs during the walk.
How often should you walk a labyrinth? As often as you feel called to! You might only walk one time, or occasionally, or every day if you’re fortunate to have a labyrinth nearby. Research points to benefits from a single session of labyrinth walking and suggests there is likely even more benefit to repeated walking.
THE HISTORY OF LABYRINTHS
Labyrinth walking dates back at least 2,000 years, and possibly as much as 4,000 years, with the oldest evidence being found in ancient petroglyphs that used the labyrinth symbol.
Labyrinths were built by ancient Grecian, Chinese, Indian, Peruvian, and Spanish cultures, before the cultural phenomenon later spread to most continents. There has been a growing popularity for labyrinth walking since the early 1990s, thanks in part to the work of Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress, who has written books on the subject and founded Veriditas.
As a form of moving meditation, labyrinth walking touches on two of the Six Pillars of Brain Health: Stress Management and Exercise.
WORLD LABYRINTH DAY
An especially popular time to walk a labyrinth is on World Labyrinth Day. “Every year on the first Saturday in May thousands of people around the globe participate in World Labyrinth Day as a moving meditation for world peace and celebration of the labyrinth experience. People are encouraged to walk at 1 p.m. local time to create a rolling wave of peaceful energy passing from one time zone to the next,” said Ms. Wright. “It’s quite a powerful and moving experience that I highly recommend.” You can find more information about World Labyrinth Day at worldlabyrinthday.org.
Source: Mind Over Matter V19